If you walk into any wedding, you're going to hear it. The "Love Chapter." 1 Corinthians 13. It’s played out, honestly. We’ve turned these profound, ancient words into a sort of background noise that fits perfectly on a Pinterest board or a dusty picture frame. But if you actually stop to look at what did God say about love, it isn't some soft, fluffy sentimentality. It’s actually kind of terrifying. It’s demanding. It’s a total overhaul of how we function as humans.
Most people think of love as a feeling. A spark. A flutter in the chest when someone walks into the room. But the biblical perspective—the one attributed directly to the Creator—doesn't treat love like an emotion you fall into or out of. It treats it like a blood-bought commitment. It’s a verb.
The Greek Problem: Why Our English Bibles Are Confusing
English is a limited language. We use the word "love" for everything. I love my wife. I love tacos. I love the way the sun hits the mountains in January. It’s the same word for a life-altering covenant and a fast-food preference. That’s a problem.
When we ask what did God say about love, we have to look at the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. They had four words for love, but the one God emphasizes is Agape. This isn't Eros (romantic or sexual) or Philia (friendship). Agape is a choice. It’s a sacrificial, unconditional commitment to the well-being of another person, regardless of whether they deserve it or even like you.
Think about that for a second.
Most of our modern "love" is actually just a trade. I’ll be nice to you as long as you make me feel good. That’s not what God is talking about. He’s talking about a love that stays when the other person becomes unbearable.
The Commandment That Changed Everything
In the Gospel of John, specifically chapter 13, Jesus drops a bit of a bombshell. He tells his disciples, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you."
Wait.
Why is that "new"? The Old Testament already said to love your neighbor as yourself in Leviticus 19:18. So what changed? The standard changed. It shifted from "love them as much as you love yourself" to "love them as much as I loved you."
How did He love them? He washed their feet. He died for them while they were still confused and, in some cases, actively betraying him. This is the core of what did God say about love. It’s downwardly mobile. It’s not about finding someone who "completes" you; it’s about being someone who serves others until it hurts.
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It Isn't About You (Which Is Hard to Hear)
We live in a "self-love" culture. We’re told constantly that we can’t love anyone else until we love ourselves. There’s some psychological truth to that, sure. You need a healthy sense of self to avoid codependency. But God’s definition of love is remarkably outward-facing.
In the famous 1 Corinthians 13 passage, Paul—inspired by God—writes that love "does not seek its own." It’s not self-seeking. This flies in the face of almost every romantic comedy ever made. Modern romance is often a search for a mirror—someone who reflects back the version of ourselves we like best.
God says love is a window.
It’s looking out at the needs of the other. It’s "bearing all things." That phrase in the original text implies a roof. Love is like a roof that protects someone from the storms of their own failures. You cover them. You don't expose their flaws to the world for a quick hit of gossip or self-righteousness.
What About the "God is Love" Part?
1 John 4:8 says, "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." This is probably the most misquoted verse in history. People use it to mean "Love is God," which implies that any feeling of affection or "love" is automatically divine and therefore right.
Wrong.
The verse says God is the definition of love. He is the source. It’s like saying "The sun is light." It doesn't mean all light is the sun, but you wouldn't have light without it. If you want to know what did God say about love, you have to look at the Cross. That’s the ultimate dictionary definition. It’s a bloody, agonizing, public display of "I value you more than my own comfort."
It’s messy.
Real love in the eyes of God is staying with a spouse through a decade of chronic illness. It’s forgiving a parent who never apologized. It’s giving money to someone who might never pay you back. It’s deeply inconvenient.
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Love and Truth: The Great Tension
One thing we often miss is that God never separates love from truth. Today, we think loving someone means never disagreeing with them or never telling them they’re wrong. We think love is "affirmation."
But God’s love is described as "rejoicing in the truth."
If you see a friend walking toward a cliff, the most unloving thing you can do is affirm their "journey" toward the edge. True Agape warns. It corrects. It’s "faithful are the wounds of a friend." God loves us exactly as we are, but He loves us too much to let us stay that way. He’s interested in our holiness, not just our temporary happiness.
The Practical Mechanics of Godly Love
So, how do you actually do this? How do you live out what did God say about love in a world that’s basically a giant competition for attention and resources?
It starts with a shift in "The Why."
Most of us love because we want to be loved back. It’s a transaction. God suggests we love because we are already loved. When you realize you don't have to "earn" God’s affection, you stop being a beggar for other people’s approval. You become a reservoir. You have plenty to give because you aren't worried about running out.
It’s also about the "The Who."
Jesus famously asked, "If you love those who love you, what reward do you have?" Anyone can do that. Mobsters love their families. Even the worst people on earth have a "circle." God’s version of love pushes the boundaries to include enemies. People who vote differently. People who are genuinely annoying. People who have hurt you.
Why This Matters in 2026
We are lonelier than ever. Despite being connected 24/7, our relationships are fragile. Why? Because they’re built on the shifting sands of "how I feel today."
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God’s model of love is built on the rock of a covenant.
A covenant is different from a contract. A contract says, "I’ll do my part if you do yours." A covenant says, "I’ll do my part even if you fail at yours." That is the only thing that can actually sustain a marriage, a friendship, or a community over the long haul.
Practical Steps to Living God's Version of Love
If you’re tired of the "feeling-based" love that leaves you empty, here is how you pivot toward the way God described it.
Audit your motivations. Next time you do something "kind" for someone, ask yourself: Would I still do this if I knew they would never thank me or tell anyone else about it? If the answer is no, you’re looking for a transaction, not practicing Agape.
Practice the "Covering." When someone you know messes up, your instinct will be to tell someone else. Don't. Cover them. Protect their reputation. This doesn't mean enabling abuse or ignoring crime—it means refusing to participate in the "shame economy" of gossip.
Separate the Feeling from the Action. You don't have to "feel" love to "do" love. If you wait until you feel like being kind to an ungrateful person, you’ll be waiting forever. Just do the act. Often, the feelings follow the feet.
Study the Source. Read the first four books of the New Testament—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Forget what you think you know about Jesus. Just watch how he interacts with people who have nothing to offer him. That’s the blueprint.
Let yourself be loved. This is the hardest part. You can't give away what you haven't received. If you’re constantly trying to be "the good person" but you don't actually believe God loves you in your mess, you’ll eventually burn out and become cynical.
God’s word on love isn't a suggestion; it’s a design specification for the human soul. We were built to run on this stuff. When we try to run on the "self-focused" love of the world, our "engines" seize up. We get bitter. We get tired. But when we tap into the sacrificial, truth-saturated, enemy-embracing love that God spoke into existence, everything changes. It’s not easy. It might be the hardest thing you ever do. But it's the only thing that actually lasts.