How is Biblical Love Different from Human Love?

Agape love is the greatest love. There is no greater love than the love God has for us. The love He has for us has no bounds, nor does it contain any restraints. The love God has for us is beautifully illustrated by the Apostle Paul, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). As Paul tells us, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. 

Biblical Love Versus Human Love

Biblical love is based on God Himself, whereas human love is based on mankind. Since mankind has fallen and our hearts are full of sin, we cannot love the same way that God loves. As human beings, our love tends to be based on how the person treats us, what they look like, and our emotional connection to them. Regarding God, His love is not based on any of those things. Rather, it is based on who He is.

God is love (1 John 4:8). Since God is love, we know He is the exact embodiment of love. He loves us not based on anything we do but on His character. God is our Creator, as He is the One who created us. He gave us life, and we owe our entire existence to Him. Just as a father or mother should love their child, God loves us. 

Our father and mother might stop loving us or not be consistent in their love, but this isn’t true for God. His love is always constant, always present, and never fading. His love for us will never end, as He will love us for all eternity. There will never be a day that He doesn't love us. Despite our sins, God still loves us. In fact, the Father loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us (John 3:16-17).

This is shown to us in the form that Jesus descended from Heaven to redeem us from our sins. There is no greater love than for a person to lay down their life for their friends (John 15:13). This is exactly what Jesus did for us when He died for our sins. This shows how much the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit love us. God loved us while we were still living in our sins (Romans 5:8). 

As we can see, God’s love far exceeds any love that a human being could possess. The love we have for others changes, and it is dependent on circumstances. There could be a day when we love someone, but after they hurt our feelings or wronged us somehow, we don’t feel very loving towards them anymore. This is because much of our love is based on emotions, and emotions can change. 

As humans, we must choose to love even when it is hard. This is difficult, yet it is only possible through Jesus. None of us can accomplish this on our own. We need Jesus’ help in this area, as our love can quickly falter away when someone isn’t nice to us. On the other hand, God loves all people regardless of what they have done. This is because He is love, and we are all His wonderful creations. 

Comparison & Uniqueness

Biblical love and human love are different in many ways, but they are similar in the sense that they are both unique. God's love for us is not the same love we have for other humans. God’s love is unconditional—our love is not. In other words, our love is based on conditions, but God’s love is based on who He is. Each is beautiful and unique; however, God’s love far exceeds human love.

The love between a husband and a wife is a beautiful thing. This is romantic love between males and females, in which they make a covenant between themselves to unite them as one flesh. A beautiful part of God’s creation; however, God Himself does not have romantic love. We see God's love for the Church, which is the body of believers. This is why we see the wedding banquet between Christ and the Church (Revelation 19:7-10).

God is jealous of our hearts because He is our first love. He does not want us running after false idols or false gods. God wants us to run to Him and allow Him to protect us with His love. Therefore, the love God has for us is different and more amazing than we could ever explain within this lifetime. Humans' love for us is also beautiful and unique, yet it is not the same as God’s love for us.

The love between a parent and a child or between friends is unique, yet they all come from God. God is the creator of all love, and He is the One who loves us more than anyone or anything. The beauty of love between a husband and a wife, a parent and a child, or between friends are all gifts from God above. In every way, we need to be thankful for Him. Life would not be worth living if there were no love. 

God’s Love Endures

Biblical love and human love are also different because God’s love endures forever. His love never ends. Even after our death, God still loves us the same. His love does not waver, nor does it change. It is always constant, consistent, and never changing. Even though we may love people, we cannot say the same. Our love for each other and even for God can waver and change. 

We can take solace in the truth that even though our love may not be consistent, God’s love always is consistent. He is always faithful even when we are not. As humans, our love can change based on many factors, yet His love will endure always. From the beginning until the end, God will always love us. His love for us never weakens, and it never ceases. 

As humans, our love will change. There might be someone in our life we love very much right now, but this person might be gone in a few weeks. In the same way, we might have a falling out with a family member or a friend, and the love weakens. All of these things can happen because we live in a fallen world, and we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). We all mess up, and due to messing up, we can hurt many people.

This can lead to people not talking to us anymore or breaking our relationships. Conditional love has a way of doing this. However, when we turn to God and look at Him, we see unconditional love. A type of love that is not based on what we do or don’t do. It is a love based on who He is and His love for His children. This is the love of God, and it is flawless. 

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Laura Ockel

Vivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate: https://cultivatechristianity.wordpress.com/. 

This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.