Love Does Not Mean Automatic Acceptance

by Terry Wane Benton

God loved us at our worst, but that never meant He accepted us all without repentance and change (Romans 5:8; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38). So, God’s love motivates us to change so that He can accept us into fellowship. Love does not mean automatic acceptance into fellowship.

God loves us all, but the 3000 had to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus before they could be forgiven of sins and accepted into fellowship with God (Acts 2:36-41). Love did not automatically accept them. Love is a good incentive to repent (Romans 2:4ff); without repentance, love is wasted on us. Love longs for our repentance (II Peter 3:9) because God cannot accept us into salvation and fellowship without it.