¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.  God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. ¹⁷ And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

¹⁸ Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. ¹⁹ We love each other because he loved us first.

²⁰ If 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? ²¹ And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.  (1 John 4:8, 16-21 NLT)

John tells us that God is love, but what is love?  John goes on to say that we grow in love as we live “in God”.  Perhaps the best description of God’s loving nature is in 1 Corinthians 13.  We live “in God” through Christ’s indwelling life through the Holy Spirit; therefore, we can look at 1 Corinthians 13 in the following ways:

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. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT)

Christ Himself is patient and kind. Christ Himself is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Christ Himself does not demand His own way. Christ Himself is not irritable, and He keeps no record of being wronged. Christ Himself does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Christ Himself never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

The indwelling life of Christ is patient and kind. The indwelling life of Christ is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. The indwelling life of Christ does not demand its own way. The indwelling life of Christ is not irritable, and He keeps no record of being wronged. The indwelling life of Christ does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. The indwelling life of Christ never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Christ’s life in you is patient and kind. Christ’s life in you is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Christ’s life in you does not demand its own way. Christ’s life in you is not irritable, and He keeps no record of being wronged. Christ’s life in you does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Christ’s life in you never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

This kind of love has no fear.  This kind of love grows eternally and never dies.  This kind of love breeds more love; it is contagious to those who receive it.  God loves us this way through Christ, and we express His love to others through Him…

Thanks to Frank Viola and Milt Rodriguez who first shared this view of Christ’s love with me.

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