The Bible has more to say about love than almost any other topic. In fact, the Apostle John goes so far as to say that 'God is love' (1 John 4:8)—not simply that God has love or shows love, but that love is fundamental to His very nature.
However, the Bible's definition of love is radically different from what our culture typically means by the word.
Biblical Love Is a Choice, Not Just a Feeling
In ancient Greek, there were four distinct words for love. The New Testament primarily uses agape, which refers to a deliberate, self-sacrificial commitment to seek the good of another person, regardless of whether you feel like it.
Jesus commanded His followers to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44). You cannot command a feeling—you can only command an action. Biblical love is something you do, not just something you feel.
The Greatest Description of Love
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 provides the most famous description of love in all of literature:
'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.'
Notice that almost every attribute in this passage is an action, not a feeling. Love is defined by what it does—and what it refuses to do.
The Ultimate Demonstration of Love
The Bible's ultimate illustration of love is the cross. Romans 5:8 says: 'But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.' God did not wait for us to become lovable before He loved us. He loved us at our worst, at our most undeserving, at the moment we were actively rebelling against Him.
John 3:16—perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible—captures this: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.'
Love as a Way of Life
Jesus told His disciples that love would be the defining mark of His followers: 'By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another' (John 13:35). Love is not optional for the Christian; it is the very evidence that we belong to Christ.