Promises?

We're getting ready to start a study from John Bevere's "A Heart Ablaze" & we have to have the first two chapters read by tonight. So I'm reading & came across something that made me think. It was talking about how God's promises are conditional. It even referred to the Bible Verse:

"And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition" -Mark 7:13

So it make me go further & wonder - are all promises conditional?

I don't think we like to think of promises as conditional. After all, if someone is going to promise us something - they should follow through - right? It shouldn't matter on our part - but I guess after thinking about it- it really does matter.

The first thing that came to mind was wedding vows. You promise to love, honor, & in some vows obey (whole other topic!) for better or worse, through rich or poor, in sickness & in health. Is that conditional? It shouldn't be - right? You are vowing an oath. If there were conditions there - would it be love? Then it sort of hit me - you can give those vows, because someone is standing there giving the same vows back to you! They too are giving a promise with a condition - that you will do to them as they are doing to you - loving each other.

I guess another way to say it - if someone stood up there & promised in their vows to beat you, degrade you, make you feel like trash - would you still give the same vows of better or worse? Probably not - its a condition that you are both agreeing to.

And God does the same thing for us through His promises. He's saying - I'll give you eternal life with me, all the peace, happiness, contentment that I have to offer - you just have to believe in my Son, Jesus & accept him as your Savior. A promise with a condition.

The thing that I think trips it up & makes it confusing - I think you is LOVE. Like a parent can promise to love their child no matter what - unconditionally - & that's possible - but the parent cant give what they want to give their child without conditions being met. If you want to lavish love, support, steadiness, security on your child, but they are not willing to accept it - then you can't do all the things that you want to give. Again - same as God! He loves us regardless if we accept Him or not - it breaks His heart if we don't - it doesn't change His love for us - but He cant give us the things he wants to give us unless we follow His conditions.

What can I say - very deep thoughts going on in my mind last night & got carried into a 3 hr phone conversation with a friend. All good stuff!

What do you think? Is a promise unconditional?