Our theme this week is ‘Say The Word’. We have been exploring significant words from the Christian faith. Today we attempt to define love, the central attribute of God. We are going to get out of the way and let the Word of God speak for itself.

If you looked up the definition of love in the dictionary it should simply say ‘God’. In a perfect world no other definition would be necessary. The majesty of God is entirely evident throughout His Creation. But nowhere is His majesty more evident than in His central attribute, love. God IS love.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And on the sixth day God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1

He loved us first: We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. Not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:9-10

And then there is this:

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! ……. Three things will last forever – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13

And finally these words of our Lord and Savior:

And one of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to trap him with a question. “Rabboni,” he asked, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus answered, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40

Got it? Go forth.

From the #saytheword series