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What the Bible says about Love

Од страна на John Odhner
tiny hand my love, by Jenny Stein

Someone once asked Jesus,

"Which is the first commandment of all?"

Jesus answered him,

"The first of all the commandments is 'Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Luke 12:28-34)

Above All Things

So, the commandments about loving God and others are first and foremost. There is no other greater. Jesus even said that "all the Law and the Prophets hang upon these two commandments." (Matthew 22:40)

And in fact, this teaching is echoed throughout the Bible:

Peter wrote, "Above all things have fervent love for one another." (1 Peter 4:8)

Paul also said that we should put on love above all else (see Colossians 3:14), and that we should "owe no one anything except to love one another." (Romans 13:8)

Love is called "more excellent than any other gift or ability." (1 Corinthians 12:31)

"Now abide faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)

The law of love is called the "royal law" (James 2:8), which we are "taught by God." (1 Thessalonians 4:9)

We are asked to "make love our greatest aim," (1 Corinthians 14:19, and to "be rooted and grounded in love." (Ephesians 3:17)

These laws about love are so important that the Lord said they should be in your heart.

"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." (Deuteronomy 6:6,7)

"Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)

Power Against Evil

There are some very good reasons why we are directed to have love above everything else. One reason is that love has power over evil.

Paul wrote,

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)

A person who genuinely loves God and his neighbor will want to overcome any evil in himself that is against God or hurts the neighbor.

For example,

"love does not envy, does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not think evil, does not rejoice in injustice." (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)

Since love is opposed to doing evil, it fulfills all the laws against evil.

"Owe no one anything but to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law; and for this, You shall not commit adultery,' You shall not murder,' You shall not steal,' You shall not bear false witness,' You shall not covet,' or if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:8-10)

Since love leads us to turn from evil, it also brings forgiveness. Jesus once said of a woman that "her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much." (Luke 7:47)

He also said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." (Matthew 5:7)

Patient Love

Love also brings patience. "Love suffers long...bears all thing...endures all things. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Jacob loved Rachel very much, and was willing to labor for her father seven years in order to win her hand in marriage. "So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed but a few days to him because of the love he had for her." (Genesis 29:20)

Born Again by Love

Another reason why love comes above all else is that it is through love that a person is born again. Peter described the process of rebirth as "purifying your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit in sincere love of the brethren."(1 Peter 1:22)

John put it more simply:

"Everyone who loves is born of God." (1 John 4:7)

We pass from death to life when we love others. (See 1 John 3:14)

The reason we become born again when we love others, is that then we become like God. Jesus asked us to love others as He as loved us. (See John 13:34, 15:12)

When we have His kind of love for all people, we become reborn as His children. (See Matthew 5:43, Luke 6:35)

When Is a Christian a Christian?

Since the first and foremost of all God's commands is to love the Lord and the neighbor, the primary mark that identifies a Christian is the love he has for others.

Jesus said,

"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35)

Again and again we are asked to judge ourselves by the love we have for others:

Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. (1 John 3:18,19)

If we love one another, God abides in us, as His love has been perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. (1 John 3:14)

He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. (3 John 1:11, and see also, 1 John 2:3-5, 3:10; 4:7,8)

Faith and Love

For some people, faith is more important than love. Some are more concerned about whether a Christian has the right beliefs than they are about how he lives and loves. Of course, faith is important--how can a person love God without believing in God? How can you be loving, unless you are also faithful? In the New Testament, these two go hand in hand. Consider how often, for instance, we find phrases like "faith and love." (1 Timothy 1:14; 2:15; 4:12; 6:11; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2:22; 3:10; Titus 2:2)

Faith by itself is useless. It cannot save a person. It is dead faith. (James 2:14,17)

"Even the devils believe--and tremble." (James 2:19)

It doesn't matter how much faith you have--it is still nothing without love.

"Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2)

Worship and Love

Worship and ritual are likewise useless without love. The Lord desires "mercy and not sacrifice." (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13; 12:7)

Love is "more than all the whole burnt offerings," (Mark 12:33) and better than the most careful tithing. (See Luke 11:42)

"And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

Love Brings Faith

One reason love and faith should never be separated is that love is the source of faith. Love "believes all things." (1 Corinthians 13:6)

Love "rejoices in the truth." (1 Corinthians 13:7)

A person who loves others "knows God for God is love." (1 John 4:8)

Real belief must be from the heart. (Romans 10:10)

Thus "a person who loves his brother abides in the light." (1 John 2:9,10; compare John 3:19,20)

Love Saves

As it is love that brings a person to believe, it is also love that brings a person to heaven. Someone asked Jesus how he could have eternal life. Jesus answered that he would have it if he would just love the Lord and love his neighbor. (Luke 10:25, 28; see also Matthew 19:17-19)

A person who puts love in the first place, He said, is "not far from the Kingdom of God." (Mark 12:34)

Библијата

 

Luke 10:28

Студија

       

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Библијата

 

John 3

Студија

   

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

2 The same came to him by night, and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him."

3 Jesus answered him, "Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can't see the Kingdom of God."

4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"

5 Jesus answered, "Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can't enter into the Kingdom of God!

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.

7 Don't marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.'

8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don't know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

9 Nicodemus answered him, "How can these things be?"

10 Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and don't understand these things?

11 Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don't receive our witness.

12 If I told you earthly things and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

13 No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.

14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

15 that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

17 For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.

20 For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.

21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God."

22 After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them, and baptized.

23 John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized.

24 For John was not yet thrown into prison.

25 There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John's disciples with some Jews about purification.

26 They came to John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, the same baptizes, and everyone is coming to him."

27 John answered, "A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven.

28 You yourselves testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before him.'

29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the Earth belongs to the Earth, and speaks of the Earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

32 What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.

33 He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.

34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure.

35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.

36 One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won't see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

   

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