“The culture around us has little to no idea about what true love is. In fact, what is often celebrated in our day is the exact opposite of love – a twisted, self focused and ugly thing. This is seen in even the music of our time with the “I love you, I need you, I cannot get along without you” kind of lyrics being all pervasive. Sadly, worldly thinking about love infiltrates the modern Church, but such should never be the case. True love is always other-person focused, and results in activity that with deliberate intention, seeks the good, the nurture and the welfare of another, without consideration for self. This is true in all relationships – in friendships, in marriage and in the church. To say ‘I love my friend.. I love my husband… I love my wife… I love the Church’ but then act in ways that puts the interests of self ahead of what would benefit others, our spouse or the church, is not ‘love’ – in spite of claims to the contrary. Love asks, ‘what could I do that would be the greatest benefit to ___________ (fill in the blank)?’ Love answers the question rightly and then acts in accord with the answer.”

John 3:16 teaches us this: God’s love for the world was demonstrated in the (self-less) giving of His Son, with the purpose being that everyone who believes in Him would in no way perish, but contrary to that, have eternal life.

1 John 4: 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.