Beyond Words, Into Action
Much has been written and spoken about love. It’s a universal theme in songs, movies, sermons, and daily conversation. But for Christians, love isn’t just an emotion or poetic sentiment—it’s the foundation of our identity. Yet even in the church, love can be misunderstood, reduced to feeling rather than doing.
Jesus called love the “greatest” commandment. When asked what the most important law was, He responded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment.” (Matthew 22:37–38, NASB). In a world of competing values and distractions, the call remains the same: genuine love for God must be demonstrated—not simply declared.
So how do we show it? What does real love for God and others look like? Let’s examine the source, evidence, and application of divine love in our lives.
I. The Source and Nature of Love
Love begins with God. John, the apostle of love, wrote clearly: “We love, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19, NASB). Our capacity to love is not self-generated—it is a response to divine initiative. God loved us first, fully, and sacrificially. That is the foundation of Christian love.
The purest form of love is self-sacrifice. John also wrote, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10, NASB). Love is not proven in words or emotion alone, but in action—especially when that action comes at a cost. The cross is the clearest expression of God’s love for us.
As Paul puts it: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, NASB). Love gives when it doesn’t have to. Love acts when it would be easier to stand still.
II. Love Can’t Be Faked: The Test of Sincerity
Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of those who claimed to love God but whose actions told another story. He said, “I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.” (John 5:42, NASB). They honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him.
We may say we love God, but our lives will ultimately tell the truth. John warned, “Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” (1 John 3:18, NASB). Love is not just something we say in a worship service or write in a journal. It’s something we prove by how we live, what we prioritize, and how we treat others.
III. Evidence of Love for God
So, how can we know we really love God? What are the unmistakable marks of genuine love for Him? The Bible gives us several clear indicators:
1. We Want to Be in His Presence
When you truly love someone, you want to be with them. The Psalmist declared, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, God.” (Psalm 42:1, NASB). Do you long to spend time with God in prayer, in worship, in His Word?
Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him.” (John 14:23, NASB). When we love God, His presence becomes our greatest desire—not an obligation, but a joy.
2. We Talk to Him Constantly
Love communicates. Paul said, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NASB). Do we only speak to God in emergencies or before meals? Or do we, like David, cry out: “I love You, Lord, my strength.” (Psalm 18:1, NASB)? If we love Him, we’ll want to talk to Him—and listen, too.
3. We Listen to His Voice
Jesus said, “My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27, NASB). God speaks through His Word, yet many Christians let their Bibles collect dust. Paul urged Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God… accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, NASB). A loving heart is a listening heart. Do you delight in His Word (Psalm 1:2)? Do you “search the Scriptures daily”? (Acts 17:11)
4. We Love to Be with His People
One of the strongest indicators of love for God is love for others. John wrote, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death.” (1 John 3:14, NASB).
Do we love our brothers and sisters in Christ enough to spend time with them, encourage them, bear their burdens, and forgive their offenses? Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35, NASB).
5. We Treasure the Lord’s Supper
Do you value time at the Lord’s table? Jesus commanded, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19, NASB). In Acts 20:7, the early church gathered on the first day of the week to break bread. This is not a tradition—it’s an act of love and remembrance. If we truly love the Lord, we will never treat His memorial as optional or mundane.
6. We Obey His Commands
Perhaps the clearest demonstration of love is obedience. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15, NASB). No excuse, no exception, no delay. Love doesn’t argue or negotiate with God. It yields.
Obedience isn’t legalism. It’s love in motion. Just as children show respect for their parents through compliance, we honor our Father by trusting and obeying His will.
IV. A Love That Transforms
The love of God is not simply something we receive—it is something we reflect. When God’s love fills our hearts, it changes everything: our habits, our speech, our relationships, our values. We cannot walk in love and walk in darkness at the same time.
Paul prayed for the church to be “rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17, NASB), and that same love would empower them to grasp the fullness of God’s plan. When love takes root, it bears fruit.
Love is not passive. It moves us to action: to forgive enemies (Matthew 5:44), serve one another (Galatians 5:13), support the weak (Romans 15:1), and carry the message of the gospel to the lost (2 Corinthians 5:14).
Love That Answers the Call
Jesus’ love took Him to the cross. Our love must take us to obedience, surrender, and sacrifice. “The love of Christ controls us… so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.” (2 Corinthians 5:14–15, NASB).
Do you love Him? Really love Him?
If so, show it—every day, with your life, not just your lips. Make your worship genuine. Let your service be joyful. Let your study be consistent. Let your compassion be radical. Let your obedience be immediate.
John asked it plainly: “The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8, NASB)
Love is not just what we say—it’s who we are when Christ lives in us.
The Simple Gospel 