Love has been defined as many things in today’s popular culture. It has been defined as:
- to feel tender affection for somebody,
- feel desire for somebody,
- like something very much,
- show kindness to somebody and finally
- have sex with somebody
These definitions were taken from Microsoft® Encarta® Dictionaries 2007. They are pretty much an accurate sampling as you would find from most modern dictionaries or people in general.
These are not necessarily wrong but fall far short of what the Holy Scriptures teaches Love to be. The Inspirer of the Holy Scriptures was gracious enough to give us an explanation of the character of love from which we can deduce what Love is. He inspired the apostle Paul to explain the fact that Love is the highest virtue one can attain.
But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all–love].
(1Co 12:31 AMP)
Love is the fullness of life. It surpasses all spiritual gifts. He then goes further to explain in the succeeding chapter 13 of first Corinthians what the attributes of Love are. In his explanation, we glean the character of love.
The character of Love
In scripture there are a number of Hebrew and Greek words used to denote ‘love’ but each of these words which refer to different manifestations of love, for e.g., love between spouses, siblings or friends have one object and aim. They all find their fullness or perfect expression in the love of God—Agape. Agape is the standard or height to which all the other manifestations of love are to attain. That means spouses should aim at loving each other the way God loves. The same goes for siblings and friends. Love finds its perfection in God. God’s love is the standard for all other forms of love.
The question is, how does God love and how does He expect us to love each other therefore fulfilling the greatest commandment? The answer is found in 1Cor 13. The passage is quite lengthy; please permit me to quote it for explanatory purposes:
IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (2) And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). (3) Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing. (4) Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. (5) It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. (6) It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. (7) Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. (8) Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth]. (9) For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect). (10) But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded). (11) When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside. (12) For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God]. (13) And so faith, hope, love abide [faith–conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things; hope–joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love–true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1Co 13:1-13 AMP)
The character or characteristics of Love are as follows:
- Love endures long
- Love is patient
- Love is kind
- Love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy,
- Love is not boastful or vainglorious,
- Love does not display itself haughtily
- Love is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride)
- Love is not rude (unmannerly)
- Love does not act unbecomingly
- Love does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking
- Love is not touchy or fretful or resentful
- Love takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]
- Love does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness,
- Love rejoices when right and truth prevail
- Love bears up under anything and everything that comes
- Love is ever ready to believe the best of every person
- Love’s hopes are fadeless under all circumstances,
- Love endures everything [without weakening]
- Love never fails[never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]
1Jn 4:18 AMP There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].
20. Love casts out every trace of fear
I remember once reading 1Cor 13 and retorting to God, saying that ‘no human can fulfill this. His response was in the affirmative. He does not expect humans to do this of their own accord and strength. No human can truly love by his own strength and initiative. The manifestation of the Love of God can only be accomplished by the God of Love who himself is Love. It is for this reason that He gives us His Spirit to enable us bear His fruit which is Love. Hence the scripture reads:
But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. (Gal 5:22-23 AMP)
Love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us. Minus Him, we cannot love. Notice it doesn’t say ‘fruits’. The fruit is singular. The fruit is Love but it manifests different characteristics such as joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence).
Like everything else in the life of a child of God, it must be birthed by God in us. Husbands should allow the Holy Spirit to enable them love their spouses with this purest form of love. This should be the case with every human relationship.
But what is Love? Love is God.
1Jn 4:8 AMP He who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love.
If God is love then John chapter 1 can be written as follows:
IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with LOVE, and the Word was LOVE. [Isa. 9:6.] (2) He was present originally with LOVE. (3) All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. (4) In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. (5) And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it]. (Joh 1:1-5 AMP)
And since God is the Word then the Word of God is Love. That means the above stated scripture can alternatively be written as follows:
IN THE beginning [before all time] was the LOVE, and LOVE was with God, and LOVE was God Himself. [Isa. 9:6.] (2) He was present originally with God. (3) All things were made and came into existence through LOVE; and without LOVE was not even one thing made that has come into being. (4) In LOVE was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. (5) And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it]. (Joh 1:1-5 AMP)
God is LOVE. His Word is LOVE. His Word is truth so Truth is LOVE.
Is it therefore any wonder that the greatest commandment and the second are both LOVE. Is it also any wonder that both the law and the prophets can be summarized by one word—LOVE?
Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light–which are heavy?] (37) And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). [Deut. 6:5.] (38) This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. (39) And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. [Lev. 19:18.] (40) These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.(Mat 22:36-40 AMP)
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia has the following to say about love:
Love, whether used of God or man, is an earnest and anxious desire for and an active and beneficent interest in the well-being of the one loved.
Love considers the other person. Love never takes; Love rather gives hence God never takes. He only gives. The proof is found in scriptures like:
For God so greatly loved the world that He gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. (Joh 3:16)
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). (Joh 10:10 AMP)
God is a giver and not a taker. Why? Because a basic characteristic of love is that it is not self-seeking. That is why love forgives so easily.
All true born again children of God are children of Love.
