Love Is The Most Important Thing

Love Is The Most Important Thing

Another word for love in the bible is charity.

I Corinthians 13:13: And now abideth faith, hope, charity; but the greatest of these is charity.
Colossians 3:14: And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
I Peter 4:8: And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves; for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

So charity (love) is the most important thing since it says above all and the greatest of all things.

It was because of God's great love for us that he sent Jesus to the world so we could have eternal life, and it was Jesus' love for us that made him go to the cross.
John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

So in the same manner that Jesus loves us is the way he wants us to love one another.  He commands us to love one another.
John 13:34: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 15:12: This is my commandment that ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 15:17: These things I command you, that ye love one another.
I John 3:23: And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

Love is not a feeling, like loving ice cream or candy, but as shown above, love is a commandment.  Love is not selfish, it is wanting what is best for another person, not our own self. We witness to people because we love them and don't want them to go to hell.  If it wasn't for God's mercy in saving us, we would be going to hell too.  But God loved us enough to save us and that is how he wants us to love others.

Other verses in the bible that tell us to love one another, our brothers and sisters in Christ, are the following.

I 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.
John 13:35: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
According to John 13:35, even unsaved people who watch us will know that we are Jesus' disciples if we love one another since it says all men will know.  When we love one another it is a good testimony to the world.

I John 3:14: We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.  He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 
So according to I John 3:14, by having love in our heart for our brothers and sisters in the Lord, it gives us a great assurance that we are saved because God put this brotherly love in a believers heart.  It says we are passed from death unto life (saved).  Unsaved people do not have this kind of love; that is why the verse says that he that loveth not his brother abideth in death (unsaved).
I John 4:7: Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  Notice how again it gives us assurance of our salvation because every one that loves is born of God.

I John 3:15: Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
A saved person would never have murderous hate in his heart for his brother.  It is impossible, according to I John 3:15.

I Corinthians chapter 13 is called the love chapter in the bible, and this chapter tells us that everything we do for the Lord should be done in love or it profiteth us nothing.

I Corinthians 13:
1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge: and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4. Charity suffereth long, and is kind: charity envieth not: charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed us.
5. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease: whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

God wants us to serve him and labor for him with all our heart and he will reward our labor, but he wants us to do it all with love.  Even if we bestow our goods to feed the poor, or give our body to be burned, without love it profits us nothing.

God will reward your labor for him so abound in the work of the Lord.
I Corinthians 15:58: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.