Just what does the Bible have to say about God’s love, exactly? All throughout the Bible, God’s love is depicted in a variety of ways. In several places in the Bible, God is even characterized as loving. We are obligated to love one another because of God’s love for us.
The greatest commandment from God[1] is to love God, and another is to love one’s neighbor. As long as we are here on Earth, we will never be able to pay off our “debt” of loving others, but if we strive to do so consistently, we will be acting in accordance with God’s commandments and making progress toward resolving our obligation.
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What Is God’s Love?
In the same way that love may be defined as wanting the best for another person, it is what God wants for us. Simply put, God adores you because he loves you. He will automatically love you without any effort on your part. God’s love is already poured out on you; you don’t need to fix anything about yourself first.
Your love for God is unconditional. It’s complicated for us to wrap our heads around, yet the fact remains. The first step in growing in faith is realizing that God loves you. Lacking confidence in God’s love, a person’s spiritual walk is doomed to fail. Reading the Bible is one way to grow in confidence in God’s unconditional love.
The love that our heavenly Father has for us, His children, is greater than any other force in the universe. His love has the power to silence raging oceans, mend shattered bones, mend broken hearts, change lives, and release people enslaved by sin and humiliation. The Father’s love for you and me is so enormous that he sacrificed his only Son so that we may have eternal life through him.
What Is The Call To Love And Help Others?
The Bible is consistent in its instruction to love and aid others, especially those who are less fortunate than us. There is no way around the commandment to love our neighbors, outsiders, and adversaries. The invitation to love may be demanding, but it is also a reminder of God’s unrelenting, all-encompassing, and undeserved love for us.
What Does The Bible Say About Love God And Love People?
It is difficult for us to generate the strength to love people well on our own. The gospel frees us by putting our sins on Christ. The bottom line of the Bible is not to provide advice but rather good news.
According to 1 Corinthians 13:4–5, love is patient; it is kind; it does not envy; it does not boast; it is not arrogant; it is not rude; it does not seek its own benefit; it is not irritable; it does not keep a record of complaints. Love is without impurity, as the Bible teaches. Honor and cherish love once you find it, and you’ll be rewarded with a fulfilled life.
Have a healthy respect for God, compassion for your fellow man, and self-love. That is what God desires for you, as it is written in Matthew 22:36–40.
“‘Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.'”
God has always loved His people, and we should never forget that. He has often shown how much He values humanity. John 3:16 is a testament to this: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.”
God gave his son as a sacrifice for humanity. He would not desire for you to despise your neighbor. Instead, demonstrate to your family, friends, and neighbors the same love that God has already shown you.
As stated in 1 John 4:9–11: “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. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
The Bible also tells us to be grateful for God’s eternal love, which will follow us forever. 1 Chronicle 16:34 says, “Give thanks to the Lord for his good; his love endures forever.”
Another thing the Bible tells us about loving others is that Jesus’ sacrifice for us exemplifies the purest kind of love. We need to love our spouses as much as Christ loved us and the church he redeemed. Ephesians 5:25 says, “As for husbands, love your wives just like Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.”
Aside from familial love, friendship is also an act of love. Know that regardless of the present state of your friendship or connection, a true friend will always stand by your side. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times.”
10 Love God Love People Verses
Zephaniah 3:17: “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.”
Deuteronomy 7:9: “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.”
Psalm 86:15: “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”
Matthew 22:36–40: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 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.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
1 John 3:16: “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.”
John 15:13: “No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends.”
1 Peter 5:6-7: 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.
Romans 5:5: “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 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 8:37–39: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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.
Conclusion
God is not a coldly affectionate taskmaster who just cares about your performance. The Father he is will always love you, no matter what. Today, take some time to fully absorb the extent of his affection for you. Let the power of his love restore you, make you new, set you free, and guide you to the life of plenty he has always desired to bestow.
Read and reflect on the Bible’s passages on love as you go forward in your faith, and pray that God blesses your neighbors and fellow humans as he does with you.