What is Christian love?

What is Christian Love?

The Bible Definition of Love

Why is there so much hurt and lack of real love in the world, even among people who call themselves Christians? Love is a key component in understanding the nature of God, but why is love so important to him? Let's explore Christian love and explain the vital part it should play in the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ; a Christian. We will also see where love fits in the plan God has for all humanity and why it is so misunderstood and lacking even among the followers on Jesus Christ.

Who and what is God?

It is amazing that a question of this importance does not require a deep philosophical study of the Bible to determine the answer. God's word, the Bible, gives a very simple concise statement of who and what he is:
1John 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Love is the very essence of God, and we can not really come to know him without practicing his kind of love; it is who and what he is. He has backed up his claim to be the very definition of love and the substance of love by his willingness to offer his own blameless son to suffer the death penalty for capital crimes we have committed. All humans have broken his law, the Ten Commandments, and are therefore subject to the death penalty. This is made plain in 1John 3:4 “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” and with law breaking (sin) comes the death penalty Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The death penalty is the wage we earn for our lawless acts by breaking his commandments.

We read of his great love for us in the much quoted, little understood verse of John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Rather that being a mantra chanted by professing Christians and displayed on banners on nationally televised football games it is the definitive statement that shows what God means when he says he, “so loved the world”. A summation of the expression of his love is:

“God's love includes actions which to his perfect mind are always best for his children based on his wisdom, justice, and righteousness personified by his Ten Commandments.”

An example of is love is the action of offering his son who paid the death penalty in our place. This took “agape”. This word agape is a Greek word which was translated into the English word love in the New Testament. We learn by his example and actions throughout the Bible what that word truly means. His type of love and affection seems super human, which of course it is, but it is not something anyone calling themselves a Christian is excused from understanding and practicing. In sacrificing his son he knew what was best for us, and he did what was best for us even at his own personal loss.

In perfect love he will sometimes withhold blessings we request or pursue and in doing so he knows that denial is sometimes in our best interest; what is best for us, not best in our self interest which is blind to the consequences. Conversely, in his love for us he offers us immortality (John 3:16 “...shall not perish, but have eternal life.”) which as mortal humans we do not posses, but it is conditional upon our expression of love toward him through obedience. (John 14:21"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me...”) On a human level we would never give a child everything they request knowing that some things are harmful or possibly fatal to them. Withholding a gift does not mean that God or the parent does not love the child, just the opposite is true.

God knows that our obedience will lead to our happiness now and forever. This principal is illustrated in his fatherly plea to the children of ancient Israel, but it applies to all of his children in all eras. This passage in Deuteronomy is moving in its appeal and depth of love expressed for the happiness of an entire nation; every living soul in that nation including their future generations.

Deu 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, Vs 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." (emphasis added)

The love God has for us does not mean that it comes without requirements as many fallaciously teach the concept of, “just believe”. The word of God shows in Deuteronomy 30, and elsewhere that obedience is required to fully come to know & love God: 1John 2:4 “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;” Very strong words to anyone who mistakenly believes that expressing love to God is just the outward verbalization, without both inward obedience which in turn is expressed in outward actions. Not that the actions earn us anything but without action there is no expression of our love.

Background: Word Derivation for Love

The word used for love in 1 John 4:8 and elsewhere as mentioned earlier is a Greek word: agape pronounced “ag-ah'-pay” which is defined as: “love, that is, affection or benevolence...” (From Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries.) By studying the word in scriptural context as well as explicit examples and statements in the Bible of what it means to love as God loves we can grasp the full definition of what has become a misused and misunderstood concept of love.

God’s Love for Us

It is difficult for humans to grasp the kind of love God has for all of his sons and daughters, Christian or not, lawless or not. As humans we naturally tend to love only those who love us. But godly love is expansive allowing us to be capable of loving those who do not love us or may even hate us. This is a difficult concept to imagine yet Jesus clearly taught that it is exactly what we must do in his Sermon on the Mount recorded in the book of Mathew.

Mat 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' vs 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, vs :45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. vs:46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? vs:47 "If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? vs:48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

From a human perspective this “perfection” seems impossible yet with the assistance of the Holy Spirit - a gift from God - we are able as Christians to “...be perfect...”
Rom 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (emphasis added)

We have learned that God is love, therefore his spirit in us is the enabler of human perfection. The kind of perfection God possesses is demonstrated by him toward a person before their conversion to Christianity. Before we renounce our lawless ways we are living in a manner which God abhors. It is remarkable that God loves us even as a rebellious person who has broken his perfect law, for which the penalty is death. In his perfect love he is able to look beyond our condition, to love his enemies, and offer us a pardon after we stop breaking his law and from the heart change the way we think (repent). This loving forgiveness is blind to how many lawless acts we have committed. This is clearly stated in Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

As his son or daughter we must emulate his example and love those who do not love us or may even hate us. In doing so we should be concerned with what is best for the person we are showing love towards even if it is not in our best interest, just as our Father demonstrated by offering his son for us. It is this attitude of Christian love, agape love, or “going the extra mile” of Mat 5:41 in which Jesus showed that carrying the heavy pack of a surly Roman soldier who was the occupier & oppressor of the beloved nation of the Jews of his time separates human love from godly love. This teaches us we should express Christian love to those who are still living a lawless life unaware of the need to change, who may be persecuting us, and how much more so to those we consider our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Love Toward God

In the Bible God has given us a plain definition of what it means to love him which is easy to understand. In John 14:21 Jesus clearly states: "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." In order to express love to God we are expected to obey and abide by his Ten Commandments, all of them, not just the convenient ones. In his statement recorded by John, the Messiah is making a huge differentiation between saying we love him and actually demonstrating that we love him. This is done by expressing love in our obedient actions. Love toward God is not an ethereal nice “feeling” but concrete actions of obedience to Gods law, his Ten Commandments. We express our love toward him as he defines it in the first four commandments which specify how God expects to be loved in our words and deeds. That does not exclude affection toward him, but is inclusive of both obedience and affection.

Why is this so, why is obedience to the Law so important? It is because in ten short statements we are shown how to be right and acceptable to God, or righteous as the Bible calls it in Psalms:
Psalms 119:172 My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.
Being right with God enables us to share his philosophy & life style of love. This allows us to have a personal relationship, to speak to God and receive answers from him via his word the Bible.

James 5:16 ...“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (NASB version)

Love Toward Neighbor

We have learned that God is the epitome of love. It is therefore true that everything he has given humanity has been given out of love. Physically we see we have been given stewardship and dominion of his creation that lovingly serves humanity by providing food, shelter on a temperate and privileged planet protected from the harshness of space. Literally we have all things which are required for our prosperity and health in this temporal life. Is it not also logical that a loving Father would care for those he loves by providing for their spiritual well being too? He has done this by giving us guidance in how to live, and in living his way of life we express our love toward others. The apostle Paul wrote a succinct formula for how we as humans show love toward others. In his letter to the Romans we read:

Rom 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. vs 9 For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." vs 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (emphasis added)

We now know that God is love and we love him through our obedience but we are also expected to be loving toward others based on God's definition and method of expressing love through the keeping of his Law of which the last six of the Ten Commandments are aimed at conduct toward our neighbor. (See Leviticus 20 for a listing of all ten commandments.)

The Messiah explained just how significant love is by this statement recorded in Mathew when he was asked which of the commandments was greatest:
Mat 22:37 And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' vs 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. vs39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' vs 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." (emphasis added)

In this short amazing set of verses he teaches us that the entirety of the written word of God available at that time Jesus spoke those words, “...the whole Law and the Prophets”, are solely dependent on & exist to support the foundational concept of love toward God and Man. This puts the subject of prophesy “the Prophets” in perspective. Many focus on knowing & understanding the titillating “secrets” about the future while neglecting the reason the Bible was written; to explain why we are here and how we must treat God and humanity, which is his special creation made in his image. Understanding this puts love at the core of our relationship toward God and our fellow humans and gives us unambiguous instruction on proper treatment of God and humankind reduced to the simplest of terms. To concentrate & focus on prophesy or anything which does not first focus on knowing & practicing godly love either as an individual Christian or as an organization calling itself “of God” is to ignore who God is, and his reason for writing the Bible. Doing this rejects the clear teaching of the Messiah and his Apostles.

Love: Our Christian Duty

The third and distinct aspect of love is toward those who are members of the body of Christ, the church. It is a special requirement and commandment of a Christian to love those whom God has personally chosen at this time in human history to offer immortality in his future kingdom. We see the seriousness of this commandment in the first letter of John:

1John 4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. vs 21 And this commandment we have from Him, (Jesus) that the one who loves God should love his brother also. (Clarification added)

This is an extremely important matter John was addressing since we know that being a liar, breaking the ninth commandment, disqualifies a person from entering the kingdom of God at the return of Jesus Christ, and receiving immortality. Rev 21:8 Describes the fate of liars. Anyone in this condition may ultimately wind up in the resurrection of eternal judgement -which is physical & spiritual death - if this hatred is not recanted and forgiven by God. Hating someone, especially a brother in Christ, will disqualify a Christian of the reward of immortality.
Jesus did in fact command us to love one another. In his final personal comments to his disciples just hours before his crucifixion the Messiah expressed his love for his disciples, both in our time and in his time by stating:

John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. vs 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Jesus knew how to love in a manner which his Father expected, and he further explained to his disciples what it meant for him to practice love through obedience.

John 14:31 “...but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.” (emphasis added)

This explanation of how he demonstrated his love to the Father by his obedience was given just as they left to go to the garden at Gethsemane where he was illegally arrested and later crucified by the Romans. The Messiah truly practiced what he preached. As Christians how can we do any less than obey the command to love one another given by our Lord and master? It is so strange that in a world where millions profess to be followers of Christ - to be Christians - that it is hard to find those who do “exactly” what he commanded. Jesus obediently did what the Father commanded him thereby setting the example of how to love by our personal actions.

The Significance of Love in Our Daily Lives

We have seen that the Messiah expects us to love fellow Christians but just how important is this command? The apostle Paul was inspired to write a very detailed description of the significance of love in 1 Corinthians 13 referred to as the love chapter. This entire chapter shows the importance of love to a Christian, and it gives explicit guidance to be used by his followers in living their daily lives. It is significant that this section of scripture shows no division between members of the church. Paul made no difference from a member who happens to be and elder, a servant of God, or other members with respect to practicing love as Paul delineated it in magnificent, practical detail. This chapter is the basis of what it means to love someone & how to act. It is the cornerstone of a Christian’s understanding of love and its central elevated place among other gifts which God has given us through his spirit. If every member including and especially those who are leaders in the church practiced this kind of love it would foster a harmonious caring environment within the body of Christ. Here is a passage which elevates Christian love to a level God expects:

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. vs 2 And 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. vs 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Isn’t the clear teaching of Paul refreshing? It cuts through the clutter of those things which to many Christians seem so “spiritual” like understanding prophesy, preaching & teaching others, and even tremendous faith and reduces them to nothing without the presence of true godly agape love. It is not that these other attributes are not important, but compared to love they are insignificant because without love we are of no use to God, and as we have seen, we can not please him, nor can we join him in his kingdom as sons & daughters. It places love at the summit of Mount Everest while all the rest of those things mentioned which seem so spiritual to humans are back at sea level.
He concludes his teaching by placing love in perspective for us:

1Co 13:13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Without setting our sights as Christians at the summit; love, the greatest of all Christian gifts, we will not enter the kingdom prepared for us to receive the gift of immortality promised.

Love & the kingdom of God

It should not be surprising that God expects Christians to practice love toward him and all of humanity, but what are the consequences if we fall into a pattern of not showing love, after our conversion to living as a Christian? The Bible has a stark warning for any disciple of Jesus Christ who fails to follow his clear command to love others, which may be surprising. John delivered a very pointed warning to anyone calling themselves a Christian, but not practicing love.

1John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. vs 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

A Christian who does not practice love toward a fellow Christian “...abides in death.” because God considers it hatred and in the spirit of murder. If a Christian is in such a state of mind and does not change their thinking (repent), they are breaking Gods Law, and they will not be in his kingdom. John goes on to clearly explain what is expected of us by giving an example:

1Jn 3:16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. vs 17 But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? vs 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

It may be possible to continue lawless conduct but it is not possible to stand before the Messiah at his return to earth and claim we were not both warned and instructed on what it means to love others whom God has called.

Living a Christian Life of Love

It is easy to have “head knowledge” of a subject, but to practice it is another matter. What sort of daily routine will a Christian be living to practice love toward God and neighbor every day? It will be just like daily life in the kingdom of God. Jesus explained this concept after the scribe agreed with Christ’s answer concerning the two great commandments to love God and our neighbor. He then capped it off by stating:
Mar 12:34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.
If we evaluate our actions to be in agreement with God’s law we are better able to change our behavior as we see it fall outside of what he expects of us. It gives us the capability in this present evil world to be “not far from the Kingdom of God”, a kingdom whose laws will be God’s law, the Ten Commandments. We strive to become perfect by daily practicing love that will be the foundation of his kingdom. Let's look at each area for specific examples to live by.

Practical Love: 1 Corinthians 13

Here is real and direct teaching on love that can guide a Christian on how to love. In this chapter Paul outlines specifics on what and what not to do.

What love is according to 1 Corinthians 13:

Love is patient, long suffering: vs4 In a world filled with rage and impatience people try to push & shove in order to “get happiness”. A Christian should stand out as a beacon to those around them! Being patient with the slow clerk at the store or your neighbor who plays their music too loud and late, or the co-worker who constantly complains is what is expected of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Our patience may never be noticed or it may catch the attention of someone but irregardless it is a signet of a person of God and an expression of love toward others. It is a trait of our Father as shown in Rom 15:5 “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,...” It should go without saying but it is absolutely essential that a disciple of Jesus Christ will be practicing patience among fellow Christians, the household of God. If we can’t be patient with our brothers and sisters in this life what hope have we of receiving the reward of eternal life in the kingdom and family of God?

Love is kind: How many times has a kind act lifted our spirits? It is a dynamic part of loving your neighbor as yourself. The opportunity to do a kind act to someone is something a follower of Jesus should be on the lookout for constantly by asking; how can I serve others? Our dark, and selfish society is void of kindness, therefore as ambassadors of a coming kingdom based on love we need to actively do a kind act whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself. Kindness was extended to us when we were pardoned from the death penalty. Eph 4:32 “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” People without God have a deep spiritual void in their lives and many suffer from a history of abuse and mistreatment. Kindness is the healing medication for the spiritual wounds of life.

Love rejoices in the Truth: One of the incredible blessings to the people God has called is to actually know truth. Col 1:5 “because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel... (The the word “gospel” is defined as: The good message of the kingdom of God) Note that the hope we have is “laid up” in heaven, it does not say we are going to heaven. We are immersed in a world lost in itself, directed by a demon and rushing head long to planet wide destruction, yet God has called some out of the society to know his truth, to know there is hope for humanity with the promise of immortality to those who love God. To have the love of God is to rejoice in this knowledge and want to share it with everyone expressing an interest, not forcing it upon anyone.

Love believes all things: Belief in God, his plan for humans, and his definition of morality in this cynical society is a manifestation of godly love within a Christian. Belief is a progression which begins as we gain an understanding of what God and his son have set in motion through their love for us. This progression is explained by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation (to be saved from the death penalty) through sanctification (made acceptable to God) by the Spirit and belief in the truth,...” (comments added) This ability for a person who ultimately “believes all things” is possible only by the process described by Paul.

Love hopes all things: In our belief in the one true Messiah that powers hope enabled by love as Paul put it: Rom 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” It is by his spirit and the Christian love it activates within us which gives us hope beyond the disappointments of our physical life.

Love endures all things: With the proper outlook to view the world with a deep understanding of what it means to love God and mankind a Christian develops endurance to face the relentless physical and spiritual trials of life. Endurance is not without its reward as shown in 2 Timothy 2:12 “If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.” It is not that God’s people “put up with bad people” and their mischief, but by practicing unmerited love for those God loves who are still lawless as we once were, we demonstrate that we understand his love for them and us. Love, agape love, is the driving force that allows us to “do unto others” which is what was done to us; that is God loved us and so should we do the same to our neighbor. One benefit of our Christian love is the ability to “endure all things.”

What Love Is Not & What to Avoid

Jealousy, bragging, arrogance, rudeness, selfishness, thinking evil, rejoicing in wrong doing as stated in 1 Cor 13 have no part in love. These traits were listed so that we might have a kind of spiritual barometer in which we can judge if we have Christian love. When we fall short we seek God’s pardon and go back to what he expects of us.

Are we loving God as he expects and requires?

Practicing love toward God as expressed in the Ten Commandments is fundamental to showing our love to Him. In a world ruled & influenced by Satan, a fallen arch angel, it is easy to put material interests before God. Our careers, our hobbies and interests, or even the pursuit of pleasure and entertainment can subtly replace the true God as the center of our interest and in doing so we break the first commandment and the bond of love for our Creator replacing it with what is pleasing to us.
Our physical possessions can take on animate qualities that can become a substitute for God. It is hard to imagine that a home, car, or for that matter a perfect body can become a substitute for the one true God who made everything but they can. In doing these things and still clinging to the image of a Christian we take the name of our Father in vain. It is a profound statement which Jesus made recorded in Matthew which is a paraphrase of Deut 6:5

Mat 22:35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, vs36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? vs 37 And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'

Fully applying this scripture leaves no room for any other pursuit or pleasure before the one true God. Pursuits and pleasures which the god of this world is so good at providing in an endless stream of distractions and meaningless endeavors. It also leaves no gray areas of conduct or actions for us to become side tracked, something which our minds are so good at rationalizing as being important. If we are to become an eternal, immortal being, a member of the family of our Father we are to be completely committed to him and his way of life. We understand by his own admission that God is the personification of love and he expects nothing less than our undivided love in the form of our obedience. This understanding must be reflected in how we spend our time, what we do with our resources, how we treat others, and ultimately focus on our desire to live a life with a singular focus on God and his ways every conscious moment. This kind of commitment is unprecedented in the cultures of this world and is possible only by possessing the spirit of God.

Conclusion

What should we take away & commit to memory in order to understand & practice Christian love and be able to teach it to others?

Definition of love: I John 4:8 “...God is love.”
We express love toward God through our obedience: John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me...”
God expects us to love our fellow Christians: 1Jn 4:20 “If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar...”
We are expected to love our neighbor as defined in the last six of the Ten Commandments: Rom 13:8 “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”
The Messiah commanded us to love one another: John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
Our eternal salvation depends on our ability to love our fellow Christians: 1Jn 3:14 “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren...”
Paul gave us concrete examples of loving, and established the importance of love to a Christian in the “love” chapter: 1 Corinthians 13
Love for God and neighbor is the essence of all inspired scripture as taught by Jesus: Mat 22:40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

Chain Scriptures

Here is one suggested path to be able to mark your Bible with a chain of scriptures on love. Chain scriptures are done so that you only need to commit to memory the very first scripture of the chain, in this example on Christian love you would remember 1 John 4:8. In the margin next to 1 John 4:8 you write 1 John 14:21 and so on down the chain. It is a way to move through the Bible with a path of reference on the topic.

1 John 4:8 God is love

1 John 14:21 To love God is to keep his Commandments.

Rom 13:8-10 Loving our neighbor fulfills the Law, the Ten Commandments.

Mat 22:37-40 To show us how to love God and neighbor is why the Bible was written.

John 13:34-35 The Messiah commanded us to love our fellow Christians.

1 John 3:14-18 Our love & acts of love toward fellow Christians qualifies us for eternal life.

1 Cor 13 A chapter devoted to the importance of love and its practical application.