Where does love come from?
Where does love come from? Well, the easy answer is found in 1 John Chapter 4 where it says “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God (ESV)”.
However there is more to it than just that. We know that perfect biblical love can only come from God because of how perfect it is, but why did God love? Romans 5:8 tells us ”But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (ESV).
God saw the need for love, he saw us without love and felt the need to love, like a charity. Love comes from God's charity love comes from the need of love. The word used in scripture for love is agape it means unconditional love and it is directly translated from ancient Greek to English as charity. What is charity? Charity is giving without expecting anything in return. Charity is unconditional love, love without conditions.
Jesus paid the price on the cross for all who chose to accept it, there was nothing expected except to receive it and let it be what it is. This love is and was available for anyone who wants it, no worries about what you have done, where you have come from or even who you are, it is for you.
Sounds like charity, correct? All a charity asks from someone in need is to be in need. That brings us to the other part of charity, charity is the giving of something that the other does not have.
Jesus gave salvation to those who did not have it, so in unconditional love, it is to give the love that they do not have, love the unlovable. God loved the unlovable — us — so where does love come from? It comes from God seeing the need to love, and that’s not all, it needs to come from us.
In 1 John 4:7 in its original language, it starts with "agapetoi agapomen" — “those who are loved, let us love.” We are not commanded to love one another to earn or become worthy of God’s love, but we love one another because we are loved, and having received that love, we live in light of it, giving to those who need it.
Pastor Scott Acklin ministers at New Fire Ministries.