Love has been corrupted by a culture that confuses it with lust, infatuation, or selfish desire. We use the word “love” to justify compromise, excuse sin, and rationalize relationships that dishonor God. What passes for love today often lacks the purity, holiness, and selflessness that Scripture describes.
Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who gave his life resisting the Nazis, wrote,
“It is only when one loves God and one’s neighbor that one is permitted to live and let live.”
He understood that pure love isn’t permissive tolerance that excuses everything. It’s rooted in truth, guided by holiness, and motivated by genuine care for others’ wellbeing, not just their immediate happiness.
A 2021 study by the Barna Group found that 64% of practicing Christians believe that cohabitation before marriage is acceptable, showing how cultural definitions of love have infiltrated the church.
But pure love, as Scripture defines it, is set apart. It’s holy, sincere, and completely untainted by selfish motives or sexual impurity.
These verses reveal what pure love looks like and why it matters deeply to God.
Bible Verses About Pure Love
1. 1 Timothy 1:5 – The Goal Is Love From a Pure Heart
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
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2. 1 Peter 1:22 – Love One Another Deeply, From the Heart
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
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3. Romans 12:9 – Love Must Be Sincere
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
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4. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 – Avoid Sexual Immorality
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.
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5. Philippians 1:9-10 – That Your Love May Abound in Knowledge
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
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6. 1 Timothy 5:2 – Treat Younger Women as Sisters, With Absolute Purity
Older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
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7. Hebrews 13:4 – Marriage Should Be Honored by All
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
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8. 1 Corinthians 13:6 – Love Does Not Delight in Evil
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
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9. 2 Timothy 2:22 – Pursue Righteousness, Faith, Love
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
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10. 1 John 4:7-8 – Love Comes From God
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
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11. Ephesians 5:3 – There Must Not Be Even a Hint
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
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12. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 – Flee From Sexual Immorality
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
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13. Song of Solomon 8:4 – Do Not Arouse or Awaken Love
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.
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14. Philippians 4:8 – Whatever Is Pure, Think About Such Things
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
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15. James 3:17 – The Wisdom From Heaven Is Pure
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
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16. 1 John 3:3 – Purifies Themselves, Just as He Is Pure
All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
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17. Titus 2:14 – A People That Are His Very Own, Eager to Do What Is Good
Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
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18. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 – May He Strengthen Your Hearts
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
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19. Matthew 5:8 – Blessed Are the Pure in Heart
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
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20. 2 Corinthians 11:2 – I Promised You to One Husband
I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.
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21. 1 Peter 3:2 – The Purity and Reverence of Your Lives
When they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
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22. Psalm 24:3-4 – Who Has Clean Hands and a Pure Heart
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
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23. 1 Corinthians 7:1 – It Is Good for a Man Not to Have Sexual Relations
Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
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24. Ephesians 5:25-27 – To Make Her Holy, Cleansing Her
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
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25. 1 Timothy 4:12 – Set an Example in Purity
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
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26. Colossians 3:5 – Put to Death Whatever Belongs to Your Earthly Nature
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
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27. 1 John 3:18 – Let Us Not Love With Words but With Actions
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
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28. Proverbs 4:23 – Guard Your Heart
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
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29. 2 Corinthians 7:1 – Perfecting Holiness Out of Reverence for God
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
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30. Romans 13:14 – Clothe Yourselves With the Lord Jesus Christ
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
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31. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 – God Did Not Call Us to Be Impure
For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
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32. Titus 1:15 – To the Pure, All Things Are Pure
To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
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33. 1 Peter 4:8 – Love Covers Over a Multitude of Sins
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
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34. Galatians 5:22-23 – The Fruit of the Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
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35. 1 Corinthians 16:14 – Do Everything in Love
Do everything in love.
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Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Pure Love
Pure love is love untainted by selfish motives, sexual impurity, or hidden agendas. It comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.
This isn’t about being perfect but about having integrity in how you love, ensuring your motivations are right and your conduct honors God. Pure love doesn’t use people for personal gratification or justify compromise in the name of love.
Scripture is clear that sexual purity is essential to pure love. The culture tells us that sex is casual, that living together before marriage is practical, and that physical intimacy outside covenant is normal.
But God’s design for sexuality is holy, set apart, and reserved for the protection of marriage. When we violate that design in the name of love, we’re not experiencing pure love. We’re experiencing something corrupted by lust disguised as affection.
Pure love also requires sincerity. It’s not hypocritical, manipulative, or fake. It genuinely cares about the other person’s well-being, not just what they can provide. It rejoices with truth, not with evil. It pursues holiness together rather than dragging each other down into compromise.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, I want to love with pure love that honors You. Forgive me for the times I’ve confused lust with love, justified compromise, or allowed cultural definitions to override Your truth. Help me to pursue love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.
Guard my heart and help me to maintain purity in my thoughts, my conduct, and my relationships. Give me the strength to flee from sexual immorality and to honor You with my body. Help me to treat others with absolute purity, never using them for selfish gratification or justifying sin in the name of love.
Produce in me love that is sincere, not hypocritical. Help me to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. Let my love for others be motivated by genuine care for their well-being, not by what I can get from them.
Thank You that Your love for me is pure, holy, and completely untainted by selfish motive. Help me to reflect that same purity in how I love others.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.