Psalm 103:17-18–"But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments."
There is a severe tendency when reading this passage (and the multitude of verses like it) to read the lovely part at the beginning while neglecting the latter conditional components. But in truth it is the contingent aspect of this passage that makes it so important.
At the onset, one thing must be asserted: God loves everyone. This is unambiguous and, quite frankly, irrevocable.
Now that that's out of the way we get to the hard part: God's love is not equal. While this may seem provocative it flows from relational definitions.
Some people know God as their Father just as He knows them as His children. These people, the people of the Covenant of Christ, are–in a quite literal way–His. This means, among a who litany of things, that the people who He has deemed to call His, who He has called to live covenantally, God loves them, for lack of a better term, differently than everyone else.
It is this 'difference' that warrants the entirety of the aforementioned passage. The people of God, who are called to live according to His covenant, have commandments to fulfill. It is upon the satisfaction of these commandments that righteousness is received, just as it is upon our fear of Him that His love is applied steadfast.
Much, much more could be said but suffice to say this passage is anything but easy to stomach while it remains rather straightforward: fear God and keep His covenant.
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