PHangelo_salem9
Fanatic
The Bible has a great deal to say about love. In fact, the Bible says that ālove is of Godā and āGod is loveā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post.
Log in or register now.); in other words, love is a fundamental characteristic of who God is. Everything God does is impelled and influenced by His love.
The Bible uses several different words for āloveā in the Hebrew and Greek, interchanging them depending on context. Some of these words mean āaffectionate loveā; others indicate āfriendshipā; and still others, ā******, sexual love.ā There is also a distinct word for the type of love that God displays. In the Greek, this word is agape, and it refers to a benevolent and charitable love that seeks the best for the loved one.
The Bible gives many examples of love: the caring provision of Boaz for Ruth; the deep friendship of David and Jonathan; the poetic, passionate love of Solomon and the Shulamite; the enduring commitment of Hosea to Gomer; the fatherly love of Paul for Timothy and John for the church; and, of course, the sacrificial, saving love of Christ for the elect.
Agape, the benevolent, selfless love that God shows, is mentioned often in the New Testament, including in the ālove chapter,ā 1 Corinthians 13. There, loveās characteristics are listed: love is patient and kind; love doesnāt envy, boast, or dishonor others; love is not proud or self-seeking; love is not easily angered, doesnāt keep a record of wrongs, and doesnāt delight in evil; rather, love rejoices with the truth; love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres; love never fails (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Of the greatest of Godās gifts, faith, hope, and love, āthe greatest . . . is loveā (verse 13).
The Bible says that God was motivated by love to save the world (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Godās love is best seen in the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). And Godās love does not require us to be āworthyā to receive it; His love is truly benevolent and gracious: āGod demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for usā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.).
The Bible says that, since true love is part of Godās nature, God is the source of love. He is the initiator of a loving relationship with us. Any love we have for God is simply a response to His sacrificial love for us: āThis is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sinsā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Our human understanding of love is flawed, weak, and incomplete, but the more we look at Jesus, the better we understand true love.
The Bible says that Godās love for us in Christ has resulted in our being brought into His family: āSee what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!ā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Just as the father in the parable showed love to his prodigal son (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.), so our Heavenly Father receives us with joy when we come to Him in faith. He makes us āaccepted in the Belovedā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.).
The Bible says that we are to love others the way that God loves us. We are to love the family of God (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). We are to love our enemiesāthat is, we are to actively seek what is best for them (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). As we show benevolent, selfless love, we reflect Godās love to a lost and dying world. āWe love because he first loved usā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.).
The Bible says that our love for God is related to our obedience of Him: āFor this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not burdensomeā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.; cf. You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). We serve God out of love for Him. And Godās love for us enables us to obey Him freely, without the burden of guilt or the fear of punishment.
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. says that āperfect love drives out fearā (this is again the word agape). The dismissal of the fear of condemnation is one of the main functions of Godās love. The person without Christ is under judgment and has plenty to fear (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.), but once a person is in Christ, the fear of judgment is gone. Part of understanding the love of God is knowing that Godās judgment fell on Jesus at the cross so we can be spared. Jesus described Himself as the Savior: āGod did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through himā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). The very next verse reminds us that the only person who must fear judgment is the one who rejects Jesus Christ.
The Bible says that nothing can separate the believer from the love of God in Christ (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Godās love does not wax and wane; it is not a fickle, emotional sensation. Godās love for sinners is why Christ died on the cross. Godās love for those who trust in Christ is why He holds them in His hand and promises never to let them go (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.).
The Bible uses several different words for āloveā in the Hebrew and Greek, interchanging them depending on context. Some of these words mean āaffectionate loveā; others indicate āfriendshipā; and still others, ā******, sexual love.ā There is also a distinct word for the type of love that God displays. In the Greek, this word is agape, and it refers to a benevolent and charitable love that seeks the best for the loved one.
The Bible gives many examples of love: the caring provision of Boaz for Ruth; the deep friendship of David and Jonathan; the poetic, passionate love of Solomon and the Shulamite; the enduring commitment of Hosea to Gomer; the fatherly love of Paul for Timothy and John for the church; and, of course, the sacrificial, saving love of Christ for the elect.
Agape, the benevolent, selfless love that God shows, is mentioned often in the New Testament, including in the ālove chapter,ā 1 Corinthians 13. There, loveās characteristics are listed: love is patient and kind; love doesnāt envy, boast, or dishonor others; love is not proud or self-seeking; love is not easily angered, doesnāt keep a record of wrongs, and doesnāt delight in evil; rather, love rejoices with the truth; love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres; love never fails (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Of the greatest of Godās gifts, faith, hope, and love, āthe greatest . . . is loveā (verse 13).
The Bible says that God was motivated by love to save the world (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Godās love is best seen in the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). And Godās love does not require us to be āworthyā to receive it; His love is truly benevolent and gracious: āGod demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for usā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.).
The Bible says that, since true love is part of Godās nature, God is the source of love. He is the initiator of a loving relationship with us. Any love we have for God is simply a response to His sacrificial love for us: āThis is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sinsā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Our human understanding of love is flawed, weak, and incomplete, but the more we look at Jesus, the better we understand true love.
The Bible says that Godās love for us in Christ has resulted in our being brought into His family: āSee what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!ā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Just as the father in the parable showed love to his prodigal son (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.), so our Heavenly Father receives us with joy when we come to Him in faith. He makes us āaccepted in the Belovedā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.).
The Bible says that we are to love others the way that God loves us. We are to love the family of God (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). We are to love our enemiesāthat is, we are to actively seek what is best for them (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). As we show benevolent, selfless love, we reflect Godās love to a lost and dying world. āWe love because he first loved usā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.).
The Bible says that our love for God is related to our obedience of Him: āFor this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not burdensomeā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.; cf. You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). We serve God out of love for Him. And Godās love for us enables us to obey Him freely, without the burden of guilt or the fear of punishment.
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. says that āperfect love drives out fearā (this is again the word agape). The dismissal of the fear of condemnation is one of the main functions of Godās love. The person without Christ is under judgment and has plenty to fear (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.), but once a person is in Christ, the fear of judgment is gone. Part of understanding the love of God is knowing that Godās judgment fell on Jesus at the cross so we can be spared. Jesus described Himself as the Savior: āGod did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through himā (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). The very next verse reminds us that the only person who must fear judgment is the one who rejects Jesus Christ.
The Bible says that nothing can separate the believer from the love of God in Christ (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.). Godās love does not wax and wane; it is not a fickle, emotional sensation. Godās love for sinners is why Christ died on the cross. Godās love for those who trust in Christ is why He holds them in His hand and promises never to let them go (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.).
