Love

Love is the defining attribute of God and the supreme commandment for believers. Biblical love is not merely an emotion but a selfless, sacrificial commitment to the good of another.

First Corinthians 13:4-7 defines love: "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." Jesus gave a new commandment in John 13:34-35: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." First John 4:8 declares, "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." Love is the evidence of genuine faith and the mark of Christ's disciples.

Love is not optional for the believer — it is the distinguishing mark of those who follow Jesus. The definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 provides a practical standard that goes far beyond feelings to encompass patience, kindness, selflessness, and endurance. Loving as Christ loved means putting the needs of others before one's own, even at great personal cost.