Can Love Exist without God

[AustinC]

Someone quoted 1 Corinthians 13:13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Since God is Love, can the ungodly express love when they have no faith and no hope?

All the verses in the Bible about love are written to those who are already saved. I contend that the unsaved cannot love because they are dead in their trespasses and sins, which means they are devoid of God's Spirit, which gifts Christians with the love of God.

 

[Deacon]

I think this falls into the catalogue of common grace.

Rob

 

[utilyan]

Someone quoted 1 Corinthians 13:13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Since God is Love, can the ungodly express love when they have no faith and no hope?

All the verses in the Bible about love are written to those who are already saved. I contend that the unsaved cannot love because they are dead in their trespasses and sins, which means they are devoid of God's Spirit, which gifts Christians with the love of God.

"All the verses in the Bible about love are written to those who are already saved. "
WE GOT bible verses stating the opposite.

Luke 6
32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33“If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

The ENTIRE GOSPEL is aimed at UNBELIEVERS.

The idea a person can't love is SATANIC in origin, not found in the bible, made so elitist feel no sympathy for their enemy "ANIMAL". We see this in Racism, Anti-Jews. to explain when a person in enemy religion does good. "Its just a fluke"

That way when a MUSLIM saves your life, you are taught to still hate him and whatever he did wasn't genuine. Else you might get funny ideas that he is sincerely your friend and what he is taught is NOBLE and GOOD.
Same attitude is used for BLACK PEOPLE, JEWS or any group YOU HATE.


The Pharisees also use this tactic on Jesus, stating Jesus only commands demons because he is a prince of demons.

IT is an OLD EVIL TACTIC.

2 Peter 1

5Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

 

[JonC]

Someone quoted 1 Corinthians 13:13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Since God is Love, can the ungodly express love when they have no faith and no hope?

All the verses in the Bible about love are written to those who are already saved. I contend that the unsaved cannot love because they are dead in their trespasses and sins, which means they are devoid of God's Spirit, which gifts Christians with the love of God.

Luke 6:32
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

I agree with @Deacon in that the capacity to love, in general, is a common grace. With Luke 6 we see the ungodly loving, albeit in a selfish way (they love those who love them).

But God loved us while we were His enemies (while we were rebellious and showing hatred towards Him).

While I believe the lost capable of love in general, I do not believe the lost can love with a godly love.

 

[utilyan]

Luke 6:32
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

I agree with @Deacon in that the capacity to love, in general, is a common grace. With Luke 6 we see the ungodly loving, albeit in a selfish way (they love those who love them).

But God loved us while we were His enemies (while we were rebellious and showing hatred towards Him).

While I believe the lost capable of love in general, I do not believe the lost can love with a godly love.

Back to Back Jesus attacks this idea that there is a love only "chosen" are capable of. The pharisees accused that his acts kindness were Satanic in origin.

Luke 11
11“Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12“Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

14And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. 15But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. 17But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. 18“If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.

Same principle if everyone who does GOOD and LOVE does so by Satan then Satan is divided against himself.

 

[JonC]

Back to Back Jesus attacks this idea that there is a love only "chosen" are capable of. The pharisees accused that his acts kindness were Satanic in origin.

Luke 11
11“Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12“Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

14And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. 15But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. 17But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. 18“If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.

Same principle if everyone who does GOOD and LOVE does so by Satan then Satan is divided against himself.

I agree.

When we love God and love with a selfless love (when we love our enemies) then we are "walking in the Spirit" and "in the Light" and "by the Spirit" and it is "Christ in us".

We (mankind as a whole) are created in the image of God. Mythologies of "the Fall" does not change this fact (it is the reason given for prohibiting murder, long after the Fall). That is what people ignore. There is no man without some working of God in his life regardless of that person's salvation. We all...the good, the bad, and the ugly...exist because of God and are sustained by God. The sun shines on the godly and the wicked alike.

That said, I do believe it is only in God that we can truly love as God loves. We can disagree and that's fine. I believe that this love (God's love) in us is the fulfillment of the gospel.

But heck....maybe I'm wrong and Spiritual Life is really philosophy about God choosing people and Jesus dying for that group and we just believe those principles to avoid smoking a turd in Hell. But I think I am right.

 

[kyredneck]

I think this falls into the catalogue of common grace.

Rob

I agree with @Deacon in that the capacity to love, in general, is a common grace.

Rephrase the question:

Can agape exist without God?

Is the natural man inclined to charity?

 

[Yeshua1]

Someone quoted 1 Corinthians 13:13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Since God is Love, can the ungodly express love when they have no faith and no hope?

All the verses in the Bible about love are written to those who are already saved. I contend that the unsaved cannot love because they are dead in their trespasses and sins, which means they are devoid of God's Spirit, which gifts Christians with the love of God.

Only the saved can have Jesus kind of love, as that is fruit of the Holy Spirit!