What is love?

With Valentine’s day next Sunday, I got to thinking about how much love is discussed in the Bible. Love is such a big Biblical theme that people even refer to the Bible as God’s Love Letter to us. It covers all kinds of love: brotherly love, tough love, romantic love, and even sacrificial love. It also defines love and shows how love should be used. This week, I want to share with a small sampling of verses that define love, show how God loves us, and tell us how we should love others. Don’t see your favorite verses about love? Share them in the comments!

What is love, and what does it do?

It’s a result of the Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23

It builds us up
“We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” – 1 Corinthians 8:1b

It brings peace
“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” – Proverbs 10:12

How does God love us?

Christ died for us
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

He will deliver us from our enemies and rejoice with us in our salvation
“The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” –  Zephaniah 3:17

He never stops loving us and always seeks to draw us close
“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.’” – Jeremiah 31:3

How should we love?

Love God first
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” – Mark 12:30

Love as God loves us
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” – John 15:12-13

Always, without excuse, act with love
“Let all that you do be done with love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:14

Happy Valentine’s Day!