A Love Fully Revealed

The Portrait of Love

For many years Adventists have waited for the second coming of Christ. We look at signs of the times and Bible prophecy, but what is Jesus actually waiting for before His return?

Ellen White tells us, “Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.”[1]

Scripture tells us plainly what that character is: love.

First Corinthians 13, the love chapter, is not an abstract ideal; it is a portrait. And that portrait was first painted in the life of Jesus. Jesus reflected a love that suffers long, a love that does not seek its own, a love that endures all things, a love that is willing to lay down His life to save those who are weak, those who are poor, and those who are lost.

When Love Grows Cold

Jesus warned in Matthew 24:12: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” What does this word “lawlessness” mean? The Greek word is ἀνομία (anomia). Anomia literally means “without law” or “the condition of being opposed to law.”The important part to note here is that anomia doesn’t simply mean ignorance of law; it means active disregard, rejection, or contempt for God’s law. This is not accidental sin. This is relational rebellion.

What is this “law” that Jesus is talking about?

In the New Testament,nomos (the word in anomia that means “law”) can refer to civil law, Jewish ceremonial law, or God’s moral will as revealed in the Ten Commandments. In this context—the one Jesus uses here—it refers to God’s moral will as revealed in the Ten Commandments.

Scripture repeatedly connects God’s law with love:
“Love is the fulfillment of the law”(Rom. 13:10).

“If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

And Ellen White says, “The law of God is the transcript of His character.”[2]
God’s law is an expression of His character, which is love (1 John 4:8). A rejection of God’s law is ultimately a rejection of love’s boundaries and shape. Lawlessness doesn’t produce freedom—it produces self-centeredness. And self-centeredness is the opposite of godly love.

It’s interesting to look at the phrase “will grow cold.” Love doesn’t vanish overnight; it fades gradually.

In Matthew 24:12 Jesus is talking about a time when religion and knowledge increase, but love decreases. It is not just describing open atheism; it is describing a religious environment in which obedience is detached from love and replaced by form, argument, identity, and fear.

In this degenerate age, we should be seeking maturity in Christ, an environment in which our obedience and love grow. He does not want His people to “cool down” under disobedience and fear, but to grow in love through obedience. This is how Christ’s character will be perfectly reflected in His people.

Jesus uses anomia again in Matthew 7:23: “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness [anomia]!” These are religious, active, miracle-working people who are missing true love rooted in one thing: obedience.

Love Reflected in His People

Heaven is ready for us—but are we ready for Heaven’s love to fully live in us?

This idea of love is deeply revealing, and it can be understood through the picture of a marriage.

Fear-driven obedience produces compliance. Love-driven obedience produces transformation.

Imagine a wife who prepares her husband’s favorite meals, keeps the house in order, and irons his shirts—not because she delights in doing so, but because she fears his reaction if she does not. Though the tasks are accomplished, they are motivated, not by love, but by fear and obligation.

Now consider the same actions done for a different reason. A wife prepares her husband’s favorite meals, cares for the home, and irons his shirts because she loves him, and because it brings her joy to serve someone she cherishes. The actions look identical on the surface, but this time they are born from a transformed heart.

In both cases the works are present—but only one is rooted in love. The difference is found, not in what is done, but in why it is done.

Fear-driven obedience produces compliance. Love-driven obedience produces transformation.

This is the work of God’s Spirit. Not merely producing correct actions but transforming the heart so that obedience becomes the natural expression of love.

Ellen White says, “The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian.”[3]

In order to love with a love that does not force compliance, we must first realize that we are loved by the One whose love is not driven by coercion or obligation, but is pure, right, and life-giving.

In Jeremiah 31:3 God says, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”

And 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

We know transformation is real when we reflect the fruit of the Spirit. Yet a slip-up does not mean the Spirit is absent. Transformation is a process, not instant perfection. It is about God abiding in us and working within us, gradually shaping our thoughts, desires, and actions to reflect His character. Even when we stumble, His love and Spirit continue to guide, correct, and restore us, producing growth that endures.

This is why we cannot rely solely on others for our spiritual experience; we must look to Jesus and allow His Spirit to guide us. Humanity will always stumble and fall short, but those who are earnestly seeking Christ are on a journey of spiritual restoration. Even when others fail, Jesus never will. He is our unchanging guide, our faithful companion, and the source of lasting transformation.

In the end the portrait of love is not merely a description of how we should live; it is the life of Jesus Himself. The Bible reveals who Christ truly is.

Jesus is the perfect revelation of God’s character. In His life we see what love looks like in action—patient, humble, self-sacrificing, and faithful even unto death. The portrait of love described in 1 Corinthians 13 was first painted in the life of Christ Himself.

The gospel does something amazing: it does not merely invite us to admire that portrait; it invites us to reflect it. Christ longs to reproduce His own character in His people. This transformation does not begin with human effort but with a heart surrendered to Him.

As Ellen White writes, “When the love of Christ is enshrined in the heart, like sweet fragrance it cannot be hidden. Its holy influence will be felt by all with whom we come in contact.”[4]

Love cannot remain hidden. When Christ dwells within, His love naturally begins to shape our attitudes, our words, and our relationships.

God desires to save as many as possible. Heaven has been prepared for humanity, but God will never force anyone to live in a kingdom where His self-giving love is the very principle on which everything operates. Heaven is joyful, not merely because Jesus is present there, but because His character defines how heaven lives, thinks, and loves. If Christ is not the center of our hearts now, heaven itself would not feel like home.

Christ is not waiting for perfection of performance, but for the maturity of love—the quiet, steady reflection of His own self-sacrificing character in those who follow Him. When that love fills His people, the portrait will finally be complete. And when the world sees the beauty of Christ revealed in lives transformed by His love, the Savior who longs to redeem every willing heart will come to gather His children home.

[1] Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1900, 1941), p. 69.

[2] Ellen G. White, in Signs of the Times, Oct. 8, 1894.

[3] Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1905), p. 470.

[4] Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1956), p. 77.