THREE TYPES OF LOVE FOUND IN THE BIBLE
1st John 3:11-16
Introduction: Depending whom you speak gives you a definition of love. Probably the number one
theme of songs has been love.
Love as expressed in the Bible takes on a whole new meaning and concept that most people of the
world do not know or care to understand. What most people define, as love is usually a little more
than friendship and many times lust. This is one of the reasons why we see so many marriages fail.
They are built on a shaking foundation. The young man who is strikingly handsome today may
become a balding fat man. The young lady who looks like a beauty queen today may look like one of
MacBeth’s witches in her later years.
First John is full of love. The word is found in this book 31 times. Most of the references refer to
the love of God and the love that God gives through us.
Today I want to share with three types of love found in the Bible. Two are found in these passages
and the other is important enough for us to think about these truths.
I.
CHRIST’S LOVE
Romans 5:8
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us.”
Romans 8:35-39
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day
long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord."
A.
Christ demonstrated his love in His coming.
Luke 19:10
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
1. He came in spite of our sinfulness.
Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”
B.
“The problem with today's society is that all the things we have called sin throughout
the years, man has rationalized it to be called a sickness. Who can really blame someone
for being sick.”
D. M. Hardison
2. He came in spite of our shamefulness. This can be seen with Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden.
Christ demonstrated his love in his commands.
1. He prayed for his enemies.
Luke 23:34
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”
C.
He practiced what he preached. He was in great pain when he was practicing what He
preached. He was showing his perfection when he was practicing. He was placing coals
of fire on them when he prayed this.
He demonstrated his love in his commitment.
Galatians 2:20
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me.”
D.
He gave of himself willingly.
He demonstrated his love in His cross.
John 15:13
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
We are called his friends even though His cross was heavy, His physical condition was
weakened. His spiritual burden was weighing on him. That is our sins.
We are called his friends even though His cross was hot.
We are called his friends even though His cross was holy. Why? It was God’s plan for
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saving men. It was God’s purpose in order to save men. It was God’s purchasing of sinful
men.
II.
CHRISTIAN LOVE
Romans 12:10
“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another”
1st Thessalonians 4:9
“But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught
of God to love one another.”
Hebrews 13:1
“Let brotherly love continue.”
A.
What are some of the characteristics of Christian love?
It is always to abound.
1st Thessalonians 3:12
“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all
men, even as we do toward you”
B.
They had already love to each other, so as to unite them in one Christian body; and he
prays that they may have an increase and an abundance of it; that they might feel the
same love to each other, which he felt for them all. This is the love that is above and
beyond.
It shows that we are His disciples.
John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that
ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have
love one to another.”
C.
This command he gave them as he was about to leave them, to be a badge of
discipleship, by which they might be known as his friends and followers, and by which they
might be distinguished from all others. That is, your love for each other shall be so decisive
evidence that you are like the Saviour that all men shall see and know it. It shall be the
thing by which you shall be known among all men. You shall not be known by peculiar rites
or habits; not by a peculiar form of dress or manner of speech; not by peculiar rigorousness
and unusual customs. It is deep, genuine, and tender affection. And it is well known it was
this which eminently distinguished the first Christians, and was the subject of remark by the
surrounding pagans. “See,” said the heathen, “see how they love one another!
It should be showed fervently. 1st Peter 1:22
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned
love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently”
These persons, first, heard the truth, that is, the Gospel; thus called in a great variety of
places in the New Testament, because it contains THE truth without mixture of error, and is
the truth and substance of all the preceding dispensations by which it was typified.
Secondly, they obeyed that truth, by believing on Him who came into the world to save
sinners. Thirdly, through this believing on the Son of God, their hearts were purified by the
word of truth applied to them by the Holy Spirit. Fourthly, the love of God being shed
abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, they loved the brethren with pure hearts fervently,
intensely or continually; the full proof that their brotherly love was genuine.
III. CHASTENING LOVE
Proverbs 3:11-12
“My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom
the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”
This is the love that our Father shows us. This is how we as fathers show our children that
we love them. Our Lord's chastening love involves pain. It involves embarrassment. It
involves destroying our pride. I know how this feels. I have had the chastening hand of God on
my life and have the scars to prove it. This one thing I know that my Heavenly Father loved me
enough to correct me and draw me back to Him.
Conclusion: Have you experienced God's love? Do you show Christian love? You must do all you can
to stay right with the Lord so you don't experience the chastening love from the Lord.
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