Does the Bible Encourage Romantic Love?

If you have been to a Christian wedding recently, you might have listened to the endearing words of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. These are often read during the ceremony to exemplify the lasting love between a man and a woman, and how it resembles the love God has for each of us.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 shares the qualities of love we desire to have with our significant other: patience, endurance, being hopeful, not being envious or rude, etc. This portrayal of romantic love characterizes the love we ought to have with our spouse – love that will withstand the trials of this world and remind us of the love our Savior has for us.

When we stop and really look at these verses, we see the benefits that come from sharing love like this with a spouse. These words increase the romantic love shared between a couple while preventing issues that could cause strife.

Romantic Love Is Physical

Many consider the verses from Song of Solomon to be the most truthful about the intimate love shared between a couple. Interspersing the dialogue between a man and a woman, the couple details the physical love they share for one another, even mentioning physical features they find attractive in each other that build up their desire and passion.

“His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me” (Song of Solomon 2:6).

“My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies” (Song of Solomon 2:16).

“When I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go … Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases” (Song of Solomon 3:4-5).

These verses convey the love felt between a married couple as they embrace the love they share for one another, as well as the physical attributes they enjoy about one another. When people get married to the one God has chosen for them, it becomes easier to strengthen your love by finding new aspects of one another to enjoy.

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The Bible describes romantic love between a husband and wife, and even a couple who are dating, as resembling Jesus Christ’s love for the Church and the Church for Him. “Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:24-25).

We read of Jesus’s sacrificial love for us, the Church, through His words, death on the cross, and resurrection. The same love can be experienced between a married couple who understands that they have become one in the flesh, instead of two separate people. Romantic love in God’s eyes is giving oneself to the other, not in an attempt to outdo the other in love and efforts, but to demonstrate your appreciation for this person.

When a person feels loved, cherished, and respected in their marriage, the romantic love they feel will bloom even more, and remind them of the love their Savior has for them as well.

Romantic Love Forgives and Trusts Again

As will happen in any romantic relationship, issues and disagreements may arise, and feelings may be hurt. This can happen when two independent people come together in a relationship that leads to marriage.

However, Proverbs 10:12 shares with us that hatred can bring about strife but “love covers all sins.” This means that when we choose to forgive out of love for that person and work to trust them again, love will guide our way. Instead of being reminded of what our spouse did to us, we will be reminded that they are a fallen human like we are, and just as Jesus forgives them for what they did, so should we.

In this world, forgiveness and trust are crucial gifts that people may not be as happy to offer. We may think that if the person really cared, they wouldn’t have done what they did in the first place. However, God looks at the heart of the person and knows that we all face inner battles against our base inclinations and desires. And yet He is quick to forgive us, so we are to do the same for others in love, especially with our spouses.

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When two people unite in marriage, it can be easy to envision a long and happy relationship together. But what the Bible teaches us is that romantic love displays what to expect in the future. Instead of just loving each other for many years in romantic bliss, God tells us the best news: that we will see our spouses again in heaven.

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him,” (1 John 4:9).

We live through the Lord Jesus when we accept His salvation. That love becomes more apparent when we are married and experience romantic love with our spouses. Jesus teaches us how to love one another, and how that love will continue on when we join Him in heaven.

If couples can build their love despite what this world throws us, just imagine that love continuing to prosper when we are freed from the constraints of this world and embrace our heavenly homes together.

Romantic love can be viewed as secondary to the agape love God has for us, but we should never bypass what God teaches us about loving our spouses – in both the physical and spiritual senses. Romantic love is not something that can only be enjoyed when we were carnal and not of the Lord: it can still be cherished, celebrated, and upheld even as we devote our lives to serving the Lord.

So, whether you are married, dating, or in hopes of meeting that special someone soon, know that the best source of how to develop romance and keep it alive can be found in Scripture.

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