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 could be a reasonably essential query. Comparable questions come to thoughts:
- Is love a selection or a sense—or each?
- Is my love underneath 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 seek 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 numerous 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 publish, I supply some Bible “knowledge” for you (which is straightforward to collect utilizing Logos; just click here). Fifty-eight passages about love are organized in keeping with the themes and objects of the love in every passage. That could be a place to start out. On the very least, soak your self in what the Bible says about love, even in the event you can’t but totally wrap your thoughts and coronary heart round its educating.
However in the event you do want to do that, to wrap your thoughts across the Bible’s educating on love, I’d prefer to give you some assist through the next video, which is able to present you—very virtually—learn how 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 keeping with
a) the ultimate source of love from within the persons of the Trinity,
b) the kind of love that God has for us,
c) the love he calls us to have for him and
d) for other people, and
e) the ways in which the Bible describes the nature of love itself.
Passages in regards to the love of the individuals throughout the Trinity
The Bible begins with God; the Lord’s Prayer begins with God; the major 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 want that in addition they, whom you will have given me, could also be with me the place I’m, to see my glory that you’ve got given me since you beloved me earlier than the inspiration 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 identified to them your title, and I’ll proceed to make it identified, that the love with which you will have beloved me could also be in them, and I in them.
2. Matthew 17:5
A vibrant cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud mentioned, “That is my beloved Son, with whom I’m nicely happy; take heed 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 larger 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 nicely happy. I’ll put my Spirit upon him, and he’ll proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He is not going to quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anybody hear his voice within the streets; a bruised reed he is not going to break, and a smoldering wick he is not going to 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 exhibiting steadfast love to 1000’s of those that love me and preserve 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, holding steadfast love for 1000’s, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, however who will in no way clear the responsible, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the kids and the kids’s youngsters, to the third and the fourth technology.”
8. Deuteronomy 4:37–39
And since he beloved your fathers and selected their offspring after them and introduced you out of Egypt along with his personal presence, by his nice energy, driving out earlier than you nations larger and mightier than you, to carry you in, to present you their land for an inheritance, as it’s at the present time, know due to this fact as we speak, 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 preserve 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 aware of the wonders that you just carried out amongst them, however they stiffened their neck and appointed a pacesetter 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 keeping with your steadfast love; in keeping with your considerable 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 identified your faithfulness to all generations. For I mentioned, “Steadfast love shall 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, to date does he take away our transgressions from us. As a father exhibits compassion to his youngsters, so the Lord exhibits compassion to those that concern him.
15. Psalm 106:44–45
However, he appeared upon their misery, when he heard their cry. For his or her sake he remembered his covenant, and relented in keeping with the abundance of his steadfast love.
16. Psalm 136:26
Give due to 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 troubled, 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 outdated.
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 will have sworn to our fathers from the times of outdated.
21. John 3:16
For God so beloved the world, that he gave his solely Son, that whoever believes in him shouldn’t perish however have everlasting life.
22. John 15:13
Higher love has nobody than this, that somebody lay down his life for his buddies.
23. John 16:26–27
In that day you’ll ask in my title, 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 will have beloved 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 way of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
25. Romans 5:8
God exhibits his love for us in that whereas we had been nonetheless sinners, Christ died for us.
26. Romans 8:38–39
For I’m positive that neither demise 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 be capable to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
27. 2 Corinthians 13:11
Lastly, brothers, rejoice. Intention for restoration, consolation each other, agree with each other, stay in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
28. 2 Thessalonians 3:5
Might 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 achieved by us in righteousness, however in keeping with 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 evenly 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 youngsters 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 stay by way of him. In that is love, not that we’ve beloved God however that he beloved us and despatched his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
33. 1 John 4:16
So we’ve come to know and to consider 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, preserve 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 are 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 may.
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 as we speak on your good?
38. Deuteronomy 11:22–23
For if you can 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 larger 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 defend him, as a result of he is aware of my title.
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 keeping with his objective.
43. 1 Peter 1:8–9
Although you haven’t seen him, you love him. Although you don’t now see him, you consider in him and rejoice with pleasure that’s inexpressible and stuffed 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 just love each other: simply as I’ve beloved you, you are also to like each other. By this all individuals will know that you’re my disciples, if in case you 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 exhibiting honor.
47. Ephesians 5:1–2
Subsequently be imitators of God, as beloved youngsters. And stroll in love, as Christ beloved 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 grievance 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 pieces collectively in excellent 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 beloved 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’t love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we’ve 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 sort; love doesn’t envy or boast; it isn’t smug or impolite. It doesn’t insist by itself means; 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’ll move away; as for tongues, they’ll stop; as for data, it can move away. For we all know partially and we prophesy partially, however when the proper comes, the partial will move away. Once I was a toddler, I spoke like a toddler, I assumed like a toddler, I reasoned like a toddler. 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 partially; then I shall know totally, whilst I’ve been totally identified.
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 publish, 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. Crucial “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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Be taught extra in regards to the theology of God’s love within the D. A. Carson Love of God Collection (3 vols.)—his The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God and Love in Hard Places are notably glorious; or discover God’s love with these books:
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