Why Love Without Holiness Is Not Christian Love

Dr. John Hill, Editor & CEO

Few words are used more freely—and more loosely—than the word love. In today’s culture, love is often defined as affirmation, acceptance, and approval without boundaries. To love someone is assumed to mean never challenging them, never correcting them, and never calling them to change. Yet when Scripture speaks of love, it consistently binds love to holiness. Sever the two, and what remains may be kindness or tolerance—but it is not Christian love.

The God revealed in Scripture is both loving and holy. These attributes are not in competition with one another; they are perfectly united. God’s love flows from His holiness, and His holiness shapes the way He loves (Leviticus 19:2; 1 John 4:8). Any definition of love that contradicts God’s character is incomplete and misleading.

Christian love begins with God’s initiative. God loved the world, but that love did not ignore sin—it addressed it (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). The cross stands as the clearest evidence that love does not overlook wrongdoing. Instead, love confronts sin with truth and provides a costly remedy. If love required no holiness, the cross would have been unnecessary.

Scripture repeatedly warns against separating love from obedience. Jesus made clear that love for Him is demonstrated through obedience to His commands (John 14:15). Love that refuses obedience is sentimental at best and deceptive at worst. Genuine love seeks alignment with God’s will, not exemption from it.

Holiness, likewise, is never presented as optional for believers. God calls His people to be holy because He Himself is holy (1 Peter 1:15–16). This call applies not only to personal conduct but also to how we love others. Love that encourages sin, excuses rebellion, or ignores repentance is not acting in the best interest of another’s soul (Proverbs 27:6).

The apostle Paul reminds believers that love rejoices in truth, not in wrongdoing (1 Corinthians 13:6). This single statement dismantles the idea that love must always affirm. Biblical love is willing to grieve, confront, and even suffer in order to protect what is right. It values eternal good over temporary comfort.

Jesus modeled this perfectly. He showed compassion to sinners while calling them to repentance and transformation (John 8:11; Mark 1:15). His love was welcoming but never permissive. He did not lower God’s standard to make people comfortable; He raised people toward God’s standard through grace and truth (John 1:14).

When love is detached from holiness, it becomes powerless. It may soothe feelings but cannot heal hearts. It may affirm choices but cannot rescue lives. True Christian love desires restoration, not just reassurance (Galatians 6:1). It understands that holiness is not the enemy of love, but its safeguard.

For the church today, this truth is essential. We are called to love deeply, sincerely, and sacrificially—but always in a way that reflects God’s holy character (Ephesians 5:1–2). To abandon holiness in the name of love is to misrepresent both.

Christian love does not choose between compassion and conviction. It holds them together. Love without holiness is not love as Scripture defines it. But love shaped by holiness reflects the heart of God—and leads others not merely to acceptance, but to life.