The Bible Teaches About Love 

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Our love matters to God and I know that because of how often God’s word mentions love. The word love is mentioned 139 times in the Old Testament and 183 times in the New Testament.

And no wonder love matters to God so much when we understand that 1 John 4:8 and 16 tell us that God is love. In other words, Love is how God is identified. He is the essence of love and the very definition of love. Which means, that Jesus embodied love. 

The Bible also teaches about love and its priority importance in the interaction between Jesus and a lawyer, also a Pharisee. The lawyer asked Jesus to tell him the greatest commandment in the law. Jesus responded,

“You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all Your soul, and with all your mind. Jesus said this is the first and greatest commandment.”

Matthew 22:37-38

The reality is this Pharisee knew very well the priority of loving God because Jesus pointed back to the Shema, a Jewish confession in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Every Jew knew these words. These words were deeply embedded in the Jewish culture and had been for centuries. 

Jesus went on to say, 

“And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’”

Matthew 22:39-40

The greatest two commandments are based on love. Love God. And love others.

 Peter and Paul both elevated love as a top priority. 

1 Peter 4:8 - And above all things have fervent love for one another.

 

Colossians 3:14 - But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

 

1 Corinthians 13:13 - And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

In other words, love matters to God. 

The LOVE Chapter

First Corinthians 13 is known as the love chapter and is probably the most widely used Scripture in wedding ceremonies. The phrase but have not love shows up three times in the love chapter. The context of the three uses of the phrase gives us three examples of performing good things never equates to anything of value if we have not love. 

The essence of the teaching on not having love is:

• We can be gifted to carry out specific roles or functions in the body of Christ, but without love, any gift we have and even excel at, is worthless. 

• Without love, our speech is like “sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”  

• Our knowledge, understanding, and faith are nothing without love. 

• We profit nothing if we sacrifice our life for a good cause and sell all that we have to give to the poor if we “have not love.”

Take a moment to think about these good things listed in 1 Corinthians 13. If we were the subject of these good things listed, we would surely see them as valuable. However, God’s word clearly tells us that the value isn’t in the thing done, but the love behind the thing done. The value of these good things is completely eliminated if those things are done without love.  

Our Love Matters

In “Secret Power” D.L. Moody wrote “I recommend all Christians read 1 Corinthians 13 constantly, abiding in it day and night, summer and winter, twelve months in the year. Then the power of Christ and Christianity would be felt as it never has been in the history of the world.” I read these words and remembered Jesus’ words:

“By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:35

Our love matters to God but it also matters to the world. Love is our brand, our signet ring, that we belong to Jesus. 

According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 13: 

Love: 

• Is long-suffering and kind

• Rejoices together in the truth 

• Hides the fault of others 

• Believes, and hopes all things

Love is not envious, boastful, full of pride, self-conceit, or self-seeking, and love does not behave in an ugly, indecent, or unbecoming manner. Nor does it think or count on what is bad and eternally worthless that could cause harm or injury to anyone.

When I look at 1 Corinthians 13 description of love, I come to the conclusion that LOVE IS BEAUTIFUL! 

But I also see them as sobering words as I look into the mirror of God’s word. I fall short and not just a little, but a lot. However, even the conviction of my own failure to love like the Bible teaches me is beautiful. Conviction shows us where we fall short, but conviction doesn’t leave us there. Instead it moves us closer. Transformation from our current state happens as we see our shortcomings and our failures in light of the perfection of love. 

 I choose conviction rather than comfort. And the beauty of conviction is when we face and deal with ugliness in our own heart for the sake of a closer walk with Jesus, through the filling of His Holy Spirit power we experience change and transformation. 

What About You? 

Where do you see yourself in light of what the Bible teaches about love? Do you desire conviction and change or comfort and the same?

The world we live in is not a world that loves. It doesn’t take much life outside of a bubble to see that people are unloving, ugly, and use their words to cause injury to others. Our political climate polluted our world. Social media gave people a freedom to lie and say damaging things without real consequence.  Even these point to the fact of the human condition called sin and exposes our need for a Savior. 

The sad part is how the culture of the world affected how we, as believers in Christ, love one another. Romans 12:2 says, Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is that perfect and acceptable will of God. 

Maybe we should take D.L. Moody’s advice and read 1 Corinthians 13 constantly and allow God’s words of love to renew our minds and transform our hearts. So dear one, if you are up for a bit of real conviction and transformation, I challenge you to spend the month of December looking at what the Bible teaches about love in 1 Corinthians 13. You might even want to go back and read my blog post, God Calls Us To Love Without Hypocrisy. Another book of the Bible that teaches about love is 1 John. Take some time to daily read, dwell, and meditate on passages from 1 Corinthians 13 and maybe even 1 John. Let’s give God freedom to shine His light of love into our hearts. 

Have a blessed and beautiful day!