True love
What does the Bible call us to do?
1 John 4:7-8 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Remark: John calls on Christians to actively and intentionally love one another.
Is true love merely a mutual response?
1 John 4:9-10 – In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Remark: No, true love is not just a reaction but a proactive, self-sacrificing choice.
Doesn’t the next verse say that it is indeed a reaction?
1 John 4:11 – Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Matthew 5:43-48 – Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Remark: It is not a reaction, but an answer—a conscious decision, not an automatic response.
How is it possible to have such true love?
1 John 4:12-13 – No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
Romans 5:5-10 – And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Is love a mere emotion or a deliberate decision?
Colossians 3:14 – And above all these things put on charity {love}, which is the bond of perfectness.
Remark: Putting something on describes a deliberate action. From this and all the other verses, it is clear that true love is not just an emotion or reaction, but a conscious, proactive, self-sacrificing decision to serve and labor for the benefit and eternal salvation of others.
What is one of the most misunderstood texts about love?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Charity {love} suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Remark: This passage can be easily misunderstood and misused. In the context (see 1 Corinthians, chapters 12 and 14), Paul is addressing believers about proper behavior and attitudes within the church. He is not discussing romantic love or promoting tolerance for sin. Though we should show respect to all, we are not called to support those who misuse God’s love to justify and sustain sin or take advantage of believers.
A precious privilege
What is the only group that can experience true love?
1 John 4:14-16 – And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Remark: Only those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God can truly experience and express genuine love.
What is the result of true love in them?
1 John 4:17-19 – Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.
How can this group of true Christians be identified?
John 14:21 – He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
1 John 2:4 – He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
What are these commandments?
1 John 4:20-21 – If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Matthew 22:37-40 – Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Remark: All Ten Commandments can be summarized under the two great commandments repeated by Jesus above. True love means doing the will of God and keeping His holy moral law.
How has God manifested his true love for us?
1 John 4:8-10, 14, 16 – … God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. / [14] And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. / [16] God is love …
Remark: The phrase “God is love” appears at the beginning and end of the passage, with the words “God sent His Son” repeated three times, emphasizing how God’s true love was revealed to us. Tragically, those who do not accept God’s gift of His Son for our salvation will never truly experience this true love described in the passages above.