Love in the Gospel

Love of God

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of [the soul of] God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John, 4:7-8)

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love [for God's approval] lives in God... (1 John, 4:16)

In fact, this is love for God: to obey His commands... (1 John, 5:3)

We love because He (God) first loved us. (1 John, 4:19)

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love. (2 John, 1:6)

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'" (Mark, 12:28-30)

To love Him (God) with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength... is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. (Mark, 12:33)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind... (Luke, 10:27)

… 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. (Matthew, 22:37-39)

And hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts... (Romans, 5:5)

But the world must learn that I love God and that I do exactly what God has commanded me. (John, 14:31)

But whoever loves God is known by God. (1 Corinthians, 8:3)

For I am convinced that neither death nor life... neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God... (Romans, 8:38-39)

… God is love; those who abide in love abide in God... (1 John, 4:16)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love [of God] never fails. (1 Corinthians, 13:4-8)

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He Who promised is faithful. (Hebrews, 10:22-25)

We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love... (1 Thessalonians, 1:2-3)

May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. (2 Thessalonians, 3:5)

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. (Jude, 1:2)

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless... filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.(Philippians, 1:9-11)

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Timothy, 1:5)

However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived— the things God has prepared [in the hereafter] for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians, 2:9)