True Love
I want to share with you some facts about love from the Bible that every believer should know, and every sinner needs to know.
Love comes from God.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
We are told to love one another. But that isn't always easy to do. Then we are given the means to do it. How can we love one another? Love comes from God. If you need love for another person, you must get love from God. All true love comes from God. He is the originator of love.
God is Love.
1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
God's nature is to love, because God is love. If you want to know what love is, you must look to God. He is the essence of love. Ever wonder where love came from? Ever wonder who invented it? God did! His nature is to love, and He has place that capacity in us. That's why, if a person doesn't know God they don't know love.
every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
You cannot truly love without knowing God. He gives a divine definition to the word love. Human love cannot compare to divine love.
1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
1 Corinthians 13:5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
1 Corinthians 13:6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
1 Corinthians 13:7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails.
Love is proven by sacrificial giving.
1 John 4:9 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.
1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: …
God proved his love toward us. He gave us everything He had. He gave Himself. Parents make many sacrifices for their children out of love. Sweethearts give of themselves because of love.
God gave because of love.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Love must be shared.
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Someone said, "Love isn't love till you give it away. That's the nature of love. It gives of itself. It shares itself freely with others. True love has no strings attached. I must love you whether you love me back or not.
Love cannot help but love.
1 John 3:16 … and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
If we love God, we must love others.
Love maintains God's presence in our lives.
1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us…
1 John 4:16 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.
If we want to keep God's presence ever with us, we must love one another. Hatred, anger, bitterness all drive God's presence away from us.
Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Many people lose out spiritually because they don't love others. Grudges and touchiness are not worth what we pay for them. The body of Christ is held together by love. If we lose that, we fall apart. United we stand; divided we fall.
Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Without true love, we've got nothing to offer this world.
Love is made perfect, or complete, through abiding in Him.
… and his love is perfected in us.
Want more love? Get closer to God. He is the source of love, since He is love, and the only way to get more of the real thing is to get closer to Him. Abide in Him, and let Him abide in you.
1 John 4:17 ¶ 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.
1 John 4:18 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.
When someone loves you, you feel safe with them. If you are afraid of God, then you don't understand His love for you, and you don't love Him as you should. We do not just obey God our of fear, but out of love.
Paul called himself a bond-slave -- a love slave -- of Christ. His greatest desire was to please God. If we are filled with God's love, we have nothing to fear, for if all things were taken from us, and even our lives, what could be better than to be thrust completely upon God and to go to be with Him in glory?
Love is reciprocal - it always comes back.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Motivational speakers tell us, "Success breeds success."
Behavioral scientists would say, "A smile begets a smile."
I tell you love given begets love returned.
We love God because He first loved us. His love for us creates love in us. He gives us the capacity to love.
The old song says, "Everybody loves a lover." Well, you just can't help but love somebody who loves you. (And we're not talking about romantic love here.)
The best way to get rid of an enemy is to love him. Love is an irresistible power. If you give love, you will receive love.
Love is no respecter of persons.
That is, true love is not selective to a few - it loves all around.
1 John 4:20 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?
Human love loves only those who love me. Human love loves those who are lovable. Divine love does not wait for love, it initiates love. It loves first. Divine love loves the unlovable, loves its enemies, and loves its neighbors in tangible ways.
You cannot love God and hate other people. It doesn't work that way. Remember what Jesus said -
Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Love is commanded.
1 John 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Jesus has personally commanded us to love one another.
John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
If for no other reason, you've got to love me because God told you to, and Jesus repeated the command.
Love keeps God's commands.
1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
It simple boils down to this. If you love God, you will keep His commandments. If you don't keep His commands, you don't really love Him. Love obeys not because it has to but because it wants to.
Jesus said to his disciples -
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And again -
John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
This is His Word.
He said it was sharper than a two-edged sword. He said it would divide us. It will separate the true from the false - the real from the replica.
So where do you stand with these facts about love. Do you need some fine tuning? Line yourself up with God's Word. With His help, you can do it.