Can unbelievers love?

from the old testament

• All people are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27). That means that all people are capable of real affection, loyalty, compassion, and self-sacrifice.
• Sin is still part of God’s common grace both to give and receive love. God shows kindness, patience, and mercy to all people, not only believers, enabling moral good and relational love in the world (Psalm 145:9; Matthew 5:45 echoes this Old Testament idea).
• Sin has tainted humanity’s ability to love as God intended us to (Genesis 3). Even sincere love is limited, impacted by self-interest, and vulnerable to corruption apart from God’s transforming work (Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9).
• The steadfast, faithful love (ḥesed) of God is distinct from human love. As believers we are called to love Him and to love others and for this love to flow from knowing Him and walking in covenant obedience (Deuteronomy 6:5; Micah 6:8).

from the new testament

• Unbelievers can love. Jesus acknowledges that even sinners love those who love them (Matthew 5:46–47; Luke 6:32–33).
• “God is love,” and the fullest expression of love flows from knowing Him (1 John 4:7–10).
• Human love is limited and often dependent on emotions or reciprocation, but God’s love is unconditional and perfect whether we deserve it or not (1 John 4:10).
• Self-giving, sacrificial love that mirrors Christ’s love is produced by the Spirit and characterizes those who belong to Him (John 13:34–35; Galatians 5:22; Romans 5:5).
• Without the Spirit, people may love sincerely and express kindness, but they cannot love with the depth, constancy, and redemptive purpose that flows from union with Christ (Romans 8:7–8; 1 Corinthians 2:14).
• Loving enemies, forgiving deeply, and laying down one’s life reflects Christ’s love at work in His people (Matthew 5:44; John 15:12–13). This is counter to the world’s view of love.

implications for today

Everyone wants to love and be loved. Love is a fundamental human need. It is easily identifiable yet also a complex reality. We can love many things. We can say we love tacos and also say we love our spouse. We say we love our children, students, certain films, books, and a myriad of other things. The depth, kind, and quality of our love is dependent on many things: stage in life, relation to that object, our mood, our desires, and much more. Our love for others often changes based on whether we think someone deserves it or is getting on our nerves.

God’s love is different from ours. It is unchanging. He loves us with the same consistency and depth no matter what we do. He is perfectly loving in His discipline and in His bestowing mercy and grace toward us. All people are impacted by sin and therefore tainted in the way we love. Believers and unbelievers alike can experience, give, and receive love, but believers have been transformed by the Holy Spirit and are called to love differently: in a way that allows God’s love to flow through us (Romans 5:5). Believers are called to love selflessly and sacrificially. This love is not based on feelings or circumstances but rooted in God’s perfect love. It is not rooted in convenience, emotion, or merit but grounded in truth, sacrifice, and faithfulness. It moves toward others even when it costs us something, even when it is undeserved, even when feelings lag behind doing what is right.

Even believers will love imperfectly, but our love is continually being redeemed and redirected as we surrender to Him. In this way we can reflect God, who is love, to a world that is desperately longing for true and lasting love.