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Dec 03, 2025 06:00am

What Real Love Looks Like

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Love.

Real love.

How do you know when it’s real love?

We all desperately search for it at some point in our lives. And often, we’re devastated when we think we’ve found it, only to realize we had been blind to the truth.

“I’ll love you if…”

Love isn’t conditional. It’s not based on how you look, what you do, or what someone can gain in return.

Love isn’t temporary. It’s not a fleeting desire or whim that’s here today and gone tomorrow. It endures.

Love doesn’t hold grudges or drag up the past. It’s forgiving, encouraging, and forward-looking. It means making the most of every situation and striving for reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 6:3–13
“We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. 11 Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. 12 There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. 13 I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!”

Despised, ignored, beaten, hungry, poor, exhausted, imprisoned, and hated.

This describes the Christian life that Paul endured. Is that what you expected?

Why would Paul go to such lengths for these people? Why would he continue serving Christ and preaching the gospel knowing angry mobs would stone, beat, and ridicule him? Why was he willing to risk his life?

Love.

Love for Christ propelled his love for people.

Just as it did for Christ.

1 Peter 3:18
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”

Matthew 20:28
“Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Ephesians 5:1–2
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

God loved us so much that He was willing to die for us so that we could be saved.

Not some. Not a few. Not just the good. Not just those who did good things.

ALL of us.

You do understand that Jesus was fully God, right? He could have stopped the Romans from whipping and beating Him. He could have destroyed those spitting and yelling, “Crucify Him!” He could have called down a host of angels to rescue Him from His enemies. He could have rained fire down on every head and heart that thought evil toward Him.

But He didn’t.

Why? Why not? Why endure such suffering?

Love.

This was the sacrifice required to save all people from their sins. There was no other way.

He willingly went to the cross and endured the suffering we had earned because He loved us.

That’s real love. And it’s offered to every one of us—no matter what we’ve done, where we’ve been, or what we’ve said before. Right now, God is extending you a beautiful gift of grace. He offers forgiveness, hope, freedom, and life. He offers salvation.

Will you choose to receive His love today?

Call out to the Lord and ask Him to forgive you. Believe in Him to save you. Trust Him to lead you and commit your life to following Him.

Just as Paul did.

Today is the day of salvation.

Learn more about knowing and following Jesus at follow.lifeword.org and in Spanish at follow.lifeword.org/spanish. And join me on Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. CST for FOLLOW: Conversations. Go to Facebook.com/lifeword to watch.