HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 204
page A202
Love See also Commitment; Compassion; Faithfulness; Forgiveness; Intimacy;
Mercy & Grace; Marriage; Presence of God; Worship
A healthy definition of love is crucial to understanding the central message of the Bible.
According to the Bible, love is not confined to sexuality, and it isn’t primarily a feeling
either. The Bible teaches that love is a commitment. As a commitment, love is not dependent on good feelings but rather on a consistent and courageous decision to extend
oneself for the well-being of another. That commitment then produces good feelings, not
the other way around. Jesus became the perfect demonstration of God’s unconditional
love for us by laying down his life for our benefit.
What is love?
• 1 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 3 :4 -7 | Love is patient and kind. . . . It does not demand its own way. . . .
Love never gives up. (See note on page 1041.)
This famous chapter about love gives us one of the most eloquent descriptions of love
ever written. Love is a commitment and a choice of conduct that produces powerful feelings. If you practice the qualities and behaviors described in these verses, you will experience satisfaction and fulfillment beyond imagination.
• J O H N 1 5 :1 3 | “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Love is willing to sacrifice for the good of others, even to death.
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• 2 S A MU E L 1 3 :1 4 -1 5 | Since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. Then suddenly
Amnon’s love turned to hate.
Don’t mistake lust for love. Love always involves commitment to the other person’s
welfare.
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Must I love other people? What if I don’t want to?
• J O H N 1 3 :3 4 | “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I
have loved you, you should love each other.”
• 1 J O H N 2 :9 | If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that
person is still living in darkness. (See note on page 1139.)
• J O H N 1 3 :3 5 | “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
• 1 P E T E R 4 :8 | Love covers a multitude of sins.
• 1 J O H N 4 :1 2 | If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression
in us.
Being a Christian comes with certain expectations, and one of them is that we will love
others. Our Christian conduct is proof as to whether we love each other, and loving each
other is proof that we belong to Christ.
What are some special things that come from a loving relationship?
• PR O V E R B S 1 0 :1 2 | Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.
• 1 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 3 :4 -7 | Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or
proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record
of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins
out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every
circumstance.
The gifts that come from love are many. Here are a few: forgiveness, patience, kindness,
love for truth, love for justice, love that wants what’s best for someone else, loyalty at any
cost, and belief in a person no matter what. Love does not allow for jealousy, envy, pride,
a haughty spirit, selfishness, rudeness, a demand for one’s own way, irritability, or grudges.
How can I love people I don’t even like?
• 1 J O H N 4 :1 9 | We love each other because he loved us first.
As you reflect on God’s love for you and receive it for yourself, you will grow in your ability
to love those you do not like.
