When we were born again, we were born into a wonderful family in which we are sons of God (I John 3:1). In this family, we each have Christ in us, and being filled with holy spirit, we have the God-given ability to love with the love of God (Romans 5:5). Living God’s love is so vital to our lives as Christian believers. To help us grow and mature in our understanding of this love, let’s see from God’s Word what it is, why we should live it, and how we can live it.
I John 4:15,16:
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
There are such great truths here in God’s Word. God is love. His very nature is love. The Greek word for “love” here is agapē, which means divine love, or the love of God. That is what this love is. Agapē love is much greater than human love or romantic love or brotherly love. This agapē love that we have is spiritual. It can only be evidenced by those who are born again of God’s holy spirit. This love has a strength and beauty above any other type of love that has ever existed. I Corinthians 13 is an excellent source for learning more about the rich qualities of agapē love.
This love was demonstrated first and foremost by God Almighty, Who is love.
John 3:16:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This is why we should live God’s love—because He has so graciously loved us.
I John 4:19:
We love him [God], because he first loved us.
He loved us when we were lost and unlovable, and He loved us into loving. Now we can love with His love as His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, did.
John 13:34,35:
A new commandment I [Jesus] give unto you, That ye love [agapaō] one another; as I have loved [agapaō] you, that ye also love [agapaō] one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love [agapē] one to another.
We want to take the love we have inside and bring it into evidence outwardly. So how do we live this love? Our lord and savior, Jesus Christ, is our greatest example—he loved with God’s love in all that he said and did. He always did the Father’s will. As we look at Jesus Christ’s example in the pages of God’s Word, we discover that we can live God’s love by renewing our minds to put on the mind of Christ, think his thoughts, and walk powerfully in his steps.
Philippians 2:2-5:
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Our lord and savior, Jesus Christ, controlled his thoughts and actions in every situation that he faced. He chose to seek God’s will rather than his own, and he chose to live God’s love in all he did.
We have the God-given ability to walk in God’s love. We know this agapē love we have residing in us is the same divine, spiritual love that God demonstrates. God, Who loved us first, has enriched us with this love. And we can choose to live it as His Son, Jesus Christ, did and walk in the strength and beauty of what we have been given.