Understanding the Principle of Love as a General Truth

The principle of love is presented in biblical texts as both a divine attribute and a foundational command for humanity. It is described as originating from God, who is fundamentally love ^{[4, 11]}. This divine love is sovereign, great, abiding, unfailing, and everlasting, extended even to perishing sinners and saints alike ^[7].

Love is central to God's character, and its presence in believers is evidence of their spiritual birth and knowledge of God ^{[4, 8]}. The apostle John emphasizes this, stating, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God" ^[4]. This love is not merely an emotion but an active principle ^[1]. It is the "sum of righteousness" and a test of being born of God, flowing from an understanding of God's prior love for humanity ^{[8, 13]}.

The Bible commands love for both God and neighbor. Love for God is identified as the first and greatest commandment, requiring devotion "with all the heart" [3, Matthew 22:38]. This love is considered superior to all sacrifices [Mark 12:33] and is produced in believers by the Holy Spirit and by God's love for them [3, Galatians 5:22, 1 John 4:19]. It should manifest as joy, love for other believers, hatred of sin, and obedience to God ^[2].

Love for one's neighbor is the second great commandment, following the example of Christ [1, John 13:34, 15:12, Matthew 22:39]. This love is also commanded by God and taught by Him [1, 1 John 4:21, 1 Thessalonians 4:9]. It is a fruit of the Spirit and is explained in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as patient, kind, not envious, boastful, proud, or rude, not self-seeking, not easily angered, and keeping no record of wrongs [1, Galatians 5:22]. This description highlights love as an active and abiding principle [1, 1 Corinthians 13:8, 13].

The relationship between love and obedience to God's law is consistently emphasized. The apostle John states, "And love is the keeping of his laws" ^[3]. Adam Clarke interprets this to mean that human love is demonstrated and proven by walking according to God's commandments, as love serves as the principle of obedience ^[9]. The law of God itself is described as absolute, perpetual, pure, spiritual, holy, just, good, and perfect, requiring obedience of the heart [2, Psalm 19:7-8, Romans 7:12, 14]. Love is considered the "end of the commandment" [1, 1 Timothy 1:5].

Love is also linked to truth. The apostle John addresses a "chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth" ^[5]. Tyndale House commentary suggests that Christian love is rooted in knowing the truth, which is more than mere facts or doctrine; it is the presence of God [13, John 14:15-17]. Speaking "truth in love" is presented as a means for believers to grow in Christ [5, Ephesians 4:15].

The perfection of love is a significant theme. Love is perfected in obedience to God [3, 1 John 2:5] and gives boldness, particularly in anticipation of the day of judgment [3, 1 John 4:17-18]. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown explain that love dwelling in believers advances to its consummation "with us," meaning as it relates to them ^[10]. This perfected love allows for confidence in the day of judgment, reflecting Christ's nature in believers ^[6]. Matthew Henry notes that love to God, the "primum amabile," is the chief of all amiable beings and objects, possessing all beauty and excellence ^[12]. John Gill adds that human love for God is a response to God's prior, everlasting love for humanity ^[13].

Sources

Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Love to Man — Is of God -- 1Jo 4:7. Commanded by God -- 1Jo 4:21. Commanded by Christ -- Joh 13:34; 15:12; 1Jo 3:23. After the example of Christ -- Joh 13:34; 15:12; Eph 5:2. Taught by God -- 1Th 4:9. Faith works by -- Ga 5:6. A fruit of the Spirit -- Ga 5:22; Col 1:8. Purity of heart leads to -- 1Pe 1:22. Explained -- 1Co 13:4-7. Is an active principle -- 1Th 1:3; Heb 6:10. Is an abiding principle -- 1Co 13:8,13. Is the second great commandment -- Mt 22:37-39. Is the end of the commandment -- 1Ti 1:5. Supernatural gifts are nothing without -- 1Co 13:1,2. The greates”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Love to God — Commanded -- De 11:1; Jos 22:5. The first great commandment -- Mt 22:38. With all the heart -- De 6:5; Mt 22:37. Better than all sacrifices -- Mr 12:33. Produced by The Holy Spirit. -- Ga 5:22; 2Th 3:5. The love of God to us. -- 1Jo 4:19. Answers to prayer. -- Ps 116:1. Exhibited by Christ -- Joh 14:31. A characteristic of saints -- Ps 5:11. Should produce Joy. -- Ps 5:11. Love to saints. -- 1Jo 5:1. Hatred of sin. -- Ps 97:10. Obedience to God. -- De 30:20; 1Jo 5:3. Perfected in obedience -- 1Jo 2:5. Perfected, gives boldness -- 1Jo 4:17,18. God, faith”
II John “II John 1:6 (BBE) — And love is the keeping of his laws. This is the law which was given to you from the first, so that you might keep it.”
1 John “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. -- 1 John 4:7”
2 John “The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all those who know the truth; -- 2 John 1:1”
1 John “1 John 4:17 (NASB) — By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Love of God, The — Is a part of his character -- 2Co 13:11; 1Jo 4:8. Christ, the especial object of -- Joh 15:9; 17:26. Christ abides in -- Joh 15:10. Described as Sovereign. -- De 7:8; 10:15. Great. -- Eph 2:4. Abiding. -- Zep 3:17. Unfailing. -- Isa 49:15,16. Unalienable. -- Ro 8:39. Constraining. -- Ho 11:4. Everlasting. -- Jer 31:3. Irrespective of merit -- De 7:7; Job 7:17. Manifested towards Perishing sinners. -- Joh 3:16; Tit 3:4. His saints. -- Joh 16:27; 17:23; 2Th 2:16; 1Jo 4:16. The destitute. -- De 10:18. The cheerful giver. -- 2Co 9:7. Exhibited in The g”
1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 4:7: Resumption of the main theme (Jo1 2:29). Love, the sum of righteousness, is the test of our being born of God. Love flows from a sense of God's love to us: compare Jo1 4:9 with Jo1 3:16, which Jo1 4:9 resumes; and Jo1 4:13 with Jo1 3:24, which similarly Jo1 4:13 resumes. At the same time, Jo1 4:7-21 is connected with the immediately preceding context, Jo1 4:2 setting forth Christ's incarnation, the great proof of God's love (Jo1 4:10). Beloved--an address appropriate to his subject, "love." love--All love is from God as its fountain: especially that”
2 John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 2 John 1:6: And this is love - That is, our love is shown and proved by our walking according to the commandments of God; for love is the principle of obedience.”
1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 4:17: (Compare Jo1 3:19-21.) our love--rather as the Greek, "LOVE (in the abstract, the principle of love [ALFORD]) is made perfect (in its relations) with us." Love dwelling in us advances to its consummation "with us" that is, as it is concerned with us: so Greek. Luk 1:58, "showed mercy upon (literally, 'with') her": Jo2 1:2, the truth "shall be with us for ever." boldness--"confidence": the same Greek as Jo1 3:21, to which this passage is parallel. The opposite of "fear," Jo1 4:18. Herein is our love perfected, namely, in God dwelling in us, and our ”
1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 4:8: knoweth not--Greek aorist: not only knoweth not now, but never knew, has not once for all known God. God is love--There is no Greek article to love, but to God; therefore we cannot translate, Love is God. God is fundamentally and essentially LOVE: not merely is loving, for then John's argument would not stand; for the conclusion from the premises then would be this, This man is not loving: God is loving; therefore he knoweth not God IN SO FAR AS GOD IS LOVING; still he might know Him in His other attributes. But when we take love as God's essence, the”
1 John (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 John 4:17: The apostle, having thus excited and enforced sacred love from the great pattern and motive of it, the love that is and dwells in God himself, proceeds to recommend it further by other considerations; and he recommends it in both the branches of it, both as love to God, and love to our brother or Christian neighbour. I. As love to God, to the primum amabile - the first and chief of all amiable beings and objects, who has the confluence of all beauty, excellence, and loveliness, in himself, and confers on all other beings whatever renders them good and amiable. Lov”
1 John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 John 4:19: We love him, because he first loved us. Lest love to God, and so to one another, should be thought to be of ourselves, and too much be ascribed unto it, the apostle observes, that God's love to us is prior to our love to him; his love is from everlasting, as well as to everlasting; for he loves his people as he does his Son, and he loved him before the foundation of the world; his choosing them in Christ as early, and blessing them then with all spiritual blessings, the covenant of grace made with Christ from all eternity, the gift of grace to them in him before the w”

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