What is Love?
Before beginning this lesson ask yourself what love is to you. What does love feel like. What love is not. How do you know you are in love? Do you fall in love? Do you fall out of love? Is love a choice?
Love is a set of emotions and behaviors characterized by intimacy, passion, and commitment. It involves care, closeness, protectiveness, attraction, affection, and trust. Some think it has to do with those fuzzy feelings one gets, but after the fuzzy feelings calm down…are they still “in love”? Do you love someone…until? I watch a lot of crime shows and it always amazes me how much in love people are….until! Until what? Until they decide they want something or someone they think is better. What happened to their commitment and love for the person they swore to love? Why not fix what you have instead of destroying what you had? Life is not greener out there. Commitment is important and honesty in a marriage is vital to your relationship. Stop looking outside your marriage and do whatever it takes to fix it. Okay…now lets get into what love is according to the Bible!!!!!!!!
What Is Love According To The Bible
If you are anything like me then you have thought about what love is and what love is not. However, when I, personally, think about the love of God and what He says it is…I think first how much God loves me, what He did for me, and all the things He is still doing for me. That is my first thought here, but there is so many other things regarding love. God loved me/you first. He knew us way before we knew Him. Once, my life was a total mess and there He was. He could have just gone right on by…but He wanted me to be saved and I thank Him for that. No other love out there is greater than to have the God of all creation love me and for Him to give me the choice of loving Him. He stopped me and decided to work on me. I was not a one in a hundred that was lost, I was more like a one in a billion and yet He came for me. The rest will fall into place if He is first in our life. He didn’t promise me a lies…He gave me hope and love to go on and change. That still amazes me.
Now…being that God loves you and I…then we also have a responsibility to love others. Oh, they might drive us crazy and some are very difficult, but maybe they think we are to them as well. We are also to keep God’s word and do as He says for that shows Him that we love and trust Him no matter what might be going on around us.
I have noticed that the world’s way of loving people is not God’s way of loving people. In fact, quite the opposite. You see mankind has a warped sense of love. Many of them think that loving someone means you accept each and everything, each and every choice, each and every word they tell you even, if and when, if they are lying, cheating, deceiving, and committing crimes. We love people but we don’t have to go along with bad or evil behavior. That needs dealt with.
To some it means that loving them means that you accept them and never critique them. No matter what you believe…love is a choice. People in our society believe that love is something that is earned in our culture. We love those who love us. But our enemies? They don’t deserve love. Is that what God says love is? Maybe by the time this study is done both of us will get something out of it. (Yes, I also need to study this as well. We speak to ourself also)
I was thinking about when my kids were little. I adored my kids, and yes, I am human and I did make mistakes in raising them. I am sure of that, but I loved and love them and always wanted the best for them. But what was the best for them? I look around society today and am appalled at how I see family love nowadays. What are parents thinking????
Love is doing what is best for those you love even in the difficult situations. Love is doing what is best for people even though it is not easy to make certain calls. We want to give our kids the best we can, but maybe we shouldn’t be giving them everything “they think is good for them”, and give them what is best for them. Sometimes our love has to be tough even if we would rather take the easy way out and just give in.
Now look at who are example in life “must be”…it is Jesus Himself. He is to always be our example on how to love and how to treat others. He dealt with a lot while upon this earth yet He showed us how to love and who to love. Even when…most people would want to lash out at those that would treat us in similar manner…let us still use the example of our Lord and live like we should, doing what He would want us to do.
Jesus, our true love, and example never shied away from telling the truth, even when it hurt. Nor did he ever lack extending love and grace. It was love that motivated him. And the same should be true for his followers today. People make us angry. People do evil and hateful things nowadays even what seems way more than they used to do. (Today, we have so much social media we hear about things like instantly where that didn’t happen prior) There are people who just rub us the wrong way and man….it is difficult, at times, to think about loving them. It is difficult to look at our leaders in America, our politicians, all these so-called woke people and have a sense that we should love them. Why? How? They are out there doing their best to destroy the country we love and live in. They lie, steal, cheat, are corrupt, and many of them are pure evil. How can I love them.
I won’t be the judge of them…not like God is. One day, each and everyone of these people will be judged. My judgement isn’t like God’s is. I don’t want to hang out with evil people and can make that judgment call, but to judge them overall…that is God’s job and He is great at it. God is much better at judging than you and I are. Maybe some of these people will ask Jesus into their life before they die and get their life right with Him. I pray so. I don’t have to go along with them or what they want…nor do I have to accept the evil they toss out there. In fact, I won’t. But I will, however, be praying for them to change and get right with God. God knows exactly how to deal with each of them. And by the way…God said that in these end times things would get worse and worse. We can be the ones who choose to do right and good even when others are doing evil and wrong.
God showed us grace even when we deserved to be zapped. God gave me truth and love even I was a mess and living as the world did. We can’t keep both truth and evil in us at the same time. I chose to follow Jesus and ask Him to fix me. I want that for everyone. You do know that even though the world has billions of people…God personally knows and sees each of us. God has shown us endless love and grace, and he continually tells us the truth. We are to do the same for those around us. However, that doesn’t mean they will love us, like us, or want to be in our life. Even family walks away. Jesus said in Matthew 10:36:
And ‘a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.’
and a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
and a man’s enemies will be the members of his [own] household [when one believes and another does not].
And a man’s foes will be they of his own household.
And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.
People’s enemies are members of their own households .
a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, so that a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.
Your worst enemies will be in your own family.
and they of his household [shall be] a man’s enemies.
And the enemies of the person will be his household-members.
And a man’s enemies shall be they of his own household.
Even members of your own family will be your enemies.’
A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.
And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.
And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.
A person’s enemies will be members of his own ·family [household; Mic. 7:6].’
And a man’s enemies shall be they of his own household.
A person’s enemies will be the members of his own family.
your worst enemies will be the members of your own family.
and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.
A person’s enemies will be members of his own family.’ Micah 7:6
A person’s enemies will include members of his own family.’
“Never think I have come to bring peace upon the earth. No, I have not come to bring peace but a sword! For I have come to set a man against his own father, a daughter against her own mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be those who live in his own house.
And a man’s foes shall be those of his own household.
And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.
And the enemies of a man will be the members of his household.
a man’s worst enemies will be right in his own home!
“Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don’t deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don’t deserve me.
a man’s foes will be those of his own household.’
and a man’s enemies · will be · members of his own household.
A person’s enemies will be the members of his own family.
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.’
and a person’s enemies will be the members of his household.
and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.
and one’s enemies will be the members of his own household.
A person’s enemies will be members of his own family.’ Micah 7:6
and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.
A man’s enemies will be the members of his own family.’ (Micah 7:6)
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”
and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’
A man will be hated by his own family.
Your enemies will be right in your own household!’
And a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
Yes, you’ll find your enemies inside your own front door.
And the OIYVEI ISH ANSHEI VEITO (the enemies of a man will be the members of his own household, MICHOH 7:6).
“And a man’s enemies shall be those of his own household.
and a man’s foes will be those of his own household.
and a man’s foes will be those of his own household.
and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.’
You will find you have enemies even in your own household.
A man’s foes will be those of his own household. Micah 7:6
A man will have people in his own family who make trouble for him.
and the enemies of a man be they, that be at home with him.
and the enemies of a man are those of his household.
Now, let’s talk about the types of love mentioned in the Bible.
Philia – Brotherly Love: The Friendship love
Philadelphia. Philia is the kind of love found in friendships. This Greek word describes the powerful bond among friends. It is how we, as Christians, interact with each other. It is centered around friendships, and how we relate to one another. It’s Philia love that Jesus said should be the marker for his followers’ lives. The church should be known for this kind of love that centers around care, respect, compassion, and deep connections among each other. John 13:35 NLT says: Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” Note….this does not say that you go around and approve of the sin people are doing. People when they come to the Lord and make a commitment to Him…need to be transformed and not remain in their sin. We love people…yes, of course we must…but we do not have to approve of people who won’t let the sin go.
Eros – Sensual or Romantic Love
Eros (ἐρεῶ)= sensual or romantic love. Eros originated from the mythological Greek god of love and sexual desire. And it’s where we get our English word erotic. But don’t take that to ever think that Eros love is something other than what the Bible says it is. The Bible takes this Greek word and applies to the relationship between a husband and wife. Promiscuity was rampant in Bible times, just as it is today, and the Bible continually reserves eros love for marriage. This kind of love is to be between a “man and woman” in marriage!!!!! This is what Paul is referring to in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9; he’s warning young believers to follow God’s plan for eros love. Within the boundaries of marriage this kind of love is to be celebrated and enjoyed as a blessing form God. But outside God’s design much harm can be done. Most of the world does not honor God in this and that is a shame for God knows best and He created Eros love to be between two people who are married…and they are to be a man and a woman.
Storge – Familial Love
Storge (storgē) = Love for family. This term for love is one that most are unfamiliar with. This Greek word describes the love family members have for one another. This kind of love mostly happens naturally. A parent can’t help but love their child and a child’s bond to their parents happen without effort. It’s a special and unique kind of family love. I have found this one to be an issue in this day and age. People go around sleeping with people who are not their husband…they get pregnant…and then think it is okay…and their body to do with what they want…and they abort the baby and think it is okay to do this. God takes this very seriously. Abortion is murder to God and the devil knows that so what does the devil do…he tells people it is okay and they have a right to murder that innocent baby in them. And another thing is…in this society the love people had for their children and their children for their parents is all out of kilter. As for me…I think what I see around this country and world in how parents are treating kids, and kids are treating parents is an abomination. I don’t see that bond that once was there. I see very little respect for parents, and very little discipline out of love for the kids.
I think this love is also supposed to be used in our relationships within the church. We are to love our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Romans 12:10 says: Romans 12:10 NLT “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” This is a good thing!
I don’t know about you but I am sure that I began to crave love the instant I was born (in the womb too where I was cared for). I’m sure that I loved to be cuddled and cared for and I am sure that is what every baby desires from birth even though they don’t yet understand anything. We go throughout life and love is what our soul craves. We need this from those we are with…and we should also want to give love back. We don’t always have to agree with others, and people all have a difference of opinion…but we can surely show love to each member of our family.
The Bible says that God is love and that humans crave love from the moment of existence. But the word love describes an emotion with vastly differing degrees of intensity. What I consider love might not be your opinion of what love really is, after all we sure live in a messed up world.
Love in the Bible is communicated through four Greek words (Eros, Storge, Philia, and Agape) and are characterized by romantic love, family love, brotherly love, and God’s divine love. We’ll explore these different types of love in the Bible, and, as we do, we’ll discover what love truly means and how to follow Jesus Christ‘s command to “love one another.”
What Is Agape Love in the Bible?
Agape (Pronounced: Uh-GAH-pay) is the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. This term defines God’s immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. It is the divine love that comes from God. Agape love is perfect, unconditional, sacrificial, and pure. Oh, that we could love like God does. Wouldn’t that be amazing? Jesus Christ demonstrated this kind of divine love to his Father and to all humanity in the way he lived and died: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) When you know this about Jesus, our Lord, how do you react to that? What do you feel? He came into this world out of love for us, and He took the punishment we deserve. That is love.
Following his resurrection, Jesus asked the apostle Peter if he loved him (agape). Peter replied three times that he did, but the word he used was phileo or brotherly love (John 21:15–19). Peter had not yet received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; he was incapable of agape love. But after Pentecost, Peter was so full of God’s love that he spoke from his heart and 3,000 people were converted.
If we are a Christian…then we should be working on our love to be more and more like the kind of love God has for us. Love is one of the most powerful emotions humans can experience. For Christian believers, love is the truest test of genuine faith.
Love…what a word…right? It is emotions we feel in different ways for different things. How often do you find yourself saying you love “something”? Is it from any of the four words above? I love a good steak and salad. I love chocolate. I love my house to be clean. I love a good book and so on. But………………….I don’t love any of them the way I love God, my family, my friends, and so on. It is different love and I might love a great steak today…and find something I love more tomorrow. Feelings and emotions change like the wind.
What do you mean by the word love? Isn’t it different in different situations?
Selfless love is the priority for every Christian.
This kind of love is amazing also. In fact, it is pretty profound. Not all people who love live a life of selfless love. Many will never apply this to their spouse, their parents, their friends…or anyone. Many people, if being honest are pretty selfish. They want to be loved but they want to give only a little love and then do whatever they want to do. We can’t give empty love and expect great love to come back to us. We might even think we are loving others correctly and even say so…but who is the one that would really have to agree or disagree with you? God! He designed love and it is Him and in and through Him we learn to love right. What would God say bout how you are loving others?
Selfless love is patient. How patient have you been? Do you let the little things upset you. To be honest…I have done this many times over. I don’t like doing that so God is working on this with me. I have let things irritate me, frustrate me…and a few tmes…lashed out because of my impatience. Not a good quality and I sure thank God He works on this one with me. I know I need to be patient but sometimes, I like others, don’t’ want to be patient for I want something yesterday and waiting is hard…or people who are slow and don’t get things done…it does irritate me. We all have faults and this one is pretty big in me. We are to be slow to anger, and not expect others to be us. We all do things differently and when one has OCD and one doesn’t…it really can cause an issue in the their life. So I am thankful God stops me and says…enough! Listen: is what we get so upset about today really going to matter later? Nope!
Selfless love is kind.
Kindness is what to you? How are you kind to people around you? When we are kind are we not to be helpful in some way…even if someone doesn’t know we are? Do we look for ways to be kind to people? Are you only kind because you want something in return? That, by the way, is not being kind. Shouldn’t we try to be mellow, gentle, and calming to those around us? It is most difficult, at times, to be kind to those around us who are anything but kind. It is difficult to love our enemies when they are causing havoc. Note this: The kindness of God should lead us to repentance and change! There will always be ungrateful people, mean people, evil people, and liars and cheats that walk through our life. They might hate us and wish us bad things, but we can pray for them and ask God to change them and their heart.
Yet, look at your home. How often are we really kind to those around us in our family? Do we help them when we can. Do we say no to something when we know it is not good for them. Do we make sure we train up our children to know and love Jesus, or do we give in to their whims and demands? Kindness doesn’t mean we go against what God says on any subject. We tell our children and those we love the truth. They might not accept it…but it is the right thing for us to do.
Selfless love is not jealous
There is jealousy listed in the bible. Some good/as with God, and some not so good/as with people out of control in this area. Man’s jealouy is related to greed, power, and selfishness. The person who is jealous, most times, wants to be in control of another person and have them only do what they want them to do and with whom they want them to do it. A jealous person seldom wants the other person to have success and they want the attention. A jealous person refuses to trust. They think their way is the only way and could care less about the other person’s feelings, needs, or desires in life. They want to be “top dog” A really jealous person doesn’t even want their spouse to spend time with their family and that includes their own kids as well. They want to control!!!
Selfless love dos not brag and is not arrogant
Selfishness comes to mind here. Jealousy is wanting what someone else has, but bragging is trying to make others jealous of what you have. Don’t do that. Jealousy puts others down, but when you brag…it buids up…but not in a good way by any means. Why do you feel the need to brag? Why? So what if you have something? Bragging is an outward manifestation of pride and pride is very wrong. Don’t go around bragging. Do you know that whatever you have on this earth can be taken from you in an instant!
Selfless love does not act unbecomingly
Love is not rude! Love does not needlessly offend. In today’s world everyone is offended by just about everything we say or do, but we don’t need to go around and deliberately offend. We can have good manners no matter what is going on…and trust God to help us deal with all of the garbage out there that we are forced to face. Love should have good manners even when others do not. Don’t let a lifetime of regret come to you.
Selfless love does not seek its own
We are not to seek our own. We are not to be selfish. We are not to be demanding. We are not to sow discord in our family or at our work. Selfishness is the root problem in many areas of our life.
Selfless love is not to be provoked
Don’t rouse to anger. Love is not to have a harir-trigger temper either. People are not to have to live on eggshells. We don’t need to be easily offended. Don’t use your tempter to punish people. So what does it mean if you blow up and think that in a few minutes you will be okay. Well, you might be…but the person you blew up at…doesn’t. Stop rubbing your bad temper on other people because they don’t deserve it.
Selfless loves does not take into account a wrong suffered
I would say many, many people hold onto this one and do take wrongs suffered even for the rest of their life in some cases. Love should not tally all the wrongs that someone has done to us and us hold a grudge because of it. It isn’t always easy to let things go because some of us have had horrible things happen to us…but the things people did to us hurts us because the person who did it might never feel bad. People have power over us when we hold on. No one should hurt us but we live in a fallen world with wacko’s out there. Not just wackos’ because some very good people can hurt us as well sometimes without even realizing it. Don’t give people power over you. Let it go and let God deal with it. No one can con God.
Selfless love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.
Love should never be glad when others go wrong. Instead of hate and lashing out….PRAY! Rejoice in truth and be glad when others do well, and pray for them when they don’t. Love wants us to forgive even when we hurt because when we forgive…it really does take away the power they have over us. To rejoice in through means to be glad about behavior in accordance with the truth of God’s word.
Selfless love believes all things.
Love trusts. This does not mean we are ever to be living in gullibility. It does mean that love is not suspicious and doubting everything we hear. There are a lot of evil things going on but if we constantly worry about everything and distrust all things…we are not living correctly. Yes, people lie and it can be difficult to put up with all the garbage going around, but we can go to God and ask Him to tell us the truth. People will offend us, lie to us, cheat on us, and cause us pain in life, but God is who we need to trust for the truth. We don’t need to cross examine everyone and everything. We should believe others until….they actually lie to us. Trust is something we all want to do, but before you lash out…have you ever been on the other side?
Selfless love hopes all things.
This is not being pessimistic. It does not expect the one loved to fail, leave, give up etc. Don’t take failure as final as all of us can change and do right. We don’t have to ignore the truth/reality. It also doesn’t mean we close our eyes to the problems. We can rest in Jesus and His truth. We can ask God to help us through whatever comes our way.
Selfless love endures all things.
We can sustain and get through of whatever comes our way in life. It might not always be easy but when we give our circumstances to God we can trust He is working on it. Don’t bail out when things are tough. We will all have problems in life because we are humans living in a fallen world. Lots of things we go through in life destroys our trust in people. Sometimes it is very difficult but we can go one step at a time to make things better.
We all want to be loved but that love at first sight doesn’t work a lot. We don’t even know the person or how they have treated others in their life. You always need to take time to get to know someone and in many different circumstances. How do they treat their parents? Siblings? Friends? Do they talk about people behind their back? Do they think they are better than someone else? Are they racist, mean, woke, and anything else? Do they have issues with truth, politics, education, abortion and so on? You really need to take time to see if you are compatible. Life is not about sex people. Wouldn’t you rather have a real godly relationship that would last and you can be happy with that relationship.
BIBLE VERSES ABOUT GOD’S LOVE FOR US
Throughout the whole bible, there are so many scriptures about love and that’s the whole intention of showing us God is love. To understand what is true unconditional love (agape), how to practically live out and give to others, we need to return to the source which is God’s words. Below are the love bible verses which tells us about how good He is to us.
- I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20
- And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13
- See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. – 1 John 3:1
- We love because he first loved us. – 1 John 4:19
- And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. – 1 John 4:16
- There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. – 1 John 4:18
- This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. – 1 John 4:9-10
- The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” – Jeremiah 31:3
- For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11
- May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. – 2 Corinthians 13:14
- How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. – Psalm 36:7
- You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. – Psalm 86:5
- But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. – Psalm 86:15
- For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
- Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever. – Psalm 136:26
- But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8
- Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. – Deuteronomy 7:9
- The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. – Zephaniah 3:17
- But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. – Ephesians 2:4-5
- Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:6-7
- As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. – John 15:9
- No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. – Romans 8:37
- Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:39
- And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. – Ephesians 5:2
- Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love. – Song of Songs 2:4
- Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death… Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. – Song of Songs 8:6-7
- Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. – Joel 2:13
- I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. – Psalm 89:2
- Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. – John 15:13-14
- Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. – Romans 5:3-5
- If you love me, keep my commands. – John 14:15
- Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34
- He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8
- The earth is filled with your love, Lord; teach me your decrees. – Psalm 119:64
- For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. – 2 Corinthians 5:14
- …But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. – Nehemiah 9:17
- Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. – Psalm 107:8-9
- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23
- Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. – Psalm 36:5-6
- For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7
- But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. – Joshua 22:5
- 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
- Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. – Isaiah 43:4
- Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. – Psalm 143:8
- May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. – 2 Thessalonians 3:5
- Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. – Psalm 63:3
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. – Mark 12:30
- However, as it is written: What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived — the things God has prepared for those who love him. – 1 Corinthians 2:9
- Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. – Proverbs 21:21
- Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? – Romans 8:35
- Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23
- Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. – Ephesians 4:15
- Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. – Jude 1:2
- If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. – John 15:10
- Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me. – Psalm 40:11
- You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. – John 15:16-17
- Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. – Revelation 3:19
- The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. – Psalm 103:8
Bible verses about love in relationships and loving one another
In the bible Jesus taught and gave commands about loving one another. Though humans can be egotistical, insincere and selfish, Christ’s love is displayed through a believer’s actions towards his family, coworkers and friends. Below are some of the many scriptures of love that teach and inspire us why and how we should love another.
- Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. – 1 John 4:11
- Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. – 1 Peter 4:8
- Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. – 1 John 4:7
- Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. – 1 John 4:8
- My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. – John 15:12
- Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. – 1 Peter 1:22
- Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ – Matthew 22:37-39
- May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. – 1 Thessalonians 3:12
- 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. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. – 1 Corinthians 13:8
- Do everything in love. – 1 Corinthians 16:14
- A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. – John 13:34-35
- Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. – Romans 12:9-10
- A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. – Proverbs 17:17
- Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. – 1 John 4:20
- The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. – Mark 12:31
- Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. – Ephesians 4:2
- You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Galatians 5:13-14
- Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. – Romans 13:8
- Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. – 1 John 2:9-10
- This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. – 1 John 3:16-18
- The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. – Romans 13:9-10
Bible verses about love in marriage
Marriage is something that God created, instituted and takes it very seriously. God designed marriage as one of His big plans for human race to multiply and to glorify him. He has clearly commanded that “what God has joined together, let no one separate”, which also means the union is meant to be for life. For couples who plan to wed or are getting married, they can turn to bible verses about marriage to show their devotion for each other and to commit to their faith. Below are some of the marriage bible verses that you can look to include in your wedding vows. These bible verses about love can also be used to encourage and inspire each other in your marriage life.
- Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. – Colossians 3:18-19
- And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. – Colossians 3:14
- Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word. – Ephesians 5:25-26
- Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. – 1 Peter 2:17
- May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer – may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. – Proverbs 5:18-19
Bible verses about loving your enemies
It is always easier to submit to Christ when he tells us to love our spouse, family and friends. But when Jesus commands us to love even our enemies, how can we be counter-cultural and obey his teachings? The truth is all of us are sinners, while we were still enemies of God, He has chosen to redeem us, love us and forgive us. Since God made everyone in His image (including our enemies) and extended this undeserved love to us, we should also forgive our enemies and love them like how we love God. When we reconcile a relationship with our enemies, there will surely be peace in our hearts and that’s the reward from God. Below are some bible quotes about loving our enemies and we can use them to pray and seek God.
- But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. – Matthew 5:44
- Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. – Proverbs 10:12
- But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. – Luke 6:35
- Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. – Proverbs 3:3-4
- Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. – Leviticus 19:17-18
So have you learned anything here about what love is. Do you need to change anything in your life so your life lines up with God? I know even though I knew a lot of this…there are some areas I need to give to God so He can work more on me in those areas. Love is amazing and I not only want to be loved, but I want to love others as God wants me to love them.
Now, may God guide you, draw you to Him, protect your path, give you His peace, heal your body, and help you change in whatever area in life you need to.
God bless you!