What are the Languages of Love?
We all agree that love is one of the most powerful emotions every single individual is capable of exhibiting. But are we even aware that love is a language? It certainly is! Accordingly, there are 5 languages of love.
Bible Verse: Mark 12:30-31
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.
Summation of God’s Law
Love for God cannot be divorced from love for one’s neighbor. So, Jesus also quoted Leviticus 19:18 and put it on the same level as the Shema. All of the law and the prophets hang on both of these commandments.
We might add that the teachings of the Epistles in the New Testament agree with this statement: If a person really loves God, he or she must also love their brother, sister, and neighbor (1 John 3:10-18; 4:7-21).
If we have the right relationship with God, we will have no problems with His commandments. Love is the basis for obedience. In fact, all of the law is summed up in love (Romans 13:8-10). If we love God, we will love our neighbors. If we love our neighbors, we will not want to do anything to harm them.
5 Expressions of Love
According to Dr. Gary Chapman, there are five primary love languages. They are the five ways that people express love to each other. These are: 1) words of affirmation, 2) quality time, 3) physical touch, 4) acts of service, and 5) receiving gifts.
It is true that most people express love in two of the five ways, but not Jesus. He expressed love in all five ways.
Jesus Loves with Words of Affirmation
In John 8:4-11, Jesus showed love to the woman caught in adultery with words of affirmation.
We must not misinterpret this event to mean that Jesus was easy on sin. Or that He contradicted the law. For Jesus to forgive this woman meant that He had to one day die for her sin. Forgiveness is free but it is not cheap.
The Lord did not affirm her actions but He did affirm her value as a person. By affirming the value of this woman as a person, Jesus modeled not only words but also actions. He showed affirmation to a woman that needed mercy just like we all do.
Jesus Loves with Quality Time
We read in Luke 19:2-9 how Jesus showed love to Zacchaeus by spending quality time with him. It was never a coincidence that Jesus called for Zacchaeus when he was up in the tree. Jesus knew Zacchaeus wanted to see Him but He gave him something better – time to speak with Him.
Everyone indeed has a limited amount of time. But isn’t God and other people worth enough to spend some time with them?
Jesus Loves with His Touch
Jesus showed love in Luke 8:52-56 by His touch. He had healed many people of physical and spiritual illnesses, inspiring Bill Gaither to write the song, “He Touched Me.”
We read how Jesus has literally and figuratively touched many people. We can also show love by sharing the healing message of the Gospel, aside from the comfort of a hug. Are the souls of people worth enough for us to touch them with the Gospel?
Jesus Loves with Self-Service
As Jesus’ earthly ministry was coming to a close, He sacrificed His life as an act of service to provide the greatest gift of all: salvation.
It’s been 2 weeks since Christians all around the world celebrated the love of God expressed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is by far the greatest expression of love God could have shown to humanity.
Jesus Loves by Receiving Gifts
We must recognize that we can never out-give God nor can we repay what Jesus has done for us. Well, not that He expects us to.
So, what gifts can we offer to our Lord? The apostle Paul exhorts every believer to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:2).
Just as Jesus Christ had to take on Himself a body to accomplish God’s will on earth, so we must yield our bodies to Christ. We submit to the Lord that He might continue God’s work through us.
We must yield the members of the body as “instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13) for the Holy Spirit to use in the doing of God’s work. The Old Testament sacrifices were dead sacrifices, but we are to be living sacrifices.
Closing Words
As we can see, Jesus is the model of all five love languages. And as born-again Christians, we are supposed to live our lives as disciples or imitators of Jesus. We do this by living out the first and greatest commandment found in Mark 12:30-31. (See also Matthew 22:37-39.)
Let us love God and love others using all five love languages.
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Publisher’s Description
Do you know what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Did you know that God wants to prepare you during this life to live in heaven with Him? Does your purpose for life evade you?
In Life According to The Truth. Disciple of Jesus Christ, Michael Heilman honestly writes about the issues facing the church and how to live the victorious Christian life.
Michael expounds on biblical principles God has applied to Michael’s life and led to God’s blessing in many areas of his life. With illustrations, humor, and most importantly scripture, he explains to any born-again believer who is spiritually wandering through life, how to be spiritually blessed by God as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
In this devotional Bible study, you will be enlightened in regards to:
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Life is difficult, but God can enable you to have abundant joy. If you are a born-again believer that needs encouragement, this book is for you.