The claim
What Is Love?
We use the word love a lot. The Bible tells us what it means.
God is love.
1 John 4:7-11 · 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 · Romans 13:8-10 · Ephesians 4:14-15 · Galatians 6:1-2 · John 15:12-13
The scene
John writes:
"God is love."1 John 4:8
But he doesn't leave the word there for us to fill with whatever we mean by it.
"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins."1 John 4:10
"Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another."1 John 4:11
Paul says that even if he could understand mysteries, possess knowledge and have faith, without love:
"I am nothing."1 Corinthians 13:2
"Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things."1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness.
That includes mine.
Paul doesn't put love on one side and God's commands on the other. Adultery, murder, theft and coveting are the ones he names before saying:
"and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"Romans 13:9
"Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law."Romans 13:10
Love isn't separated from truth either. Paul writes:
"that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ,"Ephesians 4:14-15
To the Galatians, he writes:
"Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, looking to yourself so that you also aren't tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."Galatians 6:1-2
Look at yourself.
Jesus tells his disciples:
"This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."John 15:12-13
The point
In this is love: he sent his Son.
Sit with this
Even as I have loved you.John 15:12