Love or Lust: Do You Know the Difference?

Articles From Our Bulletins

Philip C. Strong
11/11/20 - Bulletin Articles

Love is the most basic human emotion and need; Lust is a poor and pitiful substitute.

Love establishes value; Lust requires value; (Love says, "This person is 'valuable' to me because I love them" while Lust says, "I 'love' this person because they are valuable to me."

Love is selfless; Lust is selfish.

Love is of heaven- spiritual, divine, and fulfilling; Lust is from below, fleshly, earthly, and insatiable.

Love is an affection or affinity toward; Lust is a desire for.

Love is patient; Lust is impatient.

Love is kind and sensitive; Lust is rude and crude.

Love is never jealous; Lust is ever jealous.

Love is not arrogant and does not brag; Lust is and does.

Love is becoming and pure; Lust is ugly and putrid.

Love forgives and forgets; Lust neither forgives nor forgets (it always keeps and knows the "score").

Love loves the lovely; Lust lusts the lusty.

Love bears, believes, hopes, and therefore endures all things; Lust bears nothing, believes nothing, hopes nothing (beyond instant gratification), and therefore endures nothing (or very little).

Love NEVER fails (to fulfill, to overcome, or to endure); lust ALWAYS fails (to fulfill, to overcome, or to endure).

We've mistaken and misidentified "love" and "lust" for far too long. Since, "God is "love" (1John 4:8) we cannot know God without knowing Love. And unless we "love another," instead of selfishly desiring and using one another, we cannot love God or love as He loves (cf. 1John 4:20 and Matt.44-48).

(Philip C. Strong; Southport Church of Christ; 7202 Madison Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46227; online at southportcofc.org)