THE GREATEST OF THESE PT 1: LOVE DEFINED
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
1 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.
2 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.
3 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.
1 John 4:7-8
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
LOVE DEFINED
Biblical love is not passive or permissive; it confronts when necessary because it seeks what is truly good for others.
Proverbs 27:5-6 reminds us,
“Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”
True love embodied and modeled by Jesus boldly speaks truth in a spirit of grace. John 1:14
It lovingly calls people out of sin, not to condemn but to redeem and restore, as Jesus did with the woman caught in adultery, saying, “Go, and from now on sin no more” John 8:11.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul uses the Greek word ἀγάπη (agápē) for love.
Agápē refers to a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love that seeks the highest good of others.
It is the love that reflects God’s character and love for humanity, as seen in John 3:16 and 1 John 4:7-8.
This love is not based on feelings or emotions but on a deliberate choice to act in the best interest of others regardless of personal cost.
Agápē is the highest and purest form of love rooted in God’s own nature and demonstrated supremely through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
LOVE IS
Agápē love is essential because without it everything we say, know, and do loses its true purpose and value.
Without Love, Our Words Are Empty -
1 Corinthians 13:1
Without Love, Knowledge Is Futile -
1 Corinthians 13:2
Without Love, Sacrifice Is Hollow -
1 Corinthians 13:3
LOVE COMES FROM
Agape Love is the foundation of the Christian life because it is the very nature of God.
God is love, meaning love is not just an action God performs but the core of who He is. 1 John 4:7-8
His love is not based on our goodness or righteousness but is a demonstration of His divine character.
God’s love precedes and surpasses our ability to earn it.
God’s love must also define us as His followers.
Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” - John 13:35.
To live out our identity in Christ means that love must not be an occasional act but a defining characteristic of who we are.
LOVE IS THE
Matthew 22:37-40
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your
neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus command to love God and love others is the foundation of all of God’s laws and expectations for His people.
Love is a choice to act in alignment with God’s will even when it is difficult.
TABLE TIME:
Why do you think love is such a central theme in Scripture and how should it shape our faith and actions?
How did Jesus model agápē love in His interactions, particularly with sinners?
(Consider John 8:11 and Romans 5:8.)
Jesus confronted sin but never condemned sinners— how can we do the same in balancing grace and truth in our interactions with others?
Why do you think Jesus emphasized agape love as the defining characteristic of His disciples?
How can we cultivate a love that goes beyond emotions to become a defining characteristic of who we are, as Jesus described in John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”?
How does loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind impact our ability to love others?
What does it look like to love your neighbor as yourself?
How does this apply in situations where people are difficult to love?
Share a time when you experienced or witnessed agape love in action. How did it impact you or others involved?
PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER:
5-Day Devotional: The Greatest of These – Understanding Biblical Love
Monday: The Nature of God’s Love
📖 Reading: 1 John 4:7-21
1 John 4:7-8 (ESV): “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Devotional:
Love is not just an attribute of God—it is His very nature. The Bible tells us that love originates from God (1 John 4:7). His love was fully revealed through Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself so we might live (1 John 4:9-10). This love is not based on our goodness but on God’s character—He loved us before we ever sought Him (1 John 4:19).
How does knowing that God loved you first impact your view of Him? If we truly experience His love, we are called to reflect it by loving others (1 John 4:11-12). Today, think about how you can demonstrate God’s love, even to those who may be difficult to love.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me first. Help me to receive Your love fully and to reflect it to others. Fill me with Your Spirit so I may love selflessly and unconditionally, just as You have loved me. Amen.
Tuesday: Love as the Greatest Commandment
📖 Reading: Matthew 22:34-40, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18
Matthew 22:37-39 (ESV): “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Devotional:
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus pointed to two:
Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Deuteronomy 6:5).
Love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).
Love for God is not just a feeling—it is a wholehearted devotion that should shape every part of our lives. Love for others is not optional—it is the natural overflow of loving God.
How are you actively demonstrating your love for God? Are there areas where you struggle to love others? Ask God for strength to love even when it is difficult, remembering that love is a choice and an action, not just an emotion.
Prayer:
Lord, I desire to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Help me to love others the way You have commanded. Give me the grace and patience to show love, even in challenging situations. Amen.
Wednesday: Love in Action
📖 Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV): “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Devotional:
Paul makes it clear that without love, everything else is meaningless:
Words are empty without love (v.1).
Knowledge and faith are useless without love (v.2).
Even great sacrifice is hollow without love (v.3).
Biblical love is active, selfless, and sacrificial.
Which characteristic of love from this passage do you find most difficult to live out? Choose one—patience, kindness, humility, or forgiveness—and intentionally practice it today.
Prayer:
Father, help me to love as You love—patiently, kindly, and selflessly. Show me where I fall short, and teach me to love in action, not just in words. Amen.
Thursday: Love That Speaks Truth
📖 Reading: Ephesians 4:11-16, Proverbs 27:5-6
Ephesians 4:15 (ESV): “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”
Proverbs 27:6 (ESV): “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”
Devotional:
Many believe that love means accepting everything without question, but biblical love does not ignore truth—it embraces it. Paul reminds us that we must speak the truth in love to help one another grow (Ephesians 4:15). Proverbs teaches that a true friend offers correction, even when it’s hard to hear (Proverbs 27:5-6).
Reflect on a time when someone’s loving correction helped you grow. Are you willing to give and receive truth in love? Ask God for wisdom to know when and how to speak truth in a way that builds up rather than tears down.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to love with both grace and truth. Give me wisdom to speak when needed and humility to receive correction. Let my words reflect Your love and righteousness. Amen.
Friday: Love as Our Identity in Christ
📖 Reading: John 13:34-35, Galatians 5:22-23
John 13:35 (ESV): “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Devotional:
Jesus said that love is the defining mark of His disciples (John 13:35). Our love for others is evidence of God’s work in us. Paul echoes this in Galatians, listing love as the first fruit of the Spirit—a sign that God’s Spirit is alive in us.
Examine yourself: Is love your primary motivation in how you treat others? Pray for opportunities today to demonstrate Christ’s love, both to believers and those who do not yet know Him.
Prayer:
Jesus, You said that love would be the evidence of my faith. Fill me with Your Spirit so that love will overflow in my life. Help me to love even when it’s hard, so that the world sees Your love through me. Amen.