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Real Love

    On this special holiday when we celebrate the love between a man and a woman, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the love of Jesus. There is no love without God, who Himself personified is love. All the genuine love we experience is from the Father. Let's remind ourselves what that looks like today.

1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (NIV)

  
So what does real love consist of? 

It is unconditional
Luke 6:27 But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. (ESV)

It is sacrificial
Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV)
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (ESV)

It is fearless
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (ESV)
1 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (ESV)

It perseveres
1 Corinthians 13:7-8 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails (ESV)

It binds
Colossians 3:14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (ESV)
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (ESV)

It is patient 
1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient (NIV)

It is kind 
1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is kind (NIV)

It is selfless
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking (NIV)

It covers
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. (ESV)
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. (ESV)

It is giving
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (ESV)

It saves
John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (ESV)

It is obedient 
John 14:23 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (ESV)

It is shameless
Romans 5:5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (ESV)


It is everlasting
Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. (ESV)



    Therefore, we should apply these attributes of love to our every day lives. As believers, we should strive to treat others with the love that Christ treats us. By this, we will be recognized as His followers. Today, share with others the genuine love that Christ has put into our hearts. 


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

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (ESV)

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us. (ESV)

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