Pursue Love

If one member suffers, all suffer together; 

if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 

—1 Corinthians 12:26—

The word “love” is used 213 times in the New Testament (ESV). It’s used the most in the first letter of John (36 times) and in his gospel (26). The main point I want to underscore from this is that love is a very important concept from God to man—“For God so loved the world …” (John 3:16). And it’s not merely that God loved us, but that His kind intention is that we love one another.

The love God has for us is supposed to be shared by us toward one another:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:7–11).

Jesus taught the apostles—“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35). The thing is, we know this … there’s nothing new to us in reading this passage.

But why is loving our brother sometimes difficult? Maybe we’d point the finger to our difficult brother! In all seriousness, the issue is not one-sided—it never has been, nor will it ever be. Indeed, there are those who make it challenging to be loved, but our Lord doesn’t admonish us to only love those who love us back. The harder thing is loving those who don’t love us back (and our Savior knows this better than anyone).

Jesus taught that we’re to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). I would hope we never consider a brother or sister as an enemy, but even if we did, we’re supposed to love our enemies and therefore love our brethren! We’re to strive to be perfect as our heavenly Father and love everyone (Matthew 5:43–48).

John wrote: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:15–16).

Paul admonishes: “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:1–5).

How do we go about pursuing love?

1. We need to hold in the highest esteem love as God does—“God is love” (1 John 4:8). “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. Pursue love” (1 Corinthians 13:13–14:1). As Paul would conclude in his first letter to the Corinthians—“Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).
2. Pray for one another (James 5:16). Selfishness is sinful (Philippians 2:3; James 3:13–18), but some pray selfishly. Our prayers should include others; we certainly want others praying for us, so we should pray for others. Jesus prayed for Peter (Luke 22:31–32). Jesus intercedes for us (Romans 8:34). Paul asked for prayers and we’re sure he received them (Ephesians 6:18–19).
3. Remember that Christ died for all of us—that His gift of love and forgiveness is for all the ungodly (Romans 5:6, 8; Ephesians 5:2; John 6:51; 1 John 2:2).
4. Be genuine in our love for others (Romans 12:9). We know the importance of really being loved; God has done this for us, we should be willing to do this for one another—“And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24–25).