Today, let’s continue our exploration of love’s significance by looking at three more powerful truths about why love is the greatest and how we are called to live it out in our Christian journey.
First, love is the fulfillment of the Law.
In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second is like it: to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus emphasized that on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
Love is not just an ideal or a nice sentiment; it is the very fulfillment of God’s commands. All the laws given in the Old Testament, from the Ten Commandments to the Levitical codes, are designed to point people to the necessity of loving God and loving others. Without love, none of the commandments would have their intended effect.
Second, love builds unity in the Body of Christ.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 that love is the ultimate motivator for our interactions with others. Without love, even the most spectacular gifts or sacrifices are meaningless (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). In fact, love is what binds the body of Christ together.
In Ephesians 4:15-16, Paul encourages the church to speak the truth in love, growing together in unity as the body of Christ. Love is the glue that holds believers together. It is through love that we bear with one another in patience and kindness, forgiving each other as Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). When love is the foundation of our relationships, we work together in harmony and grow in Christlikeness.
Third, love is the witness to the world.
Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Our love for one another is the greatest testimony to the world of who we are in Christ. It is through love that the world will know we are His disciples. Love sets us apart from the world—it reveals the transformative power of the Gospel and the reality of God’s presence in our lives.
In a world that is often filled with division, hatred, and selfishness, the love we show to others becomes a witness to the truth of God’s love for the world. When we love genuinely, sacrificially, and unconditionally, we demonstrate the Gospel in action. Our love becomes a living testimony of God’s redemptive work in us and through us.
As we continue to reflect on why love is the greatest, we see that love is the fulfillment of God’s law, the foundation of unity in the Body of Christ, and the most powerful witness to the world.
God has called us to live in love, because love is not just an emotion—it is the core of our Christian identity. It is through love that we fulfill God’s commands, build His church, and bear witness to His gospel. | NWI
