Christian Love
Christian love is fully illustrated at the Cross (John 3:16). God revealed His love toward us in the giving of His Son, Jesus Christ, as the propitiation for our sins. “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). “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
The great news is that the Lord promised to pour this gift of love in our hearts when we accept Him as a personal savior “for love is of God” (1 John 4:7). Paul affirmed this truth, “because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). Every child of God should claim the God’s promise, “I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring” (Isaiah 44:3; Joel 2:28, 29; John 7:38, 39; Acts 2:17, 18, 33; 10:45; Titus 3:5, 6…etc.).
Christian love is the one commandment that Jesus left us, and it is the outward sign by which people will recognize us as disciples of Jesus. He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13: 34-35).
There are no end to the love of God. There is no one to whom the Lord refuses the blessings of redeeming grace. There is but one condition—faith in, and cooperation with, Christ (John 1:12). It is God’s mercy that leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4). It is the light of His love that convicts evil hearts, brings back the sinners, and transforms them into saints.
Love in Action
Love for God and our fellow men is the highest expression of harmony with God (Matthew 22:37–40). Love lived out in the life of the believer is the great test of the sincerity of one’s Christianity. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15 also 15:14).
What is the description of Christian love? Paul gives answers: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:1 – 13).
And love will be the main standard by which Jesus will separate the good from the evil on the Day of Judgment. Jesus said, “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry… The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me’” (Matthew 25: 31-46). The best proof that a Christian has become a son of God is that he does the merciful works of God (John 8:44).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
