Walking in love is a central theme in the Bible, especially emphasized in the New Testament. The apostle Paul instructs believers to “walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2 ESV). But what exactly does it mean to walk in love?
To walk in love means to intentionally live our lives according to the pattern of love demonstrated by Jesus Christ. It means shaping our thoughts, words, and actions around selfless, sacrificial love for God and for others. Walking in love is not something we can accomplish in our own strength, but only through the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. As we yield to the Spirit’s leading and rely on His strength, He empowers us to walk in the same kind of humble, servant-hearted love that characterized Jesus’ life and ministry.
There are several key aspects involved in walking in love:
1. Walking in love means loving God wholeheartedly.
The greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). To walk in love, we must love God with every fiber of our being, seeking to please and honor Him above all else. This kind of all-consuming love for God should be our motivation in everything we do (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Walking in love means embracing absolute obedience to God. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Loving obedience is the natural fruit of truly loving God. We obey God not out of duty or obligation, but out of heartfelt love, awe, and adoration for who He is.
Walking in love also means loving what God loves. We are called not just to love God abstractly, but to love all that is consistent with His character—righteousness, justice, mercy, truth, etc. As we grow in love for God, we will grow in love for the things He cares about most deeply.
2. Walking in love means laying down our lives for others.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). To walk in love is to follow Jesus’ example of sacrificial self-giving for the good of others. As Ephesians 5:2 reminds us, Christ gave Himself up for us. He put aside His rights, humbled Himself, and endured unimaginable suffering, all out of love for us.
Walking in Christlike love means we too must lay aside our own interests and agendas to serve others. It means seeking their growth and edification above our own. It means bearing with one another patiently, forgiving grievances, speaking truth graciously, spurring one another on to Christlikeness. As Paul says, we are to “outdo one another in showing honor” and to consider others as more significant than ourselves (Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:3).
Laying down our lives also means moving beyond mere words. Love is action. As John says, “let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Walking in love requires sacrificial action like giving generously to help those in need (1 John 3:17), opening our homes to strangers (Hebrews 13:2), caring for the sick (Matthew 25:36), seeking justice for the oppressed (Isaiah 1:17), etc. It is concrete, measurable love in real-time situations.
3. Walking in love means living by the wisdom from above.
True Christlike love only springs from a heart transformed by God’s grace. On our own, we will consistently misapply and distort what it means to walk in love. We need the wisdom that James describes as “from above,” characterized by purity, peace, gentleness, mercy, impartiality, sincerity (James 3:17).
This wisdom guides us to balance grace and truth, justice and mercy. It protects us from worldly distortions of love that celebrate sin or enable harmful behaviors. Godly wisdom applies the timeless truths of Scripture to everyday relationships and dilemmas. It discerns the loving thing to do or say in any given scenario. We must rely on the Spirit’s wisdom if we want to walk in love as Christ did.
4. Walking in love means speaking truth.
Some equate love with being nice and avoiding disagreement at all costs. But walking in biblical love often requires speaking difficult truths for someone’s benefit. As Paul told the Ephesians, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).
Of course, truth must always be spoken graciously, gently, and humbly. We are to be “quick to hear, slow to speak” (James 1:19). But walking in love means we cannot avoid uncomfortable truths just to keep the peace. Jesus never compromised truth in the name of love. He confronted sin directly but with a heart of compassion.
As Jesus showed, biblical love cares more about the eternal well-being of others than superficial harmony. Speaking truth in love, as the Spirit enables us, is an essential part of walking in Christlike love.
5. Walking in love means giving others grace.
An important aspect of walking in love is extending grace to others in the same way Christ has extended grace to us. This means being quick to forgive, not keeping scores of wrongs, giving others the benefit of the doubt.
Consider Jesus’ interaction with the woman caught in adultery (John 8). The religious leaders wanted to stone her, but Jesus showed mercy and grace. He did not condone her sin, but neither did He condemn her. After telling her to “go and sin no more,” Jesus sent her away forgiven and free.
Like Jesus, we must hold truth and grace in tension. We are all sinners saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8). So walking in love means treating others as treasured image-bearers of God. It means leaving judgment to Him alone and overflowing with patience, understanding, and compassion.
6. Walking in love means going the extra mile.
Walking in love goes beyond just avoiding harm and speaking truth. It means taking initiative to extend Christ’s love in practical ways. Paul exhorts believers to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10). Followers of Jesus are to be proactive catalysts of love in every relationship and setting.
Going the extra mile is what God’s love looks like in the nitty gritty of daily life. It means being generous, refusing to keep score, making time for people in need. It means humbly serving behind the scenes and celebrating others. It means being quick to forgive and slow to anger. It requires seeing interruptions and needs as divinely ordained opportunities to love like Jesus.
Of course, we cannot manufacture this kind of extraordinary love in our own power. We can only walk in love to the extent that the Holy Spirit empowers us. As we yield every area of life to Christ’s lordship, the Spirit will bear His loving fruit through us (Galatians 5:22-23).
7. Walking in love requires abiding in Christ.
Jesus said, “Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:9). To continually walk in the self-emptying love of Christ, we must stay vitally connected to Him by faith.
Abiding in Christ means drawing life and strength from Him through spiritual disciplines like Scripture reading, prayer, worship, fasting, accountability, service, etc. It means surrendering control of our lives completely to Him each day. It means allowing the Holy Spirit to prune and refine us into greater Christlikeness.
When we are abiding in intimate fellowship with Jesus, we will naturally walk as He walked, loving others out of the overflow of His love pouring through us. Staying rooted in Christ’s abundant love is essential for walking in love.
8. Walking in love reflects our identity in Christ.
Ultimately, our ability to walk in love flows out of who we are in Christ. When we trusted in Jesus, we were adopted into God’s family and filled with His Spirit. Our core identity changed from sinner to saint. We became new creations designed to walk in good works (Ephesians 2:10).
Therefore, we can walk in love because Christ’s Spirit lives within us empowering us to bear His fruit. His love has been poured into our hearts (Romans 5:5). We are disciples of the Lord who taught that love sums up all God’s commands (Luke 10:27). Walking in love expresses who we are as beloved, Spirit-indwelt children of the God who is love (1 John 4:7-8).
By God’s amazing grace, the more we walk in love, the more our lives align with our transformed identity in Christ. His love flowing through us reveals that we belong to Him.
In summary, here are some key truths about what it means to walk in love:
- It means loving God wholeheartedly, obeying His commands, and loving what He loves.
- It means laying down our lives for others through humble, sacrificial service.
- It means living according to the wisdom from above rather than worldly thinking.
- It means speaking truth graciously, but not compromising truth for superficial harmony.
- It means extending grace to others, just as Christ has extended grace to us.
- It means going above and beyond, taking initiative to love others as Christ loves us.
- It requires continually abiding in close relationship with Jesus.
- It flows from our new identity in Christ as God’s dearly loved children.
The life modeled and enabled by Jesus is a life of other-centered, self-giving love. Walking in love impacts every area of life, from our thoughts and words to our actions and attitudes. It transforms how we view others and how we respond in every situation. Everything about following Jesus comes back to learning how to walk in the same wholehearted love that led Him to the cross for us. May God’s Spirit empower us all to walk in love!
