No one in the whole universe can love the way God loves. His unconditional love for you and I is beyond human comprehension. And yet, God wants us all (men, women, husband’s, wife’s, children and so on) to love the way He does.
The Bible has a lot to say about the nature of God’s love. According to the scripture,
-The Bible teaches that God is love (1 John 4:8; But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.) and that He demonstrated His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16)
- Love is the greatest virtue. 1 Corinthians 13:13; Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. (NLT)
- Love is the chief or the 1st fruit of the Holy Spirit at work in and through our lives (Galatians 5:22).
- Love (or more specifically; the God kind of love called “Agape Love”) is not based on emotion or feeling. If it were, Christ won’t die for us. Scripture teaches while we were still in sin (doing horrible things) Christ Jesus died for us. If God was to consider “emotions” towards humanity and all the wicked things we have done, He will never send Jesus to die for you and I. Thank God, that Agape love is a level of love that is not dependent on emotions.
- Agape love is selfless and unconditional. It is sacrificial, giving first and expecting nothing in return. When we love with this kind of love, we are seeking to give of ourselves. The example of this Agape-love is the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for us, and the willingness of God to give His one and only Son on our behalf. He’s seeks nothing from us. Nothing we have to give God would provide Him any gains. He simply loves us
- God’s love is also fully expressed by adopting us as His children (John 1:12; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5; 1 John 3:1)
- Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another” (2 John 1:6, Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning NLT)
- God’s love for us is everlasting (Psalm 103:17; Jeremiah 31:3)
- Love is not fearful or in true love there is no fear (1 John 4:18)
-God is rich in unfailing love to all who love Him, trust Him, confess their sins, experience His forgiveness, and obey Him wholeheartedly (Exodus 34:6-7; Deuteronomy 7:12; 1 Kings 8:23; Nehemiah 1:5; Psalm 25:10; Psalm 32:10)
-God commands us to live a life of love (Agape-love). Ephesians 5:2; Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God
How does God want us to Love?
- That you love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. Mark 12:30
- That you love God and obey His commands. Deuteronomy 11:22, 1 John 5:3
- That you love people no matter their race or orientation (not that we condone sin! But we love people and pray and seek through His word for their reconciliation with God). Romans 13:8-9
“8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[1] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
- Furthermore we are expected to show love to fellow believers. 1st John 4: 20-21
1st John 4: 20-21; If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
- To show love to your spouse.
- The love for your spouse cannot be built on Philos love alone (Philos is the love between friends, and friends for many reasons can have a falling out and choose not be friends anymore!).
- The love for your spouse should not be based on feelings or emotions alone (I will only show my spouse love when he or she does right is the dangerous marriage destroyer doctrine that the world-system currently teaches which unfortunately many Christian couples are now emulating and as a consequence there is a steep rise in divorce rates amongst Christian couples).
- Neither should it be based on eros love alone (Eros love is a physical, romantic love. While Eros love is needful to spice up any marriage but you turn your husband or wife to a “commodity” if the only time you show them any sort of care for example is centred on the satisfaction and carnal fulfilment of your sexual appetite alone at the expense of their emotional needs. That shows a high degree of self-centredness and selfishness on your part!)
- God wants the love for your spouse to be built on Agape-Love and one of the key features of this kind of superior love in comparison to the other types is the law of sacrifice. You must love your spouse sacrificially (Ephesians 5: 25-28)
- God expects you love those in need — widows, orphans, the poor, immigrants, refugees, and others who are downtrodden and oppressed. James 1:27; Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.)
- God’s definition of love is that you hate evil and love what is good. (1 Peter 3: 11, 1 Timothy 6:11)
- Love for God also involves not loving the things of this world. 1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever
Using 1st Corinthians 13 to define some of the elements of the God kind of love
In God’s kingdom, love is considered one of the highest virtues, and its characteristics are outlined primarily in passages like 1 Corinthians 13 and throughout the teachings of Jesus. Here are the key characteristics of love according to 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.
- Patient: Love is patient, enduring trials, and challenges with a calm and composed spirit, without becoming easily angered or frustrated (1 Corinthians 13:4).
- Kind: Love is characterized by acts of kindness, compassion, and a desire to help others. It seeks to do good to others without expecting anything in return (1 Corinthians 13:4).
- Not Envious or Boastful: Love is free from envy or pride. It does not seek to elevate itself at the expense of others or covet what others have (1 Corinthians 13:4).
- Not Arrogant or Rude: Love is humble and respectful. It does not display arrogance, rudeness, or a sense of superiority over others (1 Corinthians 13:4).
- Does Not Insist on Its Own Way: Love is unselfish and considers the needs and desires of others. It is not demanding or focused solely on personal desires (1 Corinthians 13:5).
- Not Irritable or Resentful: Love does not hold grudges or keep records of wrongs. It forgives and chooses not to harbour anger or resentment (1 Corinthians 13:5).
- Rejoices in the Truth: Love values truth and righteousness. It seeks honesty, integrity, and goodness in all things (1 Corinthians 13:6).
- Bears All Things: Love is willing to endure hardships and support others in their times of need, showing unwavering support and empathy (1 Corinthians 13:7).
- Believes All Things: Love is characterized by trust and faith in others, assuming the best about people and giving them the benefit of the doubt (1 Corinthians 13:7).
- Hopes All Things: Love is hopeful, looking to the future with optimism and confidence. It believes in the potential for positive change and growth (1 Corinthians 13:7).
- Endures All Things: Love is resilient and persevering. It remains steadfast and committed, even in the face of adversity and challenges (1 Corinthians 13:7).
- Unfailing: True love, according to the Bible, never fails or ceases to exist. It is eternal and unchanging (1 Corinthians 13:8).
These characteristics of love, often referred to as the “love chapter” in 1 Corinthians 13, provide a comprehensive framework for understanding love from God’s perspective. They emphasize selflessness, compassion, forgiveness, and a commitment to the well-being and flourishing of others, reflecting our belief in God’s love as the ultimate example and source of love.
Bible characters who operated in God’s love or understood what the workings on God’s love in their lives
The Bible is full of characters who have experienced and demonstrated God’s love in different ways. Here are two examples:
Hosea: In the Old Testament, Hosea was a prophet who showed how much God loved His people even when they were unfaithful to Him. He was tasked by the Lord to show His love for unfaithful Israel by marrying a prostitute named Gomer (see Hosea 1:2-3). Despite Gomer’s adulterous ways, God told Hosea to take her back and love her again. This is just how much God loves us: That while we were still sinners, He died for us
Ruth: Ruth was a Moabite, a people detested by the Israelites. But Ruth was not afraid to show her love for Naomi, her Israelite mother-in-law. She was loyal to Naomi even when it meant leaving her people and country to go to a land where she may not have been welcome as a Moabite (who were considered enemies of Israel). God bless you.
Prayer points:
- Lord pour your love in my heart by the power of the Holy-Spirit in Jesus Name
- Father give me the grace to show sacrificial kind of love to my spouse, my children, and people in my sphere of influence that you want me to impact in Jesus Name
- Lord remove selfishness and self-centredness from my life and teach me to love like Jesus did when He was on earth, in Jesus Name
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