Scripture.
The Apostle John says, "God is love." He also writes: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (I John 2:15).
Love holds tightly to faith and hope and never gives up. It endures through any circumstance, knowing that this too shall pass. Love is a very powerful force, and God, at His essence, is love that never fails. 1 John 4:16-17 tells us that God is love and all who live in love live in God and God lives in them.
Romans 13:10 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
In today's scripture passage, we're told very bluntly that true love “does not dishonor others.” This means that as followers of Christ we should constantly be checking our motives and ensuring that we aren't falling into traps that would result in us insulting, defaming or pulling down other people.
The world teaches us that unlovable people should be ill-treated because they deserve it. Yet the Bible teaches us differently, Jesus teaches us to love our enemies and to love the unlovable (Luke 6:27-28).
In both cases, the motivation for God's action is love. His love for his people covered a multitude of sins by accepting the sacrifice. By drawing on this image, Peter is reminding us of how we are all forgiven. Christ's death atones, or covers, our sins.
God's very nature is love, independent of our actions. His love for us is based on who he is, not on what we do. No matter what our circumstances, no matter what we have or haven't done, we can rest in the assurance that God loves us!
We find it in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
1 Corinthians 13:8 In-Context
7 Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail. 8 Love is eternal. There are inspired messages, but they are temporary; there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease; there is knowledge, but it will pass.
In the gospel of John, Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34, ESV).
[38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalm 147:3
The Bible says the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and heals the brokenhearted. So, not only will God provide comfort as you move on from a past relationship, but He'll actually help you do it. God will help you heal from the wounds caused by the relationship and move forward in life and love.
Sternberg (1988) suggests that there are three main components of love: passion, intimacy, and commitment. Love relationships vary depending on the presence or absence of each of these components.
Love is not an occasional gesture but an obvious aspect of character. So here is a snapshot of what genuine love looks like: It is patience, generosity, humility, courtesy, restraint, joy, and consistency.
Which commandment is central to everything else? Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to “love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” This is of fundamental importance. This is what we were made for.
All creation sings God's praise, and nothing in creation — including its broken pieces — can remove God's love from us. We are secure in God's unconditional and unending love when we place our faith in Christ. Nothing can keep us from His love.
This universal love is sometimes called the “love of benevolence.” He has a love for all creation, but he does not delight in all of us because of unrepentant sin. God also shows his love of beneficence to all of creation, an expression of his goodness.
We all commit sin, and because of that, we may feel unworthy of the Savior's love. But He gave His life for us—He sacrificed for us. That selfless act was done because of love. The only thing we need to do to feel worthy of His love is use the power of His Atonement by repenting of our sins.
His love has no limits, no boundaries, and no expiration dates. Maybe you think you are too far gone and that there's no place for you in God's kingdom.
God's forgiveness and love are unconditional. He loved us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) and we cannot earn His love by our good works. We are forgiven based on the perfect work of Jesus Christ. God does, however, require repentance in order to grant forgiveness.
"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man `unclean. ' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
John 15:12-13
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.”
Matthew 5:43-48
You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.