Love is the core of Christianity and also the pinnacle of Christianity. God did not reveal love merely as one of His attributes. He did not say anywhere that He is loving in the same way He is called Almighty God, Merciful God, or God of authority. Instead, when it comes to love, He declares: “GOD IS LOVE.” This means His very nature is love—not just one of His qualities. Therefore, the word love has a far deeper spiritual meaning than we often assume.
1 John 4:16 — “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
The love spoken of in the Bible is not merely saying “I love you,” nor is it emotional love. It is love formed inside a person’s heart, because its source is God, not human beings. It does not appear instantly when someone is born again.
In 2 Peter 1:5–10, love appears as the final step after six stages toward spiritual maturity:
2 Peter 1:5–8 —“Add to your faith goodness; to goodness knowledge;to knowledge self-control; to self-control perseverance;to perseverance godliness;to godliness brotherly kindness;and to brotherly kindness love.For if these qualities are yours and increasing, they will keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
You cannot jump to the last step and claim to have love while the earlier steps are missing. The final step is God Himself. Reaching this level requires effort and diligence—not prayer alone and not the laying on of hands.
1 Peter 1:22 — “Having purified your souls by obeying the truth… love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”
1 Peter 4:8 — “Above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.”
1 John 4:20 — “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar.”
Even if we speak angelic languages, have perfect faith, give all our possessions to the poor, or sacrifice our bodies—without love, we are nothing before God.
Let us read 1 Corinthians 13:
1 Corinthians 13:4–8 —“Love suffers long and is kind;love does not envy;love does not boast; it is not proud;it is not rude; it is not self-seeking;it keeps no record of wrongs;it rejoices with the truth.It always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.Love never fails.”
You may give to the poor—but do you have patience?You may prophesy—but do you keep records of wrongs?You may speak in tongues—but do you forgive?
Love is formed when all these qualities are built inside a person.
Colossians 3:14 — “Above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
We must govern our lives by God’s Word daily:
1 John 4:12 — “If we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us.”
Let us diligently pursue love until we reach the Lord Himself, who is Love.
Be greatly blessed.
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