There are countless verses about unconditional love in the Bible – Here is a collection of some of our favorite ones arranged according to theme.
Unconditional love in the Bible is a beautiful concept, but it is hard to wrap our minds around what such an everlasting love might look like. The unconditional love of God is a different kind of love than we are used to. Our Heavenly Father has His own way of loving us that is bigger than human love. There is no limit to how much God loves you.
Below are 40 Bible verses from the Holy Scripture that describe the concept of unconditional love. These verses can be used for a Bible study or just a quick search into the topic of genuine love. The passages below are from both the Old Testament and the New Testament and they testify of the steadfast love of God.
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Jeremiah 31:3
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The verses above show us the way God embodies true love. They highlight the unconditional acceptance that He gives when children of mankind take refuge in Him. God does not just show sacrificial love, such love is who He is.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
1 John 4:9-10
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
The verses above indicate how the whole Gospel message of Jesus Christ coming to Earth for the sins of mankind and to restore our relationship to the Father can be summarized in this one word: love. Jesus did not come into the world to judge the world, but to save the world (John 3:17).
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Romans 5:5
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
The definition of unconditional love is simply love without conditions. There are no hoops to jump through, no boxes to tick off, nothing we can do to change how the Father looks at us: with great love in His eyes.
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:34-40
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”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.”
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position; do not be conceited; do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord.On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Jesus taught His followers that love is bigger than anything else. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in everything that we can DO for God that we forget who He called us to BE – people of love.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 13:34-35
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Jesus said that love is the most important thing of all – that is the summary of His teachings. And then He walked in love, all the way to the cross. But that was not the end. He crossed the bridge from death back into life, making a way for all people to come freely to Him. When we forget that God’s love is unconditional, we forget what Jesus did on the cross.
Think about how the curtain in the temple tore at the moment when Jesus died (Matthew 27:51). The curtain was what came between people and the presence of God. In the old covenant, people had to bring offerings and sacrifices to set themselves right. Only the chosen priests could enter beyond the curtain.
The curtain tearing from top to bottom shows that there is no longer anything that we can do to earn God’s love. His love is unconditional! There is nothing left to do but run into His arms!
Photo by SixteenMilesOut
How to pray love Bible verses as a blessing over someone
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
This prayer from Ephesians is a great example of how we can pray about unconditional love. The following verses from the Psalms also speak about God’s love and they can be used as inspiration for prayer over someone. Use the sentence below each verse as a guide in your prayer and simply fill in their name on the blank lines.
May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.
May _____ be enthroned in the presence of God forever where love and faithfulness protects _____.
Psalm 36:7
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
God, would you cover _____ in the shadow of your wing and show them Your unfailing love for them?
Psalm 103:17
But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—
I pray that God’s love will be everlasting in ______, when ______ honors God, God’s justice and righteousness will follow them all their days.
Psalm 86:13 and 15 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead. But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Oh God, you love ______ so much. You’ve delivered them from the depths and saved them from dead, so that ______ can come alive in You forever. You did this because of Your compassion, grace, and patience. Your faithful love abounds in _______’s life!
Living out the unconditional love found in the Bible
In John 14:15 and 21 God said: “If you love me, keep my commands. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” Therefore, we see that the unconditional love of God propels us to want to obey His commands. Let’s look at some commands about how we should love others…
Matthew 5:43-46
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
Luke 6:35
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
1 John 3:17-18
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
How to live out unconditional love in your relationships
The Bible is not silent on issues like conflict, marriage, and broken relationships or friendships. God is near to the brokenhearted and there are great truths to cling to if you want to see God’s unconditional love at play in your life.
Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
Photo by Shelby Deeter
Reminding ourselves of God’s unconditional love
There is a theme in the Bible where people remind themselves of God’s promises. The verses below make great memory verses to learn off by heart. When hardship comes your way, you can remind yourself of God’s unconditional love by saying these words out loud.
John 15:9-12
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.
Romans 8:35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
These three passages about God’s unconditional love, rewritten into prayers
Declare it over your life: “Even if I cannot see it right now and I definitely do not feel like it, I believe that God’s love for me remains. I can abide in His love and stay near to Him. He fills me with joy and so much love that it spills over into the lives of others!”
Pray this: “God, the Bible tells me that your love will never fail. Would you make me aware of your love right now? You are strong and you guide me just like you led the Israelites into the promised land. Lead me into the promises you have in store for me as well…”
Remind yourself: “Nothing can come between me and God! If He feels far, that is a lie. His love for me is unconditional. Neither trouble nor hardship nor persecution nor famine nor nakedness nor danger nor a sword can ever separate me from this great love!”
The most popular Bible passage on love
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
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.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Reflecting on these 40 Bible verses
The collection of 40 Bible verses on unconditional love above shows us how God is with us in our struggles and that there is nothing standing between us and Him anymore. Unconditional love in the Bible is based on God’s character – it is simply who He is. That’s why, when we spend time with Him, we can become people of love too.
I believe each person is born with a hunger inside them; it is the need for unconditional acceptance and real love. There are snippets of love in the world. It sporadically drops down near us like rain. A beautiful love song, a moving advertisement, an old couple holding hands. So, we desire something and crave it because we are made aware of what we do not have. But when someone encounters the love of God for the first time, it is like stepping under a waterfall and getting completely soaked. We go from a raindrop here and there to something that completely envelops us and it is impossible to not be changed by that. Our deepest desires are met in God’s unconditional love in the Bible and our hungry, searching souls are satisfied.
Eljoh Hartzer is combining theology and art to nurture faith journeys across generations. She is a Masters-level Practical Theologian with the University of Stellenbosch. She is also a writer and editor in the niche of Christianity and children's content and she illustrates children's books. Eljoh resides in the Swartland area in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
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