When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, His Holy Spirit comes to live in us. It is then, and ONLY then, that we are empowered to even begin to love the way the bible tells us to:
- We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 NIV
- But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
- For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT
So, what about non-Christians who do “good” and “loving things”? Is that not love?
Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.
Romans 2:14-15 NLT
So yes, non-Christians can exhibit or manifest love or acts of love, but not fully in the biblical sense of the term – as that requires the power of the Holy Spirit.
NOTE: As we get further into how the bible tells us to love, I promise you, this will make even more sense.
