Love is the heartbeat of the Bible. Right from the opening words of Genesis, we see that creation itself was an act of love. God didn’t create out of need or obligation. He created because He wanted relationship. He wanted people who could know Him, walk with Him and respond to His love.
That’s why we’re created in God’s image and gifted with free will. Love that’s real can’t be forced. It must be chosen. From the beginning, God’s relationship with His creation has been shaped by love.
Scripture puts it simply: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). Love isn’t just something God does. It’s who He is. Everything He does flows from that reality.
When humanity chose to turn away, God didn’t step back. He moved closer. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Love is what sent Jesus into our world, to show us the heart of God and to restore what was lost.
Love also sits right at the core of our faith. When Jesus was asked which commandment mattered most, He didn’t hesitate. In Matthew 22:37–39 He says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” Loving God and loving others cannot be separated. If our love for God is genuine, it will be evident in how we treat others.
Jesus gave us a picture of what that looks like. In the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37, love crosses cultural divides, responds to suffering and takes responsibility for the wellbeing of others. Love doesn’t remain theoretical. Love gets involved. Love is compassion in action.
The Apostle Paul reinforces the point even further. In 1 Corinthians 13:1–3, he reminds us that words, knowledge and even acts of service mean very little if love isn’t the motivating factor.
Without love, faith is empty. Without love, actions miss the mark.
Jesus didn’t just teach love. He lived it. Throughout His ministry, He fed the hungry, healed the sick, welcomed outsiders and restored dignity to people on the margins. His love wasn’t for show. It was personal. There was a cost. In the end, it led Him to the cross. Romans 5:8 puts it like this: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
As a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, I believe faith must be lived, not just believed. This is where the Adventist Development and Relief Agency fits so naturally within the Church’s mission. As the official humanitarian agency of the Church, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) seeks to put love into action. As we respond to disasters, support those doing it tough and walk alongside communities working toward a better future, we’re aiming to reflect the ministry of Jesus.
Micah 6:8 captures the heart of it: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Love is the foundation of our faith and the motivation for mission. When the Church lives love, people don’t just hear about God. They see Him.
