Loving God, Loving Others

I’m always amazed at how quickly the retail world moves. One day it’s Halloween, the next day it’s Christmas (seriously—where did Thanksgiving go?), and before you know it, Valentine’s Day decorations are already on display…all before December 25th. It’s wild. And honestly, I’m grateful I’m no longer working in retail.

But with Valentine’s Day approaching, my thoughts naturally drift toward love—not the kind of love our culture tends to celebrate, but a deeper, more enduring kind. To be fair, I’ve also just finished researching and writing a sermon on Hebrews 7:23–28, and the theme that keeps echoing in my mind is love—specifically, a love that goes beyond oneself. That kind of love lasts. And if we’re being honest, it’s a kind of love we don’t see very often anymore.

Why do I say that?

Because if we want to understand a love that truly lasts, we have to start with Scripture. The Bible is, in many ways, God’s love letter to humanity. From beginning to end, it tells the story of God’s redemptive plan to rescue sinners and restore what was broken. At the heart of that story is a familiar verse:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

According to this verse, what motivated God to send His Son, Jesus? Love. Scripture even tells us plainly that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). And because God is love, He demonstrates that love through Jesus Christ.
Still with me? Good—because this is where it starts to press in on us.

The love God shows us through Christ is not merely something to admire; it’s something we’re called to model. Scripture says,

“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2)

Notice what’s happening here. Christ’s love is displayed in His self-giving. He gave Himself up for us. But there’s more—His obedience and sacrifice were also an offering to God. In going to the cross, Jesus demonstrated His love for humanity and His love for the Father.
That’s striking, isn’t it? Nowhere in this do we see self-interest. Everything is oriented outward—for others.

If we step back and take a bird’s-eye view of Scripture, we’ll find countless verses about love, many of them emphasizing God’s love toward us. But what interests me most is our response. When we are confronted with the gospel, it demands a response. So how should we respond to God’s love?

We respond in love.

We acknowledge our sin, repent, and turn toward God in faith. That response often sounds something like this:
“Lord, I know I’m a sinner in need of a Savior. I confess my sins, repent of them, and ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.”

And if you’re already a believer who has wandered—if you’ve found yourself lost in the darker parts of the woods—repentance still works the same way. Turn around, and you’ll find that Jesus never left. He’s still there, holding the light. We return and say, “Lord, I’m sorry,” and He is faithful to forgive.

But what about our response to others?

Are we really expected to love them too?

Yes—and Jesus makes that unmistakably clear. When asked which commandment was the greatest, He replied:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)

That last part is where things get uncomfortable.

Love my neighbor as myself? How am I supposed to do that?

Jesus goes on to say something weighty: “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Everything hangs on this. And what’s the foundation of both commandments? A love that goes beyond oneself.

We love God with all that we are—heart, soul, mind, and strength—and we love our neighbors as ourselves. And let’s be honest: we do love ourselves, whether we admit it or not. That’s the standard God sets.

Yes, that includes that neighbor—the one who irritates you, talks behind your back, cuts you off in traffic, or makes church uncomfortable. The one who inconveniences you or doesn’t behave the way you think they should. God calls us to love them too.

That’s challenging. But it’s also at the very heart of the gospel.

When confronted with the gospel, a response is required. And here’s the hard truth: we cannot truly love God while refusing to love our neighbors. Scripture simply won’t allow that separation. That reality carries real moral weight.

So how does this connect to a love that lasts?

This kind of love endures because it reflects faith. When we love like this, we demonstrate trust in something far greater than ourselves. Loving our neighbor becomes possible only when we first love God—and loving God requires faith. Faith that moves us beyond our own desires, instincts, and self-preservation.

As that faith grows, the carnal desires of the heart begin to lose their grip. In their place stands something eternal—something God planned long ago and fulfilled through the cross of Christ.

It’s called love.

And when love is grounded in Christ, it lasts forever.

At Mt. Holly Baptist Church, our hope is that you know this love and are learning to live it out well. We would love for you to join us—and we truly look forward to that day.