“My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no-one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.“– Jesus
“…let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
From short-lived ecstacy to life-long self-sacrifice, love takes many forms. Some are spurious and damaging – others bring great reward and satisfaction.
Devotion to Jesus is like a true marriage – a lifetime’s devotion to one person, to the exclusion of all others.
His sacrifice for us is love beyond our understanding. To return that love means sacrifice on our part – but it will bring the greatest of rewards.
Helpful Bible references to consider
- Love is the principle that governs God’s relationship with his creation.
(Read: Psalm 33:5,18) - God is himself the embodiment of love. This view of God is consistent throughout both Old and New Testaments.
(Read: Psalm 117; 1 John 4:8; Ex.34:6-7; Psalm 13:5-6) - God has shown the depth of his love for us by giving his own Son as a sacrifice to cover our sin.
(Read: John 3:16; Titus 3:4-7; Rom.5:8) - Jesus’ love for God was shown by his submission to his Father’s will, his willing surrender of his life for us. In the same way, our love for Jesus is expressed by our obedience to his commands and the surrender of ourselves to the needs of others.
(Read: Phil.2:5-11; John 14:15; John 15:12) - True Christian love is not self-centred, demanding or manipulative.
(Read: 1 Cor.13:4-7; Matt.22:39) - God’s love will triumph over our weakness.
(Read: Romans 8:35-39)