Some people love the movie The Princess Bride. It’s not something I’d personally watch again, but it does have one particularly memorable monologue. Forced to wed the bad guy, the heroine stands before a hapless priest—unable to pronounce his Rs or Ls—who begins the ceremony with his famous speech: “Mawage is wot bwings us togeder today. Mawage, that bwessed awangement, that dweam wifin a dweam… And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva.”
Unfortunately, he had no clue about true love. And honestly, neither do most of us.
But the apostle John did. He had firsthand experience with the grace, mercy, and kindness of Jesus during His earthly ministry—so much so that he humbly referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. As one of Christ’s closest friends, John knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loved him. That conviction of God’s unwavering love empowered him to serve the Lord for the rest of his life, even during exile on the island of Patmos, where he continued to write and minister.
The love of God theme continually surfaces in John’s writings. And because love is so easily misunderstood, he offers a clear biblical definition:
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10 NASB).
In contrast, some churches emphasize outward displays of devotion as a litmus test of people’s love for God. If you truly love God, they say, you’ll obey, serve in the nursery, come to every service, give generously when it’s time for the offering, and so on. Many comply, doing all those things out of a sense of obligation. But that’s backwards! Genuine love for God and resulting positive actions spring from receiving His extravagant, endless, perfect love, which He’s revealed in countless ways.
Beyond sending His Son to redeem us, and preparing an eternal home where grief, tears, and pain will cease, He pours out new mercies daily. He provides for our needs and answers our prayers. His Holy Spirit guides and teaches us, His Word enlightens and instructs us, and His creation inspires us. And that’s barely scratching the surface of all the ways He proves His love!
No wonder Calvary Chapel’s founding pastor, Chuck Smith, in a sermon on 1 John 4, said, “Some people think that they are doing such a big favor and (make) a big deal when they say, ‘Oh, I love God.’ So what? The only thing that it proves is that you are not a fool. Because you have every reason to love God . . . You should love God. He’s so lovable!”
The truly remarkable thing isn’t that we love God—it’s that He loves us.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). He loved us when we were unlovable, unworthy, and ignorant of Him. And in many ways, we still are. Yet nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:31–39).
That, my friends, is true love.
So if you ever find yourself doubting His love for you, just look at Jesus—the perfect bridegroom who will one day return for His bride. No matter how you pronounce it, true love comes from God.
