True Love Does

Over the last two weeks, we have reflected on God as love and God's personal love for each of us. We can believe these things because we have evidence of God's loving nature and His love for us (see John 3:16 for example). Likewise, our love for others should also be evident in how we treat them. How well we demonstrate love indicates how well we know God. If we want to be more like Jesus we need to "pursue love" (1 Corinthians 14:1a). Love is not only thinking well of others: true love does. It may not always be easy or comfortable, but just as faith without works is dead, faith without love is nothing (see 1 Corinthians 13:2).

1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us that out of faith, hope and love, the greatest is love. How many of us live as if faith is the greatest sign of our salvation? It is not. Love is. One day we will not need faith or hope because we will see all the unseen things we have believed for and all our hopes will find their fulfilment in Christ. Love, though, will never end because God is love. His love for us is eternal because He is. If we focus on loving God and letting God love others through us then faith and hope (truly trusting God) becomes less of an issue. Love is a greater motivator to act than faith.

When we read Matthew 7:21-23, we see that we can know God as Lord without knowing Him as Love. Faith and hope allow us to prophesy, cast out demons and do many wonders in the name of the Lord. This means we have access to God's authority. But without everything we do being done in love, we will hear, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness". Romans 13:8 tells us "...the one who loves another has fulfilled the law". The lawlessness in Matthew 7:23 is lovelessness.

Paul expounded upon this beautifully in 1 Corinthians 13. This chapter is worth reading, studying, meditating on and memorising. You may wish to write it out and keep it somewhere you can see it often.

Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40 that loving God and loving our neighbour are the basis of the Law and the Prophets. We cannot be doers of the Word without doing love. So, let us spend some time each day this week meditating on love that does then responding by putting love into action.

As you Write the Scriptures below consider how living according to the principle 'true love does' could affect you decisions and interactions this week:

1 Corinthians 16:14

Let all that you do be done in love.

1 John 4:7-8

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 3:16

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Colossians 3:14

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

1 Peter 4:8

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

John 13:34-35

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. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Romans 13:8

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

All Scripture is taken from the English Standard Version (ESV) or English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

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