The theme of the relationship between a man and a woman in Christianity is as old as the world, moreover, in literally these words: after all, according to the Bible, already a few days after the creation of the world, God created people of different sexes, commanding them to be fruitful, multiply and populate the earth. Many readers are surprised that at this solemn moment the Creator does not say a word about love, focusing precisely on procreation. But, if you think about it, this is explained very simply: at the time of creation, there was no sin yet, and, consequently, there were no negative feelings: God's love permeated everything, and this love, according to the Bible, was transmitted to everyone, including, and man. In other words, Adam and Eve simply could not help but love each other - it was so natural that it did not even require clarification.
However, the Holy Bible does not stop talking about love even after the fall of the first people: throughout Old Testament we meet many couples who have been able to reach the highest manifestation of this feeling.
What is love according to the book of the Bible?
Before reading what the Bible says about love, it is worth understanding exactly what feelings are meant by this word. Surprisingly, love Holy Scripture not much different from our feelings today: in the Bible you can find selfless love (Zachariah and Elizabeth), vicious and sinful (David and Bathsheba), passionate (Song of Songs), chaste (Joseph and Mary), insidious (Samson and Delilah). There are so many examples that it is very difficult to determine for yourself the signs of true love, according to the book of the Bible. But the Lord Himself helps us in this: “Let a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and let them be two as one flesh.” In this definition, you can see two components of love: the desire to be together at all costs and carnal attraction. Theologians, interpreting this phrase about love from the Bible for us, focus on connecting spiritual intimacy with physical intimacy: in the absence of the first component, love becomes lust, and if the second is removed, friendship.
The Bible about love: how to keep feelings?
So, according to the Bible, the relationship between a man and a woman is not even just a norm, but the fulfillment of one of the first commandments of God.
It is more or less clear with what the Bible says about love as a feeling. Does it contain an answer to the most important question that has been worrying people for many millennia: how to maintain your love for each other? It turns out that yes, such a recipe exists, but following it requires effort on the part of both husband and wife. This answer is given to us by the apostle Paul, who says that real love he is merciful, long-suffering, does not envy, thinks no evil, does not desire another's, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. True love covers sins, is built on trust, is not irritated and is not proud.
"...love covers all sins" (Prov. 10:12)
"... and his banner over me is love" (P. Songs 2:4)
"... for love is strong as death; jealousy is fierce, like hell; its arrows are fiery arrows; it is a very strong flame. big waters they cannot extinguish love, and rivers will not flood it. If anyone gave all the wealth of his house for love, he would be rejected with contempt." (P. Song 8:6-7)
"Most of all, have fervent love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins." (1 Pet. 4:8)
"We know love in this, that He laid down His life for us: and we must lay down our lives for our brothers." (1 John 3:16)
"... because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, because God is love. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because in fear there is torment. He who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:7-8,18)
"Love consists in this, that we do according to His commandments" (2 John 6)
"Let love be unfeigned..." (Rom. 12:9)
"Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" Rom. 13:10)
"... love edifies" (1 Cor. 8:1)
“If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, then I am a ringing brass or a sounding cymbal. If I have love, then I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions and give my body to be burned, and I do not have love, it does not profit me at all. (1 Cor. 13:1-3)
“Love is longsuffering, is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, does not pride itself, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not irritated, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; it covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, endures everything Love never ceases, although prophecy will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished. (1 Cor. 13:4-8)
"And now these three remain: faith, hope, love; but love is the greater of them." (1 Corinthians 13:13)
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love..." (Gal. 5:22)
"Most of all, put on love, which is the bond of perfection" (Col. 3:14)
"Let the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ" (2 Thess. 3:5)
"The end of exhortation is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith" (1 Tim. 1:5)
"...you left your first love" (Rev. 2:4)
"Let everything be with you in love" (1 Cor. 16:14)
"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13:34)
"...constantly love one another with a pure heart" (1 Pet. 1:22)
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Eph. 5:25; Col. 3:19)
“You have heard that it was said: love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for he commands His sun rises on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous, for if you love those who love you, what reward will you have?" (Mat. 43:46)
"...love him with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your soul and with all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:33)
"... let us not love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18)
All Scripture is divinely inspired and useful: it helps to teach, rebuke, correct, instruct how to live an honest life.
2 Tim 3:16
In some of the verses I have used a modern translation.
love loved ones
Beloved! If God so loved us, then we must also love one another. No one has ever seen God: if we love each other, then God abides in us, and His perfect love is in us.
1 John 4:11-12
Your attitude towards people determines your true attitude towards God. How can you love someone you can't see if you hate someone you can see?
Love people. Take care of them. Straight from today start with a simple smile and a kind word for those around you. Then, as the Bible promises, love will increase in your heart.
love your enemies
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you.
Matthew 5:44
Remember: negativity causes negativity. If we react negatively to some bad things, the fire will only flare up. The only way to extinguish it is to return good for evil. Moreover, not only apparently, but sincerely, from the bottom of my heart.
Think about those who offended you, hurt you, betrayed you. Understand, it is worse for them than for you, because if they hurt others, then they themselves are hurt too. Why be offended by those whose soul is already "on disability"? Ask God for healing and peace for your offenders, and you will see amazing changes!
Trust God
Do not worry about anything, but under any circumstances, whether through prayer, whether through petition, or through thanksgiving, let your requests become known to God, and the peace that comes from God, which surpasses your understanding, may it guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil.4:6-7
To trust means not to worry. At all. No way. Open before God your requests, needs, desires, and expect answers with faith! They will definitely be!
But if you always worry, doubt, slander yourself and your life negatively - this often blocks God's decisions for you. Trust in God brings deep peace to the heart.
Goodbye
And when you stand and pray, forgive everything that you have against someone, so that your Heavenly Father will forgive you your sins.
Mark 11:25
You can pray even for days, but if unforgiveness lives in your soul, you are cut off from God's mercy, and therefore from His blessings. I repeat once again: your attitude towards people determines the attitude of God towards you!
Do not give up!
Ask and you will be rewarded, seek and you will find. Knock and the door will open for you. Who asks will receive; who seeks will always find; and the door will be opened to him who knocks.
Matthew 7:7,8
Don't give up on your dreams, goals, calling, mission! Do not be ashamed to ask, seek, knock, seek. Such perseverance leads to great results!
Cry from the heart
Call to Me - and I will answer you, show you the great and inaccessible, which you do not know.
Jer.33:3
Sometimes to get out new level life, you need to cry out to God with all your heart. scream. scream. What is tired, that there is no strength, that it is no longer possible.
Such sincere "cries of the soul" open the door to the "inaccessible", to something that you did not know before. A new understanding, a revelation, a new turn will come. God promised so, and He never lies.
Define your measure
Give, and it will be given to you; a full measure, so that it will even spill over the edge, it will be poured for you, for with what measure you measure, the same measure will be measured to you.
Luke 6:38
This verse is clear that you determine what you get in life. The way you measure will be measured to you. As you judge something or someone, you will be judged the same way.
You will be greedy - do not expect generosity from others. But if you are a "giver" in life (time, energy, finances) - it is not surprising that even more will return to you!
Study the Bible
Always remember what is written in this book of laws. Study it day and night so that you can fulfill everything that is written in it. By doing so, you will be wise and prosper in all your endeavors.
Joshua 1:8
Studying the Word of God will ensure you success in every area of your life. It is from the Bible that true wisdom comes, the understanding of how things really work.
Do you want to be wise, efficient, happy? Right from today, start reading the Bible, at least a verse a day, and meditate on what you read. Your thinking will begin to change, and accordingly, the quality of life.
Seek comfort in God
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will fulfill the desire of your heart.
Ps.37:4
When it's bad, it hurts, it's not good - run to God. If you run to people, alcohol, drugs and other doping, you will get a temporary effect that will not affect reality in any way.
But if you turn to God, this guarantees not only deep consolation, but also the fulfillment of your innermost desires! This is how the Lord appreciates your fellowship with Him!
Problems will run away
So submit to God; resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:7-10
The devil exists. Curses exist. And many problems in life (diseases, failures, pain, disorder) are precisely his work. And therefore, the devil sometimes needs to be driven away, otherwise he is such an impudent guest.
How to do it? First of all, submit to (obey) God and His plan for you, His commandments, His word. The devil hates such people, but he cannot approach them either!
Everything will apply! :)
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33
One of my favorite poems and principles in life. When we seek God, everything we need is included!
What does it mean to seek God? It means to strive to where He is (church, sermons, songs, books, etc.), study His character, long for His presence and put Him on the pedestal of your life.
Give the Lord time, strength, show reverence and respect. Love Him. And then - everything will be fine! The necessary will itself float into your hands, as if with the tide. Before you will open right doors you will always be at the right time in the right places. Such a GPS of fate will turn on :)
I believe that these Bible verses are helping you realize something important right now. Let your life change God's love will fill your heart!
1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most famous passages on the subject of love. Let's read verses 4-8a:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
“Love is long-suffering, merciful, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, does not pride itself, does not behave violently, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, endures everything. Love will never end…"
One of the many features of love that I would like to focus on here is that love does not "think" evil. The word “thinks” in this passage is a translation of the Greek verb “logiso”, which means “to count, calculate, count”. Thus, love does not count, does not count evil. This is love without any consideration for possible personal gain.
I think this kind of love is implied by the words of our Lord in Matthew 5:38-42:
Gospel of Matthew 5:38-42
“You heard what was said: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you: do not resist evil. But who will hit you in right cheek yours, turn to him the other; and whoever wants to sue you and take your shirt, give it to him and outerwear; and whoever forces you to go one mile with him, go two mile with him. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Only that love that does not count evil can serve the Lord's words above. And such is the love of God as He showed it to us:
Romans 5:6-8
“For Christ, while we were still weak, at the appointed time died for the ungodly. For hardly anyone will die for the righteous; perhaps for a benefactor, maybe someone will dare to die. BUT GOD PROVES HIS LOVE FOR US THAT CHRIST DIED FOR US WHEN WE WERE STILL SINNERS.”
And Ephesians 2:4-6
"God rich in mercy, according to His great love with whom he loved us, and gave us life, dead in trespasses, with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him, and seated us in heaven in Christ Jesus.”
The love of God is manifested not only in the fact that He gave His Son, but also in the fact that He gave Him to sinners, dead in trespasses and sins! And such love is an example for us:
1 John 4:10-11
“In this is love, that we did not love God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved! If God so loved us, then we must also love one another.”
Gospel of John 15:12-13
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than if a man lays down his life for his friends.”
1 John 3:16
“We have known love in this, that He laid down His life for us: and we must lay down our lives for our brothers.”
God's love did not count our evil. It didn't count that we were dead in trespasses and sins. God gave His Son not for the sake of the righteous, but for the sake of sinners:
1 Timothy 1:15
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
Gospel of Luke 5:32
"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Christ washed the feet not only of the obedient disciples, but also of the disobedient. This is the real love of God. The love of 1 Corinthians 13 is not about loving only those who love you and those who you think “deserve” your love. But to love those who do not love you and those from whom there is nothing to expect and even those who have harmed you:
Gospel of Matthew 5:43-48
“You heard what was said: love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven, for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Do not the publicans do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what special thing do you do? Don't the pagans do the same? Therefore, be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Perhaps many times we have read these lines and perhaps many times we have thought that they are difficult to apply. But love is not something that comes directly from us. We can do nothing of ourselves (Gospel of John 5:30). On the contrary, love is a FRUIT - something that is given by the NEW NATURE. When we submit to the Lord, when we allow Christ to dwell in our hearts (Ephesians 3:17), the new nature bears its fruit in the same way as an ordinary tree: i.e. NATURALLY.
Galatians 5:22-23
“The fruit of the Spirit: LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, mercy, faith, meekness, temperance. There is no law for them."
Notes
See: E.W. Bullinger "A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament", Zondervan Publishing House, p. 628
Gen 43:30 ...because she boiled up love to his brother,
2 Samuel 1:26 ... love yours was for me above the love of a woman ...
Ps 109:4 ...for love mine they are at enmity with me, but I pray;
Ps 109:5 ...for love mine with hate...
Proverbs 10:12 ...but love covers all sins...
Proverbs 15:17 ... Better dish greenery, and with it love,..
Proverbs 27:5 ...Better is open reproof than hidden love...
Ecclesiastes 9:6 ...and love their hatred and their jealousy have already disappeared,
Song 2:4 ...and his banner over me - love...
Song 8:6 ...for it is strong as death, love;..
Song 8:7 ... If a man gave all the wealth of his house for love,..
Jer 2:33 ...how skillfully you direct your ways to gain love!..
Mal 1:2 ... But you say: in what way did you show love to us? –..
Mt 24:12 ...and because of the increase of iniquity, many will grow cold love;..
John 13:35 ...if you have love among themselves...
John 17:26 ...yes love with which you loved me, it will be in them,
1 Peter 4:8 ... Above all things, be diligent love to each other..
1 Pet 4:8 ...because love covers many sins...
2 Pt 1:7 brotherly love in godliness, brotherly love in love...
1 John 2:5 ...in this it is true love God's has been accomplished:
1 John 3:1 ... Look how love the Father has given us...
1 John 3:16 ... Love we know in this that he laid down his life for us:
1 John 3:17 ...as he abides in that love God?..
1 John 4:7 ...because love from God,..
1 John 4:8 ... because there is a God love...
1 John 4:9 ... Love The things of God have been revealed to us in...
1 John 4:10 ...In that love that we did not love God,
1 John 4:12 ...and love His perfection is in us...
1 John 4:16 ... And we knew love which God has for us,
1 John 4:16 ... there is a God love,..
1 John 4:17 ... Love to that perfection it reaches in us,
1 John 4:18 ...but perfect love casts out fear..
1 John 5:3 ...For it is love to God..
2 John 1:6 ... Love it consists in..
Jude 1:2 ... mercy to you and peace and love let them multiply...
Rom 5:5 ...because love God's...
Rom 5:8 ...but God is his love to us proves to those..
Rom 12:9 ... Love Yes will be unfeigned;..
Rom 13:10 ... Love does no harm to the neighbor;
Rom 13:10 ...so love there is a fulfillment of the law...
1 Corinthians 8:1 ...but knowledge puffs up, and love edifies...
1 Corinthians 13:4 ... Love longsuffering, merciful,
1 Corinthians 13:4 ... love not jealous..
1 Corinthians 13:4 ... love not arrogant, not proud,
1 Corinthians 13:8 ... Love never ceases, though the prophecies will cease,
1 Corinthians 13:13 ... And now these three remain: faith, hope, love;..
1 Corinthians 13:13 ...but love more of them...
1 Corinthians 16:24 ...and love mine is with you all in Christ Jesus...
2 Corinthians 2:4 ...but that you may know love which I have in abundance for you...
2 Corinthians 2:8 ... And therefore I ask you to give him love...
2 Corinthians 5:14 ...For love Christ's embraces us, reasoning like this: ..
2 Corinthians 13:13 ...and love God the Father...
Gal 5:22 ... But the fruit of the Spirit: love joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness,
Eph 3:19 ...and to understand the one who surpasses understanding love Christ's..
Eph 6:23 ...Peace to the brethren and love...
Php 1:9 ...and I pray that love your...
Php 2:2 ...have the same thoughts, have the same love,..
Col 3:14 ...Most of all put on in love,..
2 Thessalonians 1:3 ...and multiply love each one to another among all of you,
2 Thessalonians 3:5 ...the Lord rule your hearts in love God's...
1 Tim 1:5 ... But the purpose of exhortation is love...
Rev 2:4 ...that you left the first love your...
Rev 2:19 ...and love,..
Wisdom 6:18 ...and concern for doctrine love,..
Wis 6:18 ... love but the keeping of her laws,
Wis 16:21 ...For the quality of your food showed your love to the kids...
Sir 1:14 ... Love to the Lord is glorious wisdom,
Sir 9:9 ... she kindles like fire love...
Sir 25:2 ...it is like-mindedness between brethren and love between neighbors...
Sir 40:20 ...but better than that and another - love to wisdom...
Sir 44:27 ...who acquired love in the eyes of all flesh,
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