What is Love?

Galatians 5:22.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Love

1 Corinthians 13,


Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not want what belongs to others. It does not brag. It is not proud. It is not rude. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people's wrongs.



Love is not happy with evil. But it is full of joy when the truth is spoken. It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It never gives up. Love never fails.

Excerpt:



LOVE SHOWN IN JESUS



     Ultimately, God showed the greatest love for us by sending His Son for us. Is sending an action? Yes! Who can recite John 3:16 for us? God gave His Son. Is giving an action? Yes! God sent Jesus to take away our sin and bring us back to Him.



     When Jesus was on earth, people could see what true love looked like. Jesus was always patient. I think of Peter, who very often spoke out of turn or said the wrong things. Jesus was patient with him. Jesus taught Peter, day after day, for three years. Was that an action?



     Jesus was always kind. Remember His first miracle? He was at a wedding and they ran out of wine. His mother, Mary, asked Jesus to help out. Quietly, Jesus turned large jugs of water into wine. He was very kind to the bride and groom, and to His mom. Was that an action?



     Jesus didn’t brag. Wow! If anyone deserved the right to brag, it would be Jesus! He was perfect! And He was powerful. But the Bible says that He was humble. He was the opposite of proud. He even washed the dirty, smelly feet of His disciples. Was that an action? A bragger would say, “I’m better than you. You wash my feet.” But Jesus did just the opposite.



     Jesus did not look out for His own interests. He put other’s needs before His own. Jesus could have stayed in heaven where He is rightfully worshipped by the angels (Revelation 5:11-12). But He left the glory of heaven to come to earth. (That would be sort of like giving up your vacation in Disney World to stay home and rake your neighbor's yard instead.)


     Jesus chose to come to earth even though He knew many people would treat Him terribly. In fact, He gave up His own life to pay our sin debt. Was that an action? The disciple John, who saw Jesus beaten and hung on the cross, wrote:
   

     And Jesus did not keep track of other peoples’s wrongs! Use paper and pencil to write a list. Say: That would be like writing down a list: “I see that you lied. I know that you hate that person. I see that you are ungrateful.” No! Jesus did not do that! Just the opposite, Jesus wiped all of our sins away forever and ever! Tear up the list! Because of Him, our sins are gone!

     In Jesus, we see the perfect love of God lived out in action!

     bible.org/seriespage/1-love-galatians-522