Part 22: Our Love - The Greatest
Grows from
Galatians 5:6
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.”
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision amounts to anything, but faith working through love.”
Key passages
1 John 4:19
“We love him, because he first loved us.”
“We love him, because he first loved us.”
Matthew 22:37-40
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
“Jesus said to him, ‘‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
John 15:9-12
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
“Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full. ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.”
John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 15:13
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. … And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
“If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. … But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.”
Galatians 5:6
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.”
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision amounts to anything, but faith working through love.”
Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
1 John 4:7-8
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
“Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.”
1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.”
1 John 5:3
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
“For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous.”
Romans 13:8-10
“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
“Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.”
What Scripture says
- We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19) — our love is response, not source.
- Two great commandments: love God, love neighbor (Matt 22:37-40).
- New commandment: love one another as Christ loved (John 13:34-35).
- By this all will know we are His disciples (John 13:35) — love is the mark.
- Greater love: lay down life for friends (John 15:13).
- Without love, gifts and faith and works are nothing (1 Cor 13:1-3).
- Love’s character: long-suffering, kind, not envious, not proud, not rude, not self-seeking, not provoked, no record of evil, rejoices in truth, bears, believes, hopes, endures, never fails (1 Cor 13:4-8).
- Faith, hope, love abide — the greatest is love (1 Cor 13:13).
- Faith works THROUGH love (Gal 5:6).
- Love is fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22).
- He who loves is born of God and knows God (1 John 4:7-8).
- Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
- Love of God = keeping His commandments (1 John 5:3).
- Love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom 13:8-10).
Connections
- To God’s Love — we love because He first loved (1 John 4:19)
- To Jesus — love as He loved us (John 13:34); His example of laying down life (John 15:13)
- To Holy Spirit — fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22); poured out by Spirit (Rom 5:5)
- To Faith — faith works through love (Gal 5:6); the three abide (1 Cor 13:13)
- To Hope — the three abide; love rejoices in truth, hopes all things (1 Cor 13:7, 13)
- To Obedience — keeping His commandments (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3)
- To Truth — rejoices in truth (1 Cor 13:6); speaking truth in love (Eph 4:15)
- To Patience — love suffers long (1 Cor 13:4)
- To Works — faith works through love (Gal 5:6)
- To the Law — love is the fulfillment (Rom 13:10)
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, we love You because You first loved us. Teach us to love You with all our heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbour as ourselves.
Lord Jesus, You commanded us to love one another as You have loved us. Make our love patient and kind. Let it be the mark by which all will know that we are Your disciples.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.