What is Love?

I think the answer lies in our definition of Christianity. Since Christianity is a relationship leading to studentship, leading to the living out of the things learned. Love must be an expression of all three. It is an all-or-nothing deal.

First: Where do I get that idea? From Scripture.

Can a person relate and be a student of God if he doesn’t love?

1 John 4:7 tells us that we cannot even know God if we do not love. How can we relate to one we do not know? And how can we be the student of one we do not know?

1 John 3:10 ff tells us that whoever does not do right is not of God, especially the one who loves not his brothers. And that we know we have entered eternal life because we love them. And that choosing not to love is to remain in death. So, a part of doing what is right is loving, and a part of loving is doing what is right.

Can a person do without loving? Yes, 1 Corinthians 13 shows us this.

Can a person love without doing? No, James 2 tells us this.

Ok, so it is an all-or-nothing deal. But what is this love?

Love is that which makes this relationship possible, leading to studentship and the living out of all that is learned.

But isn’t love just an emotion? That may be our understanding of love, at least a common one. But I don’t find God understanding it in this way.

Let’s look at the two greatest commands ever given and see if we can better understand love. These are listed in both Matt 22:26-40 and Luke 10:25-28.

To sum up, the greatest commands are to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love neighbor as self. We are also told that all other teachings and commands come from these two (Matthew) and that this is what must be done to inherit eternal life (Luke).

Love, as God refers to it, cannot merely be your emotions, as you use them (the heart) to love. It cannot solely be about any other aspect mentioned. Because it takes all of them, your entire self, to love.  

To love is a choice, yes. But the choice, by itself, is not love. Love involves the entirety of yourself working in harmony, or it is not love.

To love, then, is life. The abundant life Jesus came to give.

This is what we mean by love when we discuss the Christian faith. It is an integral part of the lens through which we view Christian faith.