Four unique forms of love are found in Scripture. For the most part, this sort of love is simply an inevitable fruit of ones love for God or rebellion against God. Christians are to be known by the fact that they love God and others (John (13:34-35). Romans 13:810 focuses on the Christians relationship to the Mosaic law. When we know that we are loved completely by the one who created us, we are freed from others expectations and demands. One central element of sacrifice and selfless love is service. In fact, true love, since it is supremely seen in the gospel of Jesus Christ, will often divide people, for that is what . " Some manuscripts take the first part of this verse, "God so. Therefore, in order to love God in the sense of pleasing him, we must never approach him because we want to reward him, but only because he rewards us. God himself is love (1 John 4:8), and it truly is a love that is not of this world (John 18:36). The Bible is clear about the importance of love. Mark 10:45 (NIV) "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.". God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). But the word love describes an emotion with vastly differing degrees of intensity. 1. Jesus second commandment was, You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31, 33; Luke 10:27). This profound link between faith and love probably accounts for why Paul mentions the two together so often (Ephesians 1:15; 6:23; Colossians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 3:6; 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 1:3; 2:2; Titus 2:2; 3:15; cf. Saint Augustine offered a prayer that catches the New Testament spirit on this issue: He loves thee too little who loves anything together with thee which he loves not for thy sake., John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. Gods love for you is vast, immense and unchanging! Many people are deceived by false teaching and lost while believing that they know the truth. Jesus said, You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44; Luke 6:27). Everything in the Old Testament, when properly understood, aims basically to transform men and women into people who fervently love God and their neighbor. The New Testament answer is that the kind of love Paul is talking about must spring from a motivation which takes into account the love of God in Christ. Thats why it can be difficult for some of us to understand what it means to be loved. not arrogant or rude. Or as John puts it, We know and believe the love God has for us . Isa. Enduring love for others testifies that a person is living in light of the future. Gods love is like an imaginary force-field around those who follow Him. We can fearlessly and confidently walk through the valley of the shadow of death because, as Psalm 23:4 concurs, He is with us. Jesus was accused of being a friend of tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 11:9; Luke 7:34). Christian perseverance is thus also a community endeavor. 3:2; Titus 1:8), was much needed in an era when inns could be dangerous and unpleasant. See Matt. However, Gods shield of love doesnt necessarily keep us from hard times. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. If you want to prepare for the unknown controversies of tomorrow, know your Bible deeply, thoroughly, confidently, joyfully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:19-20). A leader is to be above reproach, held accountable for the care of those entrusted to them. Like Jehoshaphat, I face trials and danger with songs of praise for God's faithful love ( 2 Chronicles 20:21 ). Here are 10 things you should know: 1. If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat (Proverbs 25:21). 34:6, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness). jealousy is fierce as the grave. We read that God is love (1 John 4:8), meaning this is the defining characteristic of His nature. God Is Love: 5 Implications of This Amazing Attribute of God The Israelites were also commanded to have sincere good will for each other: Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love I am the LORD. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. Set me as a seal upon your heart, By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. Paul was the apostle, teacher, and preacher to the Gentiles (1 Tim. Jesus said that only two commands are needed to govern our lives: love of God and love of neighbor. Paul asks, Did you receive the Spirit by works of law or by hearing with faith (Galatians 5:2)? When were going through difficult circumstances, it makes such a difference to know that someoneespecially Godcares! May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. These he draws to Christ (John 6:44, 65) and makes alive (Ephesians 2:4, 5); others he leaves in the hardness of their sinful heart (Romans 11:7; Matthew 11:25, 26; Mark 4:11, 12). So the intention of the chapter is to give specific instances of how to be holy as God is holy. Photo courtesy:Unsplash/PhotobyBenWhite, For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love. (Psalm 5:12). Community encouragement toward perseverance requires being together. The most basic thing that can be said about love in relation to God is that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16; cf. 11:1, Romans 15:13). The Fourth Commandment, to remember His Sabbath day . We must concentrate on the examples of love in Christ (John 13:34; 15:12, 17; Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 3:23; 2 John 5) and in his saints (1 Corinthians 4:12, 15-17; 1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Timothy 1:13; 3:10). 9). Hebrews 11:6 shows us the way: Without faith it is impossible to please God. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see. (Psalm 36:5-10). Photo courtesy:Thinkstock/RyanTangPhoto, But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. Just as the Son was and is present in the world in a loving fashion that in no way attracted divine displeasure, so are the Sons followers. "It does not rejoice at evil" (1 Corinthians 13:6). In short, Christ is God and has eternally existed in a mysterious union with his Father (John 1:1). 1) The Lord's Supper is primarily (but not exclusively) designed to elicit or to stimulate in our hearts remembrance of the person and . Revelations 2:19). Heb. If youre walking through a time of great trial or tragedy, remember that Gods love didnt create the situation, but that He did allow this difficulty through His shield of love in order to strengthen you and encourage you to draw closer to Him. If God has not satisfied our deep longing for life, then we may as well try to get as much earthly pleasure as possible, whether it is loving to others or not. One of the hallmarks of love is that it seeks not its own (1 Corinthians 13:5). The Bible says that God is love and that humans crave love from the moment of existence. 10 Things You Should Know about the Lord's Supper and Communion - Crosswalk Man - mentioned over 2700 times. In other words, Gods sovereign freedom in dispensing mercy on whomever he pleases is integral to his very being as God. Believers have been chosen by God and stand before him as his beloved holy ones. Billy Sunday. For Gods love to Israel was free, unmerited and slow to anger, forgiving many sins that created enmity between him and his people (Exodus 34:6, 7). 10 Important Considerations Before You Follow Jesus - Open the Bible Thus, for example, when God decided to punish the Canaanites for their idolatry he used his people to drive them out (Deuteronomy 20:18). But what are the actual reasons why love is so powerful and important to human life, we take a look at some of the most fundamental. At another time when Jesus was accused of eating with tax collectors and sinners (Luke 15:1, 2) he told three parables of how it gladdens the heart of God when one sinner repents (Luke 5:3-32). In fact, the Bible says that "love is of God" and "God is love" ( 1 John 4:7-8 ); in other words, love is a fundamental characteristic of who God is. This is the only mention of the divine name in the entire Song of Solomon, but it is fitting in a book of covenant wisdom. 60 Bible Verses About Love - Inspiring Scripture Quotes - Bible Study Tools 10 Key Bible Verses on Wisdom and Discernment. 1:12; 2:2). People - mentioned over 2200 times. These texts are simply an outworking in the life of the stipulations laid down in the Mosaic Covenant (the Abrahamic covenant had its conditions too, though love is not mentioned explicitly: Genesis 18:19; 22:16-18; 26:5). Their love is not to be like the love the world has (Luke 6:32, 35). May these 10 Bible verses about love bring you a richer understanding of the power and immense gift of Gods love. Christian theology stresses the importance of love because God has revealed that he is love ( 1 John 4:8, 16 ). Then Jude 21 says, Keep yourself in the love of God and Romans 11:22 says, Continue in Gods kindness. It is clear from Romans 11:20-22 that this means keep on trusting God: You stand fast only through faith. So one never earns Gods saving love; one remains within it only by trusting in the loving promises of God. If I give away all that I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3). All rights reserved. The terms believes and hopes are sandwiched between bears and endures and, like them, probably refer to relationships between people rather than to faith and hope in God. Nothing can take Gods love away from us. Yes, we will experience great trials in this life, but oh, what a blessed assurance it is to know that Gods unending love will walk beside us through them all. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We are only told that it is not due to any merit or human distinctive (Rom 9:10-13). This mystery is now revealed: Christ has come to unify Jew and Gentile in one body through the gospel, about which Paul had just written briefly (see the parallels with Eph. On the negative side, we find people loving evil (Micah 3:2), lying and false prophecy (Psalm 4:2; 52:3, 4; Zechariah. All religions have some idea of the importance of love. 25:10). On the one hand, it could sometimes represent a strong aversion toward the ill will that seeks the destruction of person. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. Philippians 2:2. then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. Being satisfied in Gods presence and promise, he is not bent on selfishly seeking his own pleasure, but rather delights to please his neighbor for his good to edify him (Romans 15:1, 2). Therefore, as in the New Testament (John 14:21, 23; 16:27), the full enjoyment of Gods love is conditional upon an attitude appropriate for receiving it, namely, a humble reliance upon Gods mercy: Trust in the Lord and he will act (Psalm 37:5). See especially Romans 11. But more importantly it is the force behind positive deeds of spiritual edification (Romans 14:15; 1 Corinthians 8:1; Ephesians 4:16) and the meeting of material needs (Luke 10:27-37; Romans 12:13; Galatians 5:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; Hebrews 13:1-3; James 1:27; 2:16; 1 Peter 4:9; 1 John 3:17, 18). You shall not hate your brother in your heart (Leviticus 19:17). Eros is used in the Old Testament to express the physical and sensual intimacy between a husband and a wife. Love never ends. Another way to describe the stance which a person must assume in order to receive the fullness of Gods loving help is that the person must love God. Love is both what God is and what he has done; God always acts in love. This is seen in Psalm 109:4, 5 and 35:1, 12-14. On the contrary, his very righteousness depends on his maintaining a full allegiance to the infinite value of his glory. in the sight of God and man. What Is Love According to the Bible? - Christianity Its hard to top Gods simple-yet-profound statement of love in Romans 5:8. Here Paul shows that there can be religiosity and humanitarianism without love. The second qualification of the enemy-love is required by the psalms in which the psalmist declares his hate for men who defy God, who lift themselves up against thee for evil! The Importance of Love | Bible.org Following Jesus does not mean you live independently from his example and instruction. It enables the members to endure one another in meekness and lowliness when wronged (Ephesians 4:2; 1 Corinthians 13:7). . To be born of God means to become his child with his character and to be transferred from death to life: We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren (1 John 3:14). Be set aright and encouraged by these verses and commentary adapted from the ESV Study Bible. "A mother understands what a child does not say.". In Romans 8:35 Paul said, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? In verse 39 he says, Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. This change from Christ to God in Christ shows that under the heading Gods love for men we must include Christs love for men, since his love is an extension of Gods. The love that God the Father has for the Son is expressed often in the Gospel of John (3:35; 5:20; 10:17; 15:9, 10; 17:23-26) and occasionally elsewhere (Matthew 3:17; 12:18; 17:5; Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 1:13). Both testimonies depict God's love and mercy because all (both loud and quiet sinners) have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. For on the one hand, the very disposition to fear God and obediently hope in him is a gift of God (Deuteronomy 29:4; Psalm 119:36) and on the other hand, the appeal of the saint who hopes in God is not to his own merit, but to Gods faithfulness to the lowly who have no strength and can only trust in mercy (Psalm 143:2, 8, 11). The world is not any particular class of objects or people. 3:5), fear (Prov. Christ's followers trustfully obey and submit to his will by faith, even when it exceeds . In fact, the Old Testament closes with many of Gods promises unfulfilled. This is why good things sometimes happen to bad people. 2 Timothy 4:8). Its His love that both gives us strength and causes us to rejoice! For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. If a man offered for love Second, it is the very love of the Father for the Son which the Father pours into the hearts of believers (John 17:26). The Importance Of God's Love In The Bible | ipl.org