Jesus said that loving your neighbor is the second most important commandment in the Old Testament (Mark 12:31). The command to love sums up the entire Old Testament law (Matthew 22:40; compare 7:12; 9:9–13; 12:1–13; see Romans 13:8–10). Jesus criticized the Pharisees for not showing love (Matthew 9:13; 12:7; 23:4, 13–14, 23). Love identifies a true follower of Jesus (John 13:34–35). It indicates a real experience of God (1 John 2:9–11; 3:11–18; 4:7–21).
For the apostle Paul, love is more important than any spiritual gift and is the most important virtue. Love “is the bond of perfect unity” (Colossians 3:14). Without love, Christian ministry has no value (1 Corinthians 13:1–3). Paul summarized Christian ethics as “faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6).
Love naturally comes from Christian faith. It is the primary fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It is the most important motivation for Christian ministry. As Christians spiritually grow, they will desire to love others as Christ did.
Passages for Further Study
Leviticus 19:18; Hosea 6:6; Matthew 7:12; 9:9–13; 12:1–13; 22:37–40; 23:2–4, 13, 23; John 13:34–35; Romans 13:8–10; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13; Galatians 5:6, 22–23; Colossians 3:12–14; 1 John 2:7–11; 3:11–18; 4:7–21