The Source of True Love
How would you define true love and where can one find it? This is a timely question as we head into Valentine’s Day weekend. We can all be influenced by the world’s concept of love, you know, that warm fuzzy feeling that only produces short-term happiness. Fortunately, true love is more than an emotional feeling. Let us reflect on the source of true love, which comes from God.
From a biblical perspective, God IS love (1 John 4:8) so we must start there to define true love. God’s love is also demonstrated to us in many ways: in His creation, and through His blessing and care over our daily lives (Matthew 6:25-33). The greatest demonstration of His love for us is that He gave His only Son to die for our sin so we may be justified by His blood (Romans 5:8-9). Through faith we can experience an eternal life in glory with our Maker. That’s some love!
God’s love should be the basis of hope for those that believe and follow Him. The Bible says nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). Regardless of our circumstances, we can rest in knowing His love will not leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
We can depend on His love to provide the true satisfaction and joy we are longing for. Perhaps we have been too distracted recently, and we need a season of returning to our first love.
Jesus Christ laying down His life for us is at the “heart” of the gospel and our prime example of how to selflessly love others. 1 John 4:9-12 says:
“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.”
An article on this topic from Ligonier Ministries said, “It is the effectual love of God that first changes our hearts in order to make us capable of love, and it is His example of love that reminds us again and again of our need to love other people.”1
Let us not forget to give Him praise for being true love. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate this Valentine’s Day, let us embrace the joy of God’s love and in turn, love others.
Mike O'Dean, Children and Youth Ministry Coordinator at First Baptist in Sturgeon Bay
What is love?
From a biblical perspective, God IS love (1 John 4:8) so we must start there to define true love. God’s love is also demonstrated to us in many ways: in His creation, and through His blessing and care over our daily lives (Matthew 6:25-33). The greatest demonstration of His love for us is that He gave His only Son to die for our sin so we may be justified by His blood (Romans 5:8-9). Through faith we can experience an eternal life in glory with our Maker. That’s some love!
God’s love should be the basis of hope for those that believe and follow Him. The Bible says nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). Regardless of our circumstances, we can rest in knowing His love will not leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
We can depend on His love to provide the true satisfaction and joy we are longing for. Perhaps we have been too distracted recently, and we need a season of returning to our first love.
We love, because He first loved.
Jesus Christ laying down His life for us is at the “heart” of the gospel and our prime example of how to selflessly love others. 1 John 4:9-12 says:
“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.”
An article on this topic from Ligonier Ministries said, “It is the effectual love of God that first changes our hearts in order to make us capable of love, and it is His example of love that reminds us again and again of our need to love other people.”1
Let us not forget to give Him praise for being true love. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate this Valentine’s Day, let us embrace the joy of God’s love and in turn, love others.
Mike O'Dean, Children and Youth Ministry Coordinator at First Baptist in Sturgeon Bay
1 Ligonier Ministries. “He First Loved Us.” www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/he-first-loved-us/
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