Question 1

What is love?

Accepted Answer

1 Corinthians 13:4-7Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.These famous verses are some of the most eloquent and accurate descriptions of love ever written. Love is a commitment and a choice of conduct that produces powerful feelings. If we practice the qualities and behaviors described in these verses, we will experience satisfaction and fulfillment beyond imagination.John 15:13“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”1 John 3:16We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.Jesus gave us the greatest example of love. Love is willing to sacrifice for the good of others, even to death.

Question 2

Why is love important?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 1:26-28Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.Leviticus 19:18“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”Matthew 22:37-40Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”John 13:34“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”1 John 4:7-12Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.Love is important because God is love, and he made us to be like him. We cannot know God or follow God without making that love the guiding center of our lives.1 Corinthians 13:1-3, 8, 13If 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. 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. 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. . . . Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! . . . Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.Love is important because talents, accomplishments, and even sacrifices governed by any motive other than love will amount to nothing of eternal value. God desires a relationship with us. Obedience without love misses the point.Hosea 6:6I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.Micah 6:6-8What can we bring to the Lord? What kind of offerings should we give him? Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.Matthew 15:8“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’”Matthew 23:23“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.”1 John 4:20If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?Love is important because throughout the Bible, God criticizes those who claim to follow him but forget to love. Avoiding sin and living a disciplined life is valuable, but if we live life from a checklist rather than loving God and others from our hearts, we miss the point.

Question 3

How can I be sure that God loves me?

Accepted Answer

John 3:16“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”Romans 8:35–39Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? . . . No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.1 John 4:7-12Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.We can know God loves us because he sent his Son, Jesus, to die for us. Jesus took the punishment we deserve for our sins. His forgiveness is so complete that it is as though we never sinned at all. His love for us can never be changed or broken.Ephesians 5:25-27For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.Revelation 19:7“Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.”We can know God loves us because God compares his love for us to that of a husband for his wife—passionate, committed, self-sacrificial, and joyous.Romans 5:5We know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.We can know God loves us because of the witness of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. This shows God’s love for us because he is always with us, always helping us, and always showing us the best way to live.Luke 15:4-7“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”Luke 15:21-24“His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.”We can know God loves us because God loves each person specifically and individually. As our Shepherd, if we are lost, he does not wait contentedly at home with the rest of his flock. He goes out to search for us. As our heavenly Father, if we have abandoned and disgraced him, he is still watching for our return. He loves us with a deep, passionate, never-ending love, and he longs to welcome us home.

Question 4

How can I more fully accept God’s love for me?

Accepted Answer

John 13:8“No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”Revelation 3:16-19“Since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.”We begin to accept God’s love when we put aside our pride and self-sufficiency.1 Corinthians 13:1If 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.Philippians 3:4-9I [the apostle Paul] could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. . . . I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.When we stop trying to impress God with our accomplishments, we are able to trust and enjoy his gracious gifts of love and forgiveness. God embraces us not for how much we have done, but for who we are as his children.Luke 18:15-17Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”Ephesians 2:8-9God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.Jesus encourages us to learn to receive his love with the same trusting spirit as a little child. Receiving God’s love is an act of simple faith. We don’t have to work to gain God’s love.Psalm 66:18If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.Ezekiel 18:23“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.”Matthew 12:31“Every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.”Luke 15:21-24“His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.”Romans 5:8God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.Romans 8:38-39I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.James 4:3Even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.Our sin damages our relationship with God. Like the prodigal son, our sins lead us far from our heavenly Father and his presence; yet he never stops loving us. David was a murderer and adulterer. Peter was disloyal. Paul persecuted Christians. John Mark deserted the mission field. Nothing we have done is ever so terrible that we cannot be welcomed back into our Father’s loving arms. The only sin that is unforgivable is the sin of forever rejecting that love—of forever refusing the Holy Spirit’s call. If people choose life apart from him, God respects that free choice, though it saddens him (Ezekiel 18:23).Matthew 18:12-14“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.”Luke 15:4-7“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”God loves us individually—even if we are the one stupid sheep that got lost. He is not content to have “enough” sheep. He wants us, specifically, to be his own. When we are lost, he will do everything possible to bring us home to him.Hosea 2:20“I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord.”Ephesians 5:31-33As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.God’s love is faithful. We will know the benefits and security of that love when we commit ourselves to faithfulness as well. Nurturing our relationship with God through worship, Bible reading, and prayer will help us grow more confident in God’s faithful love for us.

Question 5

Why should I love God?

Accepted Answer

1 Chronicles 16:34Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.Psalm 25:8-9The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.Psalm 33:5He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.Psalm 96:1-4Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!We should love God because God is perfectly good, merciful, wise, powerful, and loving. He deserves all our love and praise!John 3:16“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”John 15:13“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”Romans 8:14-15All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”1 John 3:1See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.1 John 4:19We love each other because he loved us first.We love God because of his love for us. Christ’s sacrifice shows how extravagant God’s love is for his children. How can we respond with anything but love in return?Deuteronomy 6:5, 18, 25“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. . . . Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors. . . . For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.’”Hosea 6:6“I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.”Matthew 6:1-2“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.”Matthew 15:8“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’”Mark 12:29-30;Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’”Luke 11:42“What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.”John 15:9-11“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”John 17:25-26“O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”We should love God because he tells us to. Love is not simply an emotion but a choice to act in someone’s best interests. Thus, love for God involves humble submission to him—love for God and obedience to God go hand in hand. Authentic love leads to obedience: Jesus says that if we love him, we will obey his commands (John 14:15). In the same way, obedience without love is not true obedience. Throughout the Bible, God criticizes those who try to obey the letter of his laws but neglect the heart behind them.If we are obeying only because we are afraid of God or don’t want to feel guilty or are trying to impress, then we are missing the point. The greatest commandment is to love God. When we love someone, we enjoy being with them, we delight in making them happy, and we desire to grow in that loving relationship. This is the kind of relationship God desires with us—not one of cold obedience, but one of heartfelt love and trust as we follow him. Without this love, all our rule-following and accomplishments are worthless (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).Psalm 116:1I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.We should love God because he listens to us. God’s listening to us requires him to have an understanding only he can have.Deuteronomy 5:10“But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”Deuteronomy 7:9“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.”We should love God because his love for us literally reaches across many generations. This promise should comfort and inspire us, increasing our gratitude and commitment to our gracious Lord.Psalm 91:14-16The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”We should love God because just as a loving parent cares for every detail in a young child’s life, so God watches over every detail in our lives. Nothing escapes his notice, and nothing is beyond his care. How could we reject such love?John 15:10-11“When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”We should love God because loving him brings overflowing joy into our lives.

Question 6

How should I show my love to God?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 95:1-2Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.Psalm 150:6Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!Praising God and celebrating his goodness is a powerful way to show our love for him!Psalm 69:1-5Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck. Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can’t find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me. I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me. Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me with lies, demanding that I give back what I didn’t steal. O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you.James 5:13Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.When something good or bad happens in our lives, we should turn to God first. Like a Father who cares for his children, he is eager to comfort us, care for us, mourn with us, or celebrate with us. Honest and open prayers to God show our trust and love for him.John 14:15, 21“If you love me, obey my commandments. . . . Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”Obeying God and respecting his commandments is a natural expression of our love for him. This should not be confused with earning God’s love by good works, which is impossible. We obey God to express our love, not to earn his love. He already loves us abundantly!Mark 12:31“The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”John 13:35“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”1 John 4:7-8Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.We show our love for God by loving his children.1 John 2:15–17Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.We show our love for God by not loving the values of the world, which are contrary to God’s values.Psalm 122:1I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”Philippians 4:4Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!We show our love for God by worshiping him and praising him for the love he shows us.Psalm 119:11I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.Psalm 119:140Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much.1 Timothy 3:16Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.We show our love for God by reading, studying, and applying Scripture. When we get to know God’s word, we get to know the One who spoke it. Growing in our love and understanding of God’s word deepens our loving relationship with him.John 21:15-17After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.”Hebrews 6:10God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.We show our love for God by guiding and caring for other believers.Matthew 10:42“If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”Matthew 25:40“The King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”We show our love for God by helping people in need.

Question 7

How can I learn to love the people I just don’t like?

Accepted Answer

1 John 4:19We love each other because he loved us first.We can love people we don’t like by remembering that God loves us and that he sent his son to die for us. We can find motivation to love through God’s example, rather than based on the other person’s behavior. Love is a decision to value people with respect, compassion, and courtesy and to act in their best interests. We do this simply because God made them and loves them, not because they have earned our love.1 Corinthians 13:1-13If 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. 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. 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. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.1 Peter 4:8Continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.Love is an act of spiritual maturity based on the eternal significance of each person and as an expression of what God is doing in our lives. When we learn to love the unlovable, we develop the ability to see others as Jesus does.John 13:34“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”John 13:35“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”1 John 2:9If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.1 John 4:12No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.Following Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit should enable us to love others as he did, even those we don’t naturally like.Romans 12:20“If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”Even if we don’t like certain people, we can still choose to do tangible acts of love for them.Romans 12:3Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.Before we are too quick to dislike or dismiss someone, we should recognize that we, too, have qualities that others do not like.Matthew 18:26-28“The man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.”Romans 5:8God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.1 Corinthians 6:9-11Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.Colossians 3:13Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.We can love people we don’t even like by remembering that God has forgiven us an enormous debt. How can we demand that others pay for theirs? How can we hold “that one time” over someone else’s head when God has forgiven us for all our sins?Matthew 5:43-44“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”Loving enemies is mandatory for Christians. This is possible only as we follow Jesus’ example and are filled with the Holy Spirit’s power.

Question 8

What is the source of our love for others?

Accepted Answer

Colossians 1:8He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.1 Thessalonians 3:12May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.1 Thessalonians 4:9We don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another.1 John 4:7-8Let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.God didn’t just create love; he is love! Trace love all the way back to its source, and there is God! When we invite God into our hearts, we have the very love of God inside of us.

Question 9

I feel unlovable. Does anyone really love me?

Accepted Answer

Romans 5:8God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.Ephesians 3:18–19May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.When we feel unloved or unlovable, we must remember that the death of Jesus, God’s own Son, has proved God’s love for us. How much God loves us is measured by how much he was willing to give up for us.Matthew 18:12-14“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.”Luke 15:21-24“His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.”John 10:11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”Even if you were the only person on earth, Jesus the good Shepherd would still die for you. God loves us as individuals. We are not replaceable. If we wander from him, he is not content with all the others who stayed—he goes out to bring us home. In the parable of the prodigal son, the youngest son left and dishonored the father’s name. Jesus’ viewers likely thought the father would have been justified in disowning such a reckless, ungrateful son. After all, the father still had his oldest son, who was obedient and would carry on the family name. But the father ran to his wayward child, embraced him, and welcomed him back with a celebration! He did not welcome his son because of what the son did or because the father needed an heir—he welcomed his son because he loved him and missed him. That is a picture of God’s love for us!

Question 10

Must I love other people? What if I don’t want to?

Accepted Answer

John 13:34-35“Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”1 Peter 4:8Continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.1 John 2:9If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.1 John 4:12No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.Following Jesus without loving others is like going on a road trip without any gas in the car. We won’t be able to get anywhere. Loving God and sharing that love with others is the entire point of being a follower of Jesus. We must love others, even if we don’t feel like it.

Question 11

What are some special aspects and results of a loving relationship?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 10:12Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.1 Corinthians 13:4-7Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.The gifts that come from a loving relationship include forgiveness, patience, kindness, love for truth, love for justice, love for the best in a person, loyalty at any cost, and belief in a person no matter what. Love does not allow for jealousy, pride, contempt, selfishness, rudeness, a demand for one’s own way, irritability, or grudges.

Question 12

What kind of love does God expect husbands and wives to show each other?

Accepted Answer

Song of Songs 8:6-7Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.Song of Songs is a book about the love husbands and wives should have for each other. True marital love is exclusive and permanent, sealing our hearts in faithfulness to our mate. It is a giving love, not a taking love. It involves offering oneself to another, not laying claim to another.Ephesians 5:24-25As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for herAfter love for God, nothing should take greater priority than the giving, sacrificial love we must show to a spouse. This love helps us learn more about how we are to love God, and it is an example to those who are learning about love and about God.

Question 13

How can I rekindle love in my marriage?

Accepted Answer

Hebrews 13:4Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.Married couples should reaffirm an irrevocable commitment to stay married. Then when problems come, they will never look for a way out but only a way through.James 5:16Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.If actions or words have caused a rift between a husband and wife, the person at fault should confess the sin and ask forgiveness. We should pray for our spouse. Not only will it invite God to bless their life; it will also open our heart to loving them more.Song of Songs 4:1You are beautiful, my darling, beautiful beyond words. Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead.We can rekindle love in marriage by giving compliments and affirmations to our spouse every day.Song of Songs 2:10-13My lover said to me, “Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone. The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air. The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!”We can rekindle love in marriage by taking regular breaks together from our regular responsibilities and routines. We should make fun plans to enjoy life and one another!Genesis 2:24This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.Proverbs 5:18-20Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman, or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?1 Corinthians 7:5Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.Sex is a beautiful gift that God gives for husbands and wives to enjoy together. Through it, they bond with one another physically and emotionally. Withholding this gift weakens the marriage bond and invites opportunities for sexual temptation. Paul commands husbands and wives to fulfil each other’s sexual needs. However, this does not give license to one spouse for forcing sex on the other. A husband and wife should have agreed-upon expectations for how frequently they come together to share this gift.Proverbs 12:15Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.We shouldn’t be afraid to seek the counsel of a pastor or therapist.

Question 14

If God loves me, why does he punish me?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 3:12The Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.Proverbs 13:24Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.Proverbs 29:15To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.Hebrews 12:5-11Have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.Discipline as God intends it should be instructive. It should keep us from doing what is wrong, strengthen our good habits, and protect us from harm. It is life-building and life-giving. Truly loving parents care more about their children’s well-being than their approval. Parents who don’t discipline their children demonstrate a lack of care.

Question 15

What are the benefits of loving others?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 7:12“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”Luke 6:38“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”Loving others is an act of obedience to God and creates a beneficial cycle—love returning to us.Matthew 10:42“If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”Hebrews 6:10God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.God will not forget how we have shown our love to him by caring for other believers. He rewards us for being kind to others and giving them practical help.

Question 16

How will God help me love others more?

Accepted Answer

Luke 11:13“If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”Galatians 5:22-23The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!Galatians 6:8-10Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.1 John 5:14-15We are confident that he [God] hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.The Holy Spirit awakens our love for others. We can ask God to make us willing to love others, even those who are difficult, and God will hear our prayers.