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The Bible says that “God is love” and “love is God” (1 John 4:7–8). With that being said, love can come in various forms, especially since several different words are used to describe love throughout the Bible. Let’s dive deeper into the specific Bible verses that mention love and how we can emulate it in our own lives.
Examples of Human Love in the Bible
The Bible has many instances of love and many different kinds of love. In the American culture today, love is often described as a feeling, such as how we may feel love for our spouse. However, if that is all love is, we can easily end up disappointed when we no longer “feel” like loving. After all, feelings are temporary.
In the Bible, God shows us the passionate, erotic love a couple can have in the Song of Solomon. Yet this love between Solomon and a Shumalite woman is not just passionate, but persistent. This marriage is the ultimate showcase of human love between a man and a woman and teaches us what God’s desire is for our marriages, especially in our pursuit of one another.
Another place we see love in the Bible is through the relationship of David and Jonathan. These two men show a deep brotherly love and friendship towards one another. In 1 Samuel, Jonathan loves sacrificially in how he willingly gave up his right to the throne of Israel and kept David safe from his father. We see these men go through a lot together and their love for one another is strong and sacrificing.
Other places where love is shown between two people are in Ruth and Boaz’s story and the story of Hosea and Gomer.. These are just a few examples of love in the Bible, but we encourage you to read through these stories for yourself, praying for wisdom to learn what the Lord has to teach you as you read.
Example of God’s Love in the Bible
Specifically, there are several types of “love” in Hebrew and Greek including words that mean friendship, brotherly love, and erotic/sexual love. However, there is one distinct word used to define God’s love: agape. Agape love refers to a benevolent and sacrificial love. We believe God’s love is His foremost feeling toward us as His children. While we may never be able to understand the extent of His love fully, we believe that love is a big topic and that it is important to study what the Bible says about love.
In many ways, the Bible is a story of how God loved us so much that He gave up His Son to be reunited with us. There are countless verses where God shows His love for us. One of the most memorized verses in the Bible is John 3:16 which is about God’s love. In this verse, love was God’s motivation to save us. Not pity, but love. This agape love takes action through sacrifice, proving that His love is preeminent among all His other attributes.
1 John 4 9-10 says, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” This verse teaches us that through Jesus, God’s love has come to us. Let’s talk wholistically about just a few attributes of God’s love.
God’s Love is… Sacrificial
“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person, one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8)
This verse teaches us that God’s love is sacrificial, that even when we deserved it the least, God still sent His perfect Son to die as payment for the death we deserved. You could never earn His love, He already loves you!
God’s Love is… Unfailing
“Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10)
This verse teaches us that God’s love is unfailing. No matter what happens in your life, the Lord’s love will never fail (1 Corinthians 13:8).
God’s Love is… Inseparable
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35–39)
This verse teaches us that God’s love is inseparable. There is nothing we can do to lose the love of God. It is a powerful, persistent, and passionate force.
God’s Love is… Steadfast
“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm 36:5-7).
This verse teaches us that God’s love is steadfast. The depth of God’s love is unimaginable. His steadfast love is a place of security for us. Picture the safety of His arms in an embrace. The ones which he chooses to pour out His love with is on us!
God’s Love is… Everlasting
“Thus says the Lord:
‘The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness;
When Israel sought for rest,
The Lord appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.’” (Jeremiah 31:2-3)
This verse teaches us that God’s love is everlasting. Time cannot change His love for you. He comes to us even while we are far off. His love is faithful and cannot be broken.
Why Should We Love Others?
While loving others may not come easy, there are a few reasons why we must love others. This is especially true for those who do not like us or may not agree with everything we have to say..
The Bible shows us it’s important to love for some of the following reasons:
- Because it is a command
- “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
- “This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 4:19)
- “‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” (Matthew 22:36-40)
- Because we are rewarded for our love
- “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” (Luke 6:35)
- Because there is unity in love
- “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1)
- Because love covers sin
- “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
- Because He loves us!
- “We love because he first loved us.” (John 4:19)
Love is An Action
There are so many reasons to love others. But of course, loving is not easy. One of the most common scriptures used for wedding services about love is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. This verse is a list of commands about what love is.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
In this verse, love is not feelings, but actions. 1 Corinthians shows that we can practically live out love by doing these things. Being kind, patient, humble, honoring, sacrificial, meek, forgiving, truthful, protecting, trusting, and hopeful is hard and no person can be perfect at loving. However, if we continue to grow in our faith and dwell on the love of God, we will become better at loving others.
Dwell on the Love of God
Love is one of the most critical parts of the Christian life. Why? Because God is love! God pours out His sacrificial, everlasting, unfailing, steadfast, love on us every day through Christ Jesus. Because of Jesus’ death, we are made perfect in love.
At Oak Ridge Baptist Church, we want to encourage you to dwell on the love of God this week. Underline each of these verses in your Bible and dwell on the everlasting love that has been given to you. We hope that we may all “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)
For more resources or to send a prayer request, contact our office.
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