The Love of Christ
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Affinity is not love, passion is not love, attraction is not love, and our most sincere feelings fall far short of love. God is love, and He alone defines it. His love finds its clearest expression in Jesus Christ, and Jesus gave His life for us, though we did not deserve it — out of love. We, too, must learn to love those who are undeserving, for only then are we showing true love. The Lord will place difficult people and challenges before us to prove and purify our love, and He will always stretch us beyond ourselves and connect us to His interests in others and not our own. God's love is energetic and positive. It is active and effective, and it changes every heart that receives it. We are called to love like He did, and we must not be surprised when we face predicaments that test that love. Those are the conditions in which true love thrives, and God's...