--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What people mean when they say that God…" description: "\"“What people mean when they say that God is love is often something quite different: they really mean ‘Love is God.”\" — c.s. lewis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/c-s-lewis-121_god_what-people-mean-when-they-say-that-god_653405.jpg" --- # What people mean when they say that God is love is often… ![“What people mean when they say that God is love is often something quite different: they really mean ‘Love is God.” quote by c.s. lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/c-s-lewis-121_god_what-people-mean-when-they-say-that-god_653405.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/c-s-lewis-121_god_what-people-mean-when-they-say-that-god_653405.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/c-s-lewis-121_god_what-people-mean-when-they-say-that-god_653405.jpg) > ““What people mean when they say that God is love is often something quite different: they really mean ‘Love is God.”” [c.s. lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lewis suggests that saying “God is love” often means “Love is God,” shifting focus to love itself. **In simple terms:** God is love is really love is God. Key Takeaway Prioritize love over doctrine. Themes theology semantics philosophy Mood contemplative inspirational Type religious philosophical When to use this quote - worship - ethical decision‑making - interfaith dialogue - personal devotion Key Concepts metaphysics language Questions to Reflect On - What does “God is love” mean to you? - How does love shape your faith? A Different Perspective May blur theological nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [To say that God is love is in effect to say simply that love is God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-cupitt/to-say-that-god-is-love-is-in-effect-to-say-simply-that-love-is-god/) [Don Cupitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-cupitt/) > [God's love is as objective as light. Because the sun in a sense is light, or the source of light rather than being lit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/god-s-love-is-as-objective-as-light-because-the-sun-in-a-sense-is/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [ The words 'God is love' conclude a biblical warning, not a warm and fuzzy slogan. 'He who doesn't love \[his neighbor\] doesn't love God,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-white/the-words-god-is-love-conclude-a-biblical-warning-not-a-warm-and/) [Mel White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-white/) > [Love is life, love is god, love is sannyas!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/love-is-life-love-is-god-love-is-sannyas/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“When you and I became born again, God became our Father. He is a love God. We are love children of a love God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-hagin/when-you-and-i-became-born-again-god-became-our-father-he-is-a-love/) [Kenneth E. Hagin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-hagin/) > [“Mean People Suck!” And that goes especially for people who are mean in the name of love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-schaeffer/mean-people-suck-and-that-goes-especially-for-people-who-are-mean-in/) [Frank Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-schaeffer/) > [I believe that God is love. I believe that Jesus came to show us this love, to give us this love, to teach us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/i-believe-that-god-is-love-i-believe-that-jesus-came-to-show-us-this/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [God is Love, we are taught as children to believe. But when we first begin to get some inkling of how He loves us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/god-is-love-we-are-taught-as-children-to-believe-but-when-we-first/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing more profitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-of-clairvaux/we-are-to-love-god-for-himself-because-of-a-twofold-reason-nothing-is/) [Bernard of Clairvaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-of-clairvaux/) > [It was easy to love God in all that was beautiful. The lessons of deeper knowledge, though, instructed me to embrace God in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-of-assisi/it-was-easy-to-love-god-in-all-that-was-beautiful-the-lessons-of/) [Francis of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-of-assisi/) > [God's love for us is not the reason for which we should love him. 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We do not have that kind of power because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/we-cannot-make-god-love-us-more-and-we-cannot-make-god-love-us-less/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [The best love of all is God's love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-love-of-all-is-god-s-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by c.s. lewis > [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Isn’t it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified of the other?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a-fierce-left-and-a-fierce/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/all-hell-is-smaller-than-one-pebble-of-your-earthly-world-but-it-is/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“the greatest service we can do to education today is to teach fewer subjects. No one has time to do more than a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-greatest-service-we-can-do-to-education-today-is-to-teach-fewer/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-the-divine-call-does-not-make-us-better-it-will-make-us-very-much/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-husband-is-the-head-of-the-wife-just-in-so-far-as-he-is-to-her/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“We use a most unfortunate idiom when we say, of a lustful man prowling the streets, that he "wants a woman". Strictly speaking, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/we-use-a-most-unfortunate-idiom-when-we-say-of-a-lustful-man-prowling/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Después de cada fracaso, pedid perdón, levantaos del suelo y volved a intentarlo. Muy a menudo, lo que Dios nos otorga primero no es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/despu-s-de-cada-fracaso-pedid-perd-n-levantaos-del-suelo-y-volved-a/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/then-two-wonders-happened-at-the-same-moment-one-was-that-the-voice/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/because-free-will-though-it-makes-evil-possible-is-also-the-only/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/laugh-and-fear-not-creatures-now-that-you-are-no-longer-dumb-and/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-two-humans-have-lived-together-for-many-years-it-usually-happens/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-sees-as-well-as-you-do-that-courage-is-not-simply-one-of-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say that anything you find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-do-not-take-the-distinction-between-good-and-bad-very/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/now-the-whole-offer-which-christianity-makes-is-this-that-we-can-if/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) [Explore all 1,165 c.s. lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More God quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. 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Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [What would God have me do with my life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/what-would-god-have-me-do-with-my-life/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [God always gets the glory when Jesus comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/god-always-gets-the-glory-when-jesus-comes/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/do-all-the-good-you-can-by-all-the-means-you-can-in-all-the-ways-you/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [You are a God Act like one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/you-are-a-god-act-like-one/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) [Browse all 37,707 God quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What people mean when they say that God is love is often something quite different: they really mean ‘Love is God.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "c.s. lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/what-people-mean-when-they-say-that-god-is-love-is-often-something/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "God" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/what-people-mean-when-they-say-that-god-is-love-is-often-something/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/c-s-lewis-121_god_what-people-mean-when-they-say-that-god_653405.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/c-s-lewis-121_god_what-people-mean-when-they-say-that-god_653405.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/c-s-lewis-121_god_what-people-mean-when-they-say-that-god_653405.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What people mean when they say that God is love is often something quite different: they really mean ‘Love…” — c.s. lewis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "c.s. lewis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What people mean when they say...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/what-people-mean-when-they-say-that-god-is-love-is-often-something/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/what-people-mean-when-they-say-that-god-is-love-is-often-something/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```