Biblical Answer

The Bible teaches that love is the heart of everything for Christians. It is a love that reflects the character of God and is first pure, then peaceable (James 3:17). This love is not sentimental language or mystical experience but is measured primarily by moral obedience (cf. 5:3 and our Lord's teaching in John 14:15, 21, 23; 15:10). The proof of love is loyalty, and love mainly by how emotionally desirous she was for his affection. When the Bible speaks of love, it measures it primarily by its behavior, not by its feelings.

The Bible describes love in many ways, including that it is without hypocrisy (Rom 12:9; 2 Cor 6:6; 1 Pet 1:22), works no ill for others (Rom 13:10), and will lay down its life for another (Jn 15:13). Our love for our enemies especially reflects God's love (Matt. 5:43-48). The Bible also teaches that God gives us his love to enable us to love each other (John 17:26; Rom. 5:5). Furthermore, the Bible instructs us to love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12), and to walk in that kind of love (1 Corinthians 13:6). This love is a love that is first pure, then peaceable (James 3:17).

The Bible teaches that love involves loyalty and moral obedience. The commands of Scripture indicate how love will behave, and the Bible goes beyond description to actually exemplifying and demonstrating love. This is seen in the incarnation, life, and atoning work of Jesus Christ. True love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rather it seeks the well-being of others (1 John 5:2-4). Therefore, love is not just a feeling, but a state of the will that we have naturally about ourselves, and must learn to have about other people. This love is characterized by truth and purity, and it is not identical with our experience of love in the world. It is a love that is willing to make sacrifices for the benefit of others, and it is a love that is rooted in the character of God.