True And Perfect Love

Love is the greatest of all human virtues and qualities. It is an emotion endowed by God in the heart of all human beings, and it is something that causes us to move into action to do something good.

In Matthew 22:36-40, the Scriptures relate of a Pharisee–lawyer who asked the Lord Jesus:

36 "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?" 37 Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." (NLT)

In 1 John 4:7-17, the Bible tells us:

“7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God -- for God is love. 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. 13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world.” (NLT)

Give love … receive love…but don’t keep it, rather give it away. In giving it away, the true lover or “giver” is not expecting anything in return. This is true love…the love of God, a Christlike love – “not expecting anything in return”.

What are the characteristics of true love, the Love of God?

First, it is everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3), not just for a moment or a few days, months or years, but EVERLASTING.

Second, it is giving and tremendously sacrificial which defies description in words (John 3:16). The sacrifice is not solicited but voluntary. More so, it is given not by force, or because there is no choice. Supreme Love - - the LOVE of God - - is willing to die for a cause or for someone or some people. Only God has this kind of love.

Third, love is merciful or compassionate

^“4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:4-7 KJV)

Fourth, it is regardless of whether a person is a sinner or saint (Rom. 5:8). Thus, the Bible says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. Normally, people will love only those who are good, generous, beautiful, or lovable. This is not true love.

1 Cor. 13 is oftentimes referred to as the LOVE Chapter of the Bible. Paul says in 1 Cor. 14:1, “Let love be your highest goal” (NLT).

It is ironic that according to tradition, Paul who is the author of this Love chapter of the Bible, remained single all his life, like the Lord Jesus Christ. So, we can be sure that he was not talking or teaching out of his experience. Rather, he is teaching by revelation of the Holy Spirit. And this is more authoritative and genuine because the Scripture says, “For the prophecy (Word of God) came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Pet. 1:21 KJV). This is an exception to the rule that “Experience is the best teacher”. Rather, the best teacher is the Holy Spirit. God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, are one (the doctrine of Trinity). Hence, what the Holy Spirit teaches is taught in person by Jesus Christ. This makes the Lord Jesus Christ equally the best teacher.

Love never fails. (1 Cor. 13:8).

First Corinthians 13 is often read at weddings. However, the newlyweds who are madly and sweetly in love just before and immediately after the marriage ceremony will somehow eventually fail to love each other. The extreme result is divorce. The one and only individual who perfectly fulfills this “love chapter” is Jesus Christ.

Let us try substituting the word Love (or Charity in the KJV) to that of Jesus: Thus, “[Jesus] suffers long (patient) and is kind; [Jesus] does not envy (not jealous or boastful or proud); [Jesus] . . . does not behave rudely (is gentle); does not seek its own (does not demand its own way); not irritable (in Tagalog hindi mainit ang ulo); it keeps no record of when it has been wronged; . . . does not rejoice in iniquity (injustice), but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [Jesus] never fails” (1 Cor. 13:4-8). Whatever Jesus had promised - - and these are written in the canonized Bible - - He is able to, and will, fulfill 100% to the last dot, because “he never fails”.

Indeed, only Jesus is the perfect example of one who loves that never fails. Yet Paul wrote to describe how God wants us to love others, especially our spouse, as whether we like it or not, somehow, sometime, our spouse will fail us. He knew, though, that we need more than to read about Christ’s example of love; we need to experience His love by receiving Him into our HEART as our Lord and only Savior and perfect lover even while we were yet sinners. If we have done that, Paul declared, “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). Only then will we be able to love others (including our spouse) as Jesus does. It is only when Jesus Christ abides in our inner heart that we can love like him, being Christlike, expecting nothing in return for the act of love we have done or shown - - a love that never fails.