Messages on Love in the New Testament
Christians always talk about love. What is this love we talk about? What does the Bible says about love?
See how Mother Teresa distills it:
“The whole Gospel is very, very simple. Do you love me? Obey my commandments. He’s (Jesus) turning and twisting just to get around to one thing: love one another.” (No Greater Love, 21)
“What was the good news Christ came to announce?
God is love.
God loves each one of us.
God loves me.
God loves you.
God has made you and me for greater things: to love and to be loved. We are not just numbers in the world.” (Loving Jesus, 58)
To continue to love is never easy because one has to forgive endlessly. As Mother Teresa says:
“Whatever our religion, we know that if we really want to love, we must learn to forgive before anything else.” (One heart full of love, 113)
“We must make our homes centers of compassion and forgive endlessly.” (“A Gift for God”, 18)
The following quotations on LOVE are taken from:
Good News Bible---Today’s English Version (TEV)
New King James Bible (NKJV)
New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)
A. God is love
1."God is love, and those who live in love live in union with God and God lives in union with them"(1 John 4:16 TEV).
2. “Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God.”(1 John 4:7 TEV)
3. "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love"(1 John 4:8 TEV).
4. “For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 TEV)
5. "God has shown us how much He loves us--it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! By His blood we are now put right with God; how much more, then, will we be saved by Him from God's anger." (Romans 5:8-9 TEV)
6. "God showed His love for us by sending His only Son into the world, so that we might have life through Him"(1 John 4:9 TEV).
7. “I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 NKJV)
8. “He gave us His Son---will He not also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 TEV)
9. “For I am certain nothing can separate us from His love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below--there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 TEV)
10. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”(2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)
B. The Trinity--God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit--on love
1. “I love you just as the Father loves Me” (John 15:9 TEV)
2. “...for the Father Himself loves you. He loves you because you love Me and have believed that I come from God.” (John 16:27 TEV)
3. “I am the good Shepherd, who is willing to die for the sheep” (John 10:11 TEV).
4. “I will never turn away anyone who comes to Me,” (John 6:37 TEV)
5. “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.”(Hebrew 13:5 TEV)
6. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 NKJV)
7. “come near to God,(and) He will come near to us” (James 4:8 TEV),
8. “Listen! I stand at the door and knock; if any hear My voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them, and they will eat with Me.”(Revelation 3:20 TEV)
9. “The Father and I are one.”(John 10:30 TEV)
10. “I am not really alone, because the Father is with Me.”(John 16:32 TEV)
11. “Whoever sees Me sees also Him who sent Me.”(John 12:45 TEV)
12. “Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God.”(Colossians 1:15 TEV)
13. “You know neither Me nor my Father. If you knew Me, you would know my Father also.”(John 8:19 TEV)
14. “the (Holy) Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22 NKJV)
C. God’s commandments on love
1. “The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’”(Mark 12:30-31 TEV)
2. “My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them.”(John 15:12-13 TEV)
3. “Love your neighbour as you love yourselves.”(Mt 22:39 NKJV)
4. "love one another, because love comes from God"(1 John 4:7 TEV).
5. “If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are My disciples.”(John 13:35 TEV)
6. “Whoever loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and My Father and I will come to him and live with him.”(John 14:23 TEV)
7. “If you love Me, you will obey My commandments.”(John 14:15 TEV) and
8. “If you obey My commands you will remain in My love.” (John 15:10 TEV)
9. "Those who do not love Me do not obey My teaching. And the teaching you have heard is not Mine, but comes from the Father, who sent Me.”(John 14:24)
10. “It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.”(Matthew 9:13 TEV)
11. "You have heard that it was said, 'love your friends, hate your enemies'. But now I tell you; love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. . . You must be perfect--just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48 TEV)
12. “If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink; for by doing this you will make them burn with shame.”(Romans 12:20 TEV)
13. "if we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars. For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen."(1 John 4:20 TEV)
D. Love defined
“Love is always patient and kind;
love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth.
It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 NJB)
E. Do all our work in love
1. “Do all your work in love.”(1
Corinthians 16:14 TEV)
2. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.”(Colossians 3:23 TEV)
3. “Whoever refuses to work is not allowed to eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10 TEV)
4. “Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless.”(1 Corinthians 15:58 TEV)
5. “Work hard and do not be lazy” (Romans 12:11 TEV)
6. “Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have.”(Hebrew 13:5 TEV)
7. “For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10 TEV)
8. No one can serve both God and money, as Jesus says “You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24 TEV)
9. “Do not store up riches for
yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy and robbers break in and
steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven where moths and rust
cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your hearts will
always be where your riches are.” (Matthew 6:19-21 TEV)
10. “Do your best to win full approval in God’s sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God’s truth.”(2 Timothy 2:15 TEV).
F. Spouses love one another
1. ”Men ought to love their wives just as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself.(None of us ever hate our bodies. Instead, we feed them, and take care of them.”(Ephesians 5:28-29 NKJV)
2. "For this cause (marriage) shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife" (Mark 10:7 TEV).
3. "Jesus answered, 'Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made male and female? And God said 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife and the two will become one.’ So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together."(Mathew 19:4-6 TEV)
4. “first learn to show piety at home”(1 Timothy 5:4 NKJV).
5. “love does not keep a record of wrongs”(1 Corinthians 13:5 TEV)
G. How should we behave to show our love?
1. “I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned--but if I have no love, this does me no good.”(1 Corinthians 13:3 TEV)
2. “’I was hungry and you fed Me, thirsty and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger and you received Me in your homes, naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me, in prison and you visited Me.’ The righteous will then answer Him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see You hungry and fed You, or thirsty and give You a drink? When did we ever see You a stranger and welcome You into our homes, or naked and clothe You? When did we ever see You sick or in prison, and visit You?’ The King will reply, ‘whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of Mine, you did it for Me!’” (Matthew 25:35-40 TEV)
3. ”If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God? My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.”(1 John 3:17-18 TEV)
4. “You must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any one of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you. And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14 TEV)
5. “Strive for righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Run your best in the race of
faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God
called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses.”(1
Timothy 6:11-12 TEV)
6. "do not let evil defeat us; instead, conquer evil with good"(Romans 12:21)
7. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."(John 15:13 NKJV)
8. “Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody. Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God’s anger do it.” (Romans 12:18-19 TEV)
9. "if you love others, you will never do them wrong"(Romans 13:10 TEV)
10. “look out for one another’s interest, not just for your own.” (Phil. 2:4 NKJV)
11. "there is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment"(1 John 4:18 TEV).
12. “We must not be proud or irritate one another or be jealous of one another.”(Galatians 5:26 TEV)
13. “Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another” (Ephesians 4:2 TEV)
14. “Be kind and tender-hearted to
one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through
Christ.” (Ephesians 4:32 TEV)
15. “We urge you, our friends, to warn
the idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that
no one pays back wrong for wrong, but at all times make it your aim to do good
to one another and to all people. Be joyful always, pray at all times, be
thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life
in union with Christ Jesus.”(1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 TEV)
16. “Be an example for the believers in your speech, your conduct, your love, faith, and purity.”(1 Timothy 4:12 TEV)
17. “When we are insulted, we answer back with kind words.”(1 Corinthians 4:13 TEV)
18. “Show a gentle attitude toward everyone.”(Philippians 4:5 TEV)
19. “Don’t be afraid of your enemies; always be courageous” (Philippians 1:28 TEV).
20. “But now you must get rid of all these things: anger, passion, and hateful feelings. No insults or obscene talk must come from your lips. Do not lie to one another, for you have put off the old self with its habits and have put on the new self.”(Colossians 3:8-10 TEV)
21. “Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort”(Ephesians 4:31 TEV).
22. “do not let the sun go down on your wrath.” (Ephesians 4.26 NKJV)
23. "Forgive one another, as I have forgiven you" “No, not seven times but seventy times seven”(Mt 18:22 TEV)
24. "Forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone who does us wrong." (Luke 11:4 TEV)
25. "Forgive them, Father! They don’t know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34 TEV)
26. "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too."(Mt 5:39 TEV)
27. "And if one of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles."(Mt 5:41 TEV)
28. “If someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well.”(Luke 6:29 TEV)
29. "if we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as Jesus Christ did.” (1 John 2:6 TEV) For
30. "God is light, and there is no darkness at all in Him. If, then, we say that we have fellowship with Him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions.” (1 John 1:5-6 TEV)
31. "We have died to sin---how then can we go on living in it?”(Romans 6:2 TEV)
32. “You must put to death, then, the earthly desires at work in you, such as sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passions, and greed (for greed is a form of idolatry).” (Colossians 3:5 TEV)
33. “Avoid immorality. Any other sin a man commits does not affect his body, but the man who is guilty of sexual immorality sins against his own body.”(1 Corinthians 6:18 TEV) With the old self
34. “Let us conduct ourselves properly, as people who live in the light of day--no orgies or drunkenness, no immorality or indecency, no fighting or jealousy.”(Romans 13:13 TEV)
35. “put aside all secret and shameful deeds; we do not act with deceit, nor do we falsify the word of God.”(2 Corinthians 4:2 TEV)
36. “No more lying.”(Ephesians 4:25 TEV)
37. “Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you” (Ephesians 5:18 TEV).
38. “Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to
boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better
than yourselves. And look out for one another’s interests, not just your own.”
(Philippians 2:3-4 TEV)
39. “Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.”(Ephesians 4:29 TEV)
40. “Nor is it fitting for you to use language which is obscene, profane, or vulgar.”(Ephesians 5:4 TEV)
41. “Since you are God’s people, it is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you...You may be sure that no one who is immoral, indecent, or greedy (for greed is a form of idolatry) will ever receive a share in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.”(Ephesians 5:3,5 TEV)
42. “Remind your people of this, and give them a solemn warning in God’s presence not to fight with words. It does no good, but only ruins the people who listen. . .Keep away from profane and foolish discussions, which only drive people further away from God. Such teaching is like an open sore that eats away the flesh.”(2 Timothy 2:14,16-17 TEV)
43. “keep away from foolish and
ignorant arguments; you know that they end up in quarrels. As the Lord’s
servant, you must not quarrel. You must be kind toward all, a good and patient
teacher, who is gentle as you correct your opponents, for it may be that God
will give them the opportunity to repent and come to know the truth. And then
they will come to their senses and escape the trap of the Devil, who had caught
them and made them obey his will.”(2 Timothy 2:22-26 TEV)
44. “You must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any one of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you. And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14 TEV)
45. “Strive for righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Run your best in the race
of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God
called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses.” (1
Timothy 6:11-12 TEV)
46. “We must not be proud or irritate one another or be jealous of one another.” (Galatians 5:26 TEV)
47. “Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another.” (Ephesians 4:2 TEV)
48. “Be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ.” (Ephesians 4:32 TEV)
49. “Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another, to show love and to do good. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.”(Hebrew 10:23-25 TEV)
50. “We urge you, our friends, to warn
the idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that
no one pays back wrong for wrong, but at all times make it your aim to do good
to one another and to all people. Be joyful always, pray at all times, be
thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life
in union with Christ Jesus.”(1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 TEV)
51. “So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God’s message, we should do it according to the faith that we have; if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach, if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully. Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good. Love one another warmly as Christians, and be eager to show respect for one another. Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion. Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. Share your belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and open your homes to strangers. Ask God to bless those who persecute you--yes, ask Him to bless, not to curse. Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep. Have the same concern for everyone. Do not be proud, but accept humble duties. Do not think of yourselves as wise. If someone has done you wrong, do not repay him with a wrong. Try to do what everyone considers to be good. Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everyone. Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God’s anger do it. For the Scripture says, ’I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord.’ Instead, as the Scripture says, ‘If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink; for by doing this, you will make them burn with shame.’ Do not let evil defeat you, instead, conquer evil with good.” (Romans 12:6-23 TEV)
H. The consequences of unhealthy self love
1. “People will be selfish, greedy, boastful, and conceited; they will be insulting, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, and irreligious; they will be unkind, merciless, slanderers, violent, and fierce; they will hate the good; they will be treacherous, reckless and swollen with pride; they will love pleasure rather than God; they will hold to the outward form of our religion, but rejects its real power. Keep away from such people.”(2 Timothy 3:2-5 TEV)
2. “What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions, in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups; they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these.” (Galatians 5:19-21 TEV)
3. “they do the things that they should
not do. They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice;
they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, and malice. They gossip and
speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent, proud, and
boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents; they
have no conscience, they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness
or pity for others. They know that God’s law says that people who live in this
way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but
even approve of others who do them.”(Romans 1:28-32 TEV)
I. Finally don’t boast
1. "For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith--and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8 TEV)
2. "it was not because of any good deed that we ourselves had done, but because of His own mercy that He saves us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us" (Titus 3:5 TEV).
3. "we love because God first loved us"(1 John 4:19 TEV)
4. “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love Him” (Romans 8:28 TEV).
5. “What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen, is the very thing God prepared for those who love Him.”(1 Corinthians 2:9 TEV)
6. “whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)