For Christians, a brief survey of the day’s headlines leads to an inescapable conclusion: the world is lost, confused, and bereft of a true understanding of love. This is particularly evident on culturally significant days like Valentine’s Day, where a secularized celebration of love reveals profound cultural distortions. The inundation of greeting cards in local stores, bearing insipid expressions of affection, serves as a symbol of a much deeper cultural anemia—an erosion of the very nature of love. Yet, even in a fallen world, every human heart instinctively knows that it was created both to love and to be loved. This yearning is a fundamental expression of the imago Dei.
For Christians, love is not merely a sentimental or romantic notion, as often portrayed in secular contexts, but rather the very essence of God’s nature. The succinct yet profound statement in 1 John 4:8—“God is love”—provides the ontological anchor for understanding love. God’s being and love are inseparable, and thus, to truly comprehend love, one must come to know God. It is through God’s self-revelation as Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer that the true nature of love is disclosed to humanity. Here, love is not an abstract concept, but an attribute intrinsically bound to God’s unchanging character.
Within the biblical narrative, various forms of human love are presented—most notably the love between husband and wife. Scripture provides numerous examples of love that reflect sentimentality and romance. Yet, even these pale in comparison to the biblical portrayal of God’s steadfast love, which transcends human emotion. This divine love is characterized by hesed—God’s covenantal faithfulness, lovingkindness, and unwavering commitment to His people. Unlike the transient, self-serving notions of love promoted in contemporary culture, the biblical depiction of love is enduring and sacrificial, reflecting the nature of God Himself.
The essence of Christian love is most vividly demonstrated in the person and work of Jesus Christ. As articulated in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross exemplifies the ultimate act of self-giving love, wherein He bore the penalty for human sin, reconciling humanity to God. This sacrificial love reflects the doctrine of substitutionary atonement, which lies at the heart of Christian theology. Through Christ’s sacrifice, believers are justified by faith alone (sola fide), through the merits of Christ alone (solus Christus), underscoring the salvific work of divine love.
In stark contrast, contemporary cultural conceptions of love are often shallow, driven by self-fulfillment rather than sacrificial giving. Western culture has increasingly secularized marriage, redefining its very nature, and severing it from its biblical roots. Sexual intimacy has been detached from the covenantal framework of marriage, while romantic love has been reduced to mere emotional gratification. This cultural subversion of love has led to widespread relational brokenness, evidenced by rising divorce rates and societal confusion about the nature of marriage. According to recent studies, the divorce rate in the United States stands at approximately 39%, with the institution of marriage facing significant strain due to shifting cultural values.[1]
However, despite this cultural degradation, Christians can still find glimpses of hope. Even secular celebrations like Valentine’s Day point to an enduring truth—human beings, created in the image of God, possess an inherent capacity for love that even sin cannot fully extinguish. The doctrine of the imago Dei assures us that, though humanity has fallen (Genesis 3), the divine image remains in every person, albeit marred by sin. Therefore, even the flawed expressions of love in contemporary culture reveal a deeper longing for the perfect love that only God can offer.
This longing is ultimately a reflection of the human heart’s desire for a love that does not fail, a love that is eternal and true. While secular culture offers fleeting and superficial imitations of love, the gospel presents the only authentic form of love: the love of God, revealed in Christ. The apostle Paul’s description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 serves as a corrective to the transient and fickle nature of worldly love. In this passage, Paul outlines the enduring qualities of love—patience, kindness, and faithfulness—culminating in the affirmation that “love never ends” (1 Cor. 13:8). This passage reflects the unchanging nature of divine love, which stands in stark contrast to the impermanence of human affection.
Theologically, this love is rooted in the inter-Trinitarian relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The love that exists within the Trinity is not only the archetype for human love but also the source from which all true love flows. As theologians from the patristic era have emphasized, the love of the Triune God is an eternal communion of self-giving, which finds its fullest expression in the economy of salvation.[2] The writings of early Church Fathers, such as Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa, emphasize the intrinsic connection between the love shared within the Godhead and the love extended to humanity through Christ’s redemptive work.[3] This theological framework reinforces the understanding that Christian love is not merely an ethical principle, but a reflection of the divine life itself.
In conclusion, while contemporary culture may celebrate a distorted version of love, Christians are called to bear witness to the true, biblical love that finds its source in God. The secular world’s inadequate understanding of love, as evidenced on days like Valentine’s Day, serves as a reminder of the human heart’s deeper longing for the eternal love revealed in Christ. As bearers of the gospel, Christians are entrusted with the message of God’s perfect love—a love that surpasses all human understanding and endures forever. As we live out this love in our relationships, we proclaim to the world the transformative power of God’s love, which alone can heal the brokenness of humanity.
[1] U.S. Census Bureau, “Marriage and Divorce Statistics,” 2023.
[2] Augustine, On the Trinity, trans. Stephen McKenna, 5th ed. (Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2012).
[3] Gregory of Nyssa, On the Soul and the Resurrection, trans. Catharine P. Roth, 4th ed. (New York: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2001).