This ain't no kind of religion, this is Love (Part 1)

"Like rain falling over us, this ain't
no kind of religion. This is Love." (John Mark McMillan, Dancing on the Doors)

The word love is used over 500 times in the Bible, with 150 uses in the Psalms alone (David must have been a romantic at heart). It's easy to forget that our relationship with Christ is based on love, not on religion; on delight, not on duty; on joy, not obligation. Remember this is Love, because God is love. In every part of scripture, in every book, and every genre the Bilbe screams the love of a Savior. This is not an all inclusive list of the uses of love in the Bible, but you should get the picture pretty quick: God really does love us, not because of how great we are, but because of how great He is.

Old Testament Narrative/History (Genesis - Esther)

• “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode." (Exodus 15:13)
• "It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples." (Deuteronomy 7:7)
• Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (1 Chronicles 16:34)
• “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart" (2 Chronicles 6:14)
• For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia... (Ezra 9:9)
• And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, (Nehemiah 1:5)

Hebrew Wisdom Literature & Poetry (Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, & Song of Solomon)

• You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.(Job 10:12)
• Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! (Psalm 31:16)
• The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. (Psalm 33:5)
• Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. (Psalm 63:3)
• His steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 100:5, 106:1, 107:1, 117:2, 118:1,2,3,4,29 and 20 more times in the Psalms alone)
• By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. (Proverbs 16:6)
• You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. (Song of Solomon 4:7)

Prophetic Literature: Major Prophets (Isaiah - Daniel)

• In love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. (Isaiah 38:17)
• "the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." (Jeremiah 31:3)
• The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. (Lamentations 3:22)

Prophetic Literature: Minor Prophets (Hosea - Malachi)

• For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)
• Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. (Jonah 2:8)
• The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

The Gospels & Acts

• And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:33)
• As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (John 15:9)
• “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12)

The Epistles: Pauline (Romans - Philemon)

• but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
• nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)
• So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor. 13:13)
• But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, (Eph. 2:4)
• And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:14)
• May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

The Epistles: General (Hebrews - Jude)

• See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (1 John 3:1)
• By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. (1 John 3:16)
• Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8)
• In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)
• We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
• Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (Jude 1:21)

Apocalyptic Literature (Revelation)

• But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. (Revelation 2:4)