Love is Strength

Love is often mistaken for weakness—written off as passive, naïve, or blind affirmation. But real love isn’t weak at all.

Love is strength.

Love walks beside. 

Love carries tension.

Love lays down ego.

It’s easier to hide inside the safety of rules because rules keep things neat. Predictable. They don’t ask much of our hearts. They’re easy to enforce, easy to repeat, and easy to stand behind. But the way of love? That’s far more demanding.

Love asks for perseverance when we’d rather quit.

Love asks for humility when we’d rather be right.

Love asks for vulnerability when we’d rather remain comfortable. 

That’s why love feels messy. It stretches us past comfort. It pulls us into disappointment, frustration, and even the pain of patience. But that’s the cost of entering someone’s story instead of standing outside of it with judgment.

And here’s the truth: when someone has truly encountered this kind of love—not a shallow imitation, but the deep, self-giving kind—they never forget it. They may wander. They may resist. They may wrestle with their brokenness. But love always calls them back. Because nothing else compares.

Rules can control behavior, yes. 

But Love transforms hearts.

And Jesus didn’t come just to reinforce rules. He came to reveal what the law was always pointing to—love God, love people. 

The only way to live out both commandments—is through relationship, not rituals.

So let’s be honest for a second:

• Do you rely more on controlled behavior than on love? (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

• Are rules the ruler of your heart, or is Jesus? (Matthew 22:37-40)

• Have you made it easier to enforce boundaries than to embrace people? (Luke 10:25-37)

• Are you keeping the “law” while breaking Jesus’ command to love those inside and outside your circle? (1 John 4:20)

Because rules will always be easier than love. But rules can’t save. Rules can’t transform. Rules can’t heal.

Only love does that.

And if we’re not living it out in relationship, we’re missing the very heart of what Jesus came to show us.

Let me ask you a final question: at what point did our self righteousness become so highly thought of that we became the gatekeeper to Christ’s love and grace? 

Here are some verses to share that relate directly to what we’re talking about:

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 (NIV)

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Matthew 22:37–40 (NIV)

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Luke 10:25–37 (NIV) – The Parable of the Good Samaritan (excerpt)

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

(Jesus then tells the story of the Good Samaritan to show that love requires action, compassion, and relationship, not just knowing or quoting the law.)

1 John 4:20 (NIV)

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

Galatians 3:10-14 (NIV)

“For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭13‬ ‭(NIV‬‬)

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Because we can’t love and give mercy the way that Christ does (our predisposition is judgment), the purpose of Radical inclusion is to bring everyone to the feet of Christ. Then, we must submit with a radical dependence on him and his Holy Spirit to reach the hearts of those we can’t change. Only the Holy Spirit can change hearts. So what else are we to do but bring them before grace and forsake the judgment of the law? 

Love gets criticized more than it gets lived.

People call it weak, passive, or ‘soft on truth.’

But what if love is actually the strongest thing Jesus gave us? 

This isn’t blind affirmation—it’s the very heart of the law.