Why Modern Culture’s View of Love Misses the Gospel

Everywhere you look, people talk about love.
“Love yourself”
“Love who you want”
“Love is love”

It sounds good, but something’s missing.
The love our culture celebrates is often just emotion. It’s based on how we feel, not on what’s true. It says that love means accepting everything and never calling anything wrong. But that’s not the kind of love Jesus showed.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Real love isn’t about constant approval. It’s about sacrifice. The world’s version of love says “If you care about me, you’ll agree with me.” God’s version says “I care about you too much to let you stay where you are.”

The Bible describes love as patient, kind, and full of truth.

“Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:6)

That means love can’t exist apart from truth. It’s not loving to ignore sin. Jesus never did that. He loved people right where they were, but He also called them to change. He told the woman caught in adultery “Go and sin no more.” That’s real love, grace and truth together.

When we look at the cross, we see what love actually looks like. It’s not shallow or selfish. It’s holy. Love didn’t excuse sin. It paid for it.

If we want to love like Jesus, we can’t just go along with whatever the world calls love.
We’re called to love people enough to tell them the truth, even when it’s unpopular. That kind of love points people to Jesus, not just to comfort.

“We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)