True Love!

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [John 3:16] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. [John 1:18] If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.  By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. (I John 4:7-19)

The Apostle John makes it very clear, God is Love!  Throughout scripture God demonstrates his love towards His creation, especially mankind: He creates us in His own image and gives us authority over all things (Genesis 1:26-31); He's willing to spare unrighteous people for the sake of the righteous (Genesis 18:16-33); He blesses His children beyond what we can imagine, if we're obedient (Joshua 1:10-18); but the greatest demonstration of all is God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-11)

God has given us a clear definition of how we are to demonstrate love towards eachother.  Love is not to be confused with lust, which is what we often hear called "love" in society.  (Proverbs 6:20-29; Matthew 5:27-30; Romans 1:26-27) Love is not just a feeling, it is action, that puts the best interest of others before ourselves:Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind [I Timothy 2:4]; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. ... And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (I Corinthians 13)

Let's accept the free gift of love that God has given us, through His Son, Jesus Christ; and then let's share that love with others, so that they can pass it forward, and in turn the whole world be blessed!