God himself is love (1 John 4:8). Love for God is the best commandment. Love for others is the second (Matt 22:34–40). Love is the best Christian advantage.
Questions on love
However what’s love?
That may be a somewhat essential query. Comparable questions come to thoughts:
- Is love a alternative or a sense—or each?
- Is my love beneath the facility of my will?
- Is there such a factor as Christian love, a love solely Christians can have?
- Can non-Christians actually “love”?
- What’s “agape love”?
- Ought to love be unconditional?
Many individuals do flip to do the dictionary to search out out what love is. “Love” is without doubt one of the most-searched-for phrases at Merriam-Webster.com, I learn as soon as. There are lots of worse locations to show than the dictionary to check love, in fact—pop music, for instance, or the prolonged “Spouses” part on Hollywood stars’ Wikipedia pages. However Christians who need to know love ought to show, in the end, to Scripture.
On this submit, I supply some Bible “information” for you (which is straightforward to assemble utilizing Logos; simply click on right here). Fifty-eight passages about love are organized in response to the topics and objects of the love in every passage. That may be a place to begin. On the very least, soak your self in what the Bible says about love, even in case you can’t but absolutely wrap your thoughts and coronary heart round its educating.
However in case you do want to do that, to wrap your thoughts across the Bible’s educating on love, I’d wish to give you some assist through the next video, which can present you—very virtually—the right way to do an English Bible phrase research on “love” within the Logos Bible Research app.
Organizing a few of the Bible’s educating on love
And now: listed below are fifty-eight Bible verses about love, organized in response to
a) the last word supply of affection from inside the individuals of the Trinity,
b) the form of love that God has for us,
c) the love he calls us to have for him and
d) for different individuals, and
e) the methods through which the Bible describes the character of affection itself.
Passages in regards to the love of the individuals inside the Trinity
The Bible begins with God; the Lord’s Prayer begins with God; the most important historic creeds start with God; many systematic theologies start with God. Love begins in God. Allow us to start with the love of God for God.
1. John 17:24–26
Father, I need that in addition they, whom you’ve got given me, could also be with me the place I’m, to see my glory that you’ve got given me since you liked me earlier than the muse of the world. O righteous Father, despite the fact that the world doesn’t know you, I do know you, and these know that you’ve got despatched me. I made recognized to them your identify, and I’ll proceed to make it recognized, that the love with which you’ve got liked me could also be in them, and I in them.
2. Matthew 17:5
A vivid cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud mentioned, “That is my beloved Son, with whom I’m properly happy; hearken to him.”
3. John 3:35
The Father loves the Son and has given all issues into his hand.
4. John 5:20
For the Father loves the Son and exhibits him all that he himself is doing. And better works than these will he present him, so that you could be marvel.
5. Matthew 12:18–20
Behold, my servant whom I’ve chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is properly happy. I’ll put my Spirit upon him, and he’ll proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He won’t quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anybody hear his voice within the streets; a bruised reed he won’t break, and a smoldering wick he won’t quench, till he brings justice to victory.
Passages about God’s love for us
6. Exodus 20:5–6
You shall not bow all the way down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the kids to the third and the fourth technology of those that hate me, however displaying steadfast love to 1000’s of those that love me and maintain my commandments.
7. Exodus 34:6–7
The Lord handed earlier than him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, gradual to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, conserving steadfast love for 1000’s, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, however who will on no account clear the responsible, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the kids and the kids’s kids, to the third and the fourth technology.”
8. Deuteronomy 4:37–39
And since he liked your fathers and selected their offspring after them and introduced you out of Egypt together with his personal presence, by his nice energy, driving out earlier than you nations better and mightier than you, to carry you in, to provide you their land for an inheritance, as it’s today, know due to this fact at present, and lay it to your coronary heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no such thing as a different.
9. Deuteronomy 7:9
Know due to this fact that the LORD your God is God, the devoted God who retains covenant and steadfast love with those that love him and maintain his commandments, to a thousand generations.
10. Deuteronomy 10:18
He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him meals and clothes.
11. Nehemiah 9:17
They refused to obey and weren’t conscious of the wonders that you simply carried out amongst them, however they stiffened their neck and appointed a frontrunner to return to their slavery in Egypt. However you’re a God able to forgive, gracious and merciful, gradual to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and didn’t forsake them.
12. Psalm 51:1
Have mercy on me, O God, in response to your steadfast love; in response to your ample mercy blot out my transgressions.
13. Psalm 89:1–2
I’ll sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, eternally; with my mouth I’ll make recognized your faithfulness to all generations. For I mentioned, “Steadfast love will likely be constructed up eternally; within the heavens you’ll set up your faithfulness.”
14. Psalm 103:11–13
For as excessive because the heavens are above the earth, so nice is his steadfast love towards those that concern him; so far as the east is from the west, thus far does he take away our transgressions from us. As a father exhibits compassion to his kids, so the Lord exhibits compassion to those that concern him.
15. Psalm 106:44–45
Nonetheless, he regarded upon their misery, when he heard their cry. For his or her sake he remembered his covenant, and relented in response to the abundance of his steadfast love.
16. Psalm 136:26
Give because of the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures eternally.
17. Isaiah 54:10
“For the mountains could depart and the hills be eliminated, however my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be eliminated,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
18. Isaiah 63:9
In all their affliction he was , and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried all of them the times of previous.
19. Joel 2:12–13
“But even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all of your coronary heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and never your clothes.” Return to the LORD your God, for he’s gracious and merciful, gradual to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over catastrophe.”
20. Micah 7:20
You’ll present faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you’ve got sworn to our fathers from the times of previous.
21. John 3:16
For God so liked the world, that he gave his solely Son, that whoever believes in him shouldn’t perish however have everlasting life.
22. John 15:13
Better love has nobody than this, that somebody lay down his life for his pals.
23. John 16:26–27
In that day you’ll ask in my identify, and I don’t say to you that I’ll ask the Father in your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, as a result of you’ve got liked me and have believed that I got here from God.
24. Romans 5:5
Hope doesn’t put us to disgrace, as a result of God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
25. Romans 5:8
God exhibits his love for us in that whereas we have been nonetheless sinners, Christ died for us.
26. Romans 8:38–39
For I’m certain that neither loss of life nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor issues current nor issues to return, nor powers, nor top nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will have the ability to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
27. 2 Corinthians 13:11
Lastly, brothers, rejoice. Purpose for restoration, consolation each other, agree with each other, dwell in peace; and the God of love and peace will likely be with you.
28. 2 Thessalonians 3:5
Could the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
29. Titus 3:4–5
However when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not due to works accomplished by us in righteousness, however in response to his personal mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
30. Hebrews 12:5–6
And have you ever forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, don’t regard flippantly the self-discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises each son whom he receives.”
31. 1 John 3:1
See what sort of love the Father has given to us, that we must be referred to as kids of God; and so we’re. The explanation why the world doesn’t know us is that it didn’t know him.
32. 1 John 4:9–10
On this the love of God was made manifest amongst us, that God despatched his solely Son into the world, in order that we’d dwell by him. In that is love, not that now we have liked God however that he liked us and despatched his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
33. 1 John 4:16
So now we have come to know and to imagine the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
34. Jude 1:20–21
However you, beloved, constructing yourselves up in your most holy religion and praying within the Holy Spirit, maintain yourselves within the love of God, ready for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that results in everlasting life.
35. Revelation 1:4–5
John to the seven church buildings which can be in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who’s and who was and who’s to return, and from the seven spirits who’re earlier than his throne, and from Jesus Christ the devoted witness, the firstborn of the useless, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.
Passages on our love for God
36. Deuteronomy 6:5
You shall love the Lord your God with all of your coronary heart and with all of your soul and with all of your would possibly.
37. Deuteronomy 10:12–13
And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, however to concern the Lord your God, to stroll in all his methods, to like him, to serve the Lord your God with all of your coronary heart and with all of your soul, and to maintain the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I’m commanding you at present on your good?
38. Deuteronomy 11:22–23
For if you may be cautious to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, strolling in all his methods, and holding quick to him, then the Lord will drive out all these nations earlier than you, and you’ll dispossess nations better and mightier than you.
39. Psalm 18:1
I love you, O Lord, my energy.
40. Psalm 91:14
As a result of he holds quick to me in love, I’ll ship him; I’ll shield him, as a result of he is aware of my identify.
41. Luke 6:32
In the event you love those that love you, what profit is that to you? For even sinners love those that love them.
42. Romans 8:28
And we all know that for many who love God all issues work collectively for good, for many who are referred to as in response to his function.
43. 1 Peter 1:8–9
Although you haven’t seen him, you love him. Although you don’t now see him, you imagine in him and rejoice with pleasure that’s inexpressible and crammed with glory, 9 acquiring the result of your religion, the salvation of your souls.
Passages about our love for others
44. Matthew 5:44–45
However I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for many who persecute you, so that you could be be sons of your Father who’s in heaven. For he makes his solar rise on the evil and on the great, and sends rain on the simply and on the unjust.
45. John 13:34–35
A brand new commandment I give to you, that you simply love each other: simply as I’ve liked you, you are also to like each other. By this all individuals will know that you’re my disciples, you probably have love for each other.
46. Romans 12:9–10
Let love be real. Abhor what’s evil; maintain quick to what’s good. Love each other with brotherly affection. Outdo each other in displaying honor.
47. Ephesians 5:1–2
Subsequently be imitators of God, as beloved kids. And stroll in love, as Christ liked us and gave himself up for us, a aromatic providing and sacrifice to God.
48. Colossians 3:12–14
Placed on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and endurance, bearing with each other and, if one has a criticism in opposition to one other, forgiving one another; because the Lord has forgiven you, so that you additionally should forgive. And above all these placed on love, which binds all the things collectively in good concord.
49. 1 Thessalonians 4:9
Now regarding brotherly love you haven’t any want for anybody to write down to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other,
50. 1 Peter 3:8
Lastly, all of you, have unity of thoughts, sympathy, brotherly love, a young coronary heart, and a humble thoughts.
51. 1 John 3:17
But when anybody has the world’s items and sees his brother in want, but closes his coronary heart in opposition to him, how does God’s love abide in him?
52. 1 John 4:7–8
Beloved, allow us to love each other, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and is aware of God. Anybody who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, as a result of God is love.
53. 1 John 4:19
We love as a result of he first liked us.
54. 1 John 4:20–21
If anybody says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he’s a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen can not love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment now we have from him: whoever loves God should additionally love his brother.
Passages on the character of affection
55. Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up strife, however love covers all offenses.
56. 1 Corinthians 13:4–7
Love is affected person and type; love doesn’t envy or boast; it isn’t smug or impolite. It doesn’t insist by itself approach; it isn’t irritable or resentful; it doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing, however rejoices with the reality. Love bears all issues, believes all issues, hopes all issues, endures all issues.
57. 1 Corinthians 13:8–12
Love by no means ends. As for prophecies, they are going to cross away; as for tongues, they are going to stop; as for information, it is going to cross away. For we all know partly and we prophesy partly, however when the proper comes, the partial will cross away. Once I was a baby, I spoke like a baby, I believed like a baby, I reasoned like a baby. Once I grew to become a person, I gave up infantile methods. For now we see in a mirror dimly, however then nose to nose. Now I do know partly; then I shall know absolutely, whilst I’ve been absolutely recognized.
58. 1 John 3:16
By this we all know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to put down our lives for the brothers.
Wrap-up ideas on love
As I discussed within the coaching video on the prime of the submit, one of many easiest and finest methods to check a verb in Scripture is to see what topics carry out that motion and which objects obtain it. An important “lovers” in Scripture, the individuals whose mutual love is extra essential than every other, are the three individuals of the Trinity. All love in the end derives from their love.
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Study extra in regards to the theology of God’s love within the D. A. Carson Love of God Assortment (3 vols.)—his The Troublesome Doctrine of the Love of God and Love in Laborious Locations are notably glorious; or discover God’s love with these books:
