--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Genuine believers are characterized by a…" description: "\"“Genuine believers are characterized by a deep love for Christ, and that love inevitably manifests itself in obedience. By contrast, those who do not l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/911/john-macarthur-1117_authenticity_genuine-believers-are-characterized-by-a_1469402.jpg" --- # Genuine believers are characterized by a deep love for… ![“Genuine believers are characterized by a deep love for Christ, and that love inevitably manifests itself in obedience. By contrast, those who do not love the Lord, either by what they say or how they live, evidence the fact that they do not belong to Him.” quote by John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/911/john-macarthur-1117_authenticity_genuine-believers-are-characterized-by-a_1469402.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/911/john-macarthur-1117_authenticity_genuine-believers-are-characterized-by-a_1469402.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/911/john-macarthur-1117_authenticity_genuine-believers-are-characterized-by-a_1469402.jpg) > ““Genuine believers are characterized by a deep love for Christ, and that love inevitably manifests itself in obedience. By contrast, those who do not love the Lord, either by what they say or how they live, evidence the fact that they do not belong to Him.”” [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True love for Christ naturally leads to obedient behavior; lack of love shows in words and actions. **In simple terms:** Love for Christ shows in obedience. Key Takeaway Cultivate love, then obey. Themes faith obedience authenticity Mood reflective serious Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - church leadership - personal devotion - teaching - daily living Key Concepts Christianity spiritual growth integrity Questions to Reflect On - How does love change your obedience? - What signs show authentic love? A Different Perspective Obedience can become legalism without genuine love. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authenticity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) [Believers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believers/) [Believers Characterized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believers-characterized-5328315/) [Christ love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ-love/) [Deep love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-love/) [Genuine Believers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuine-believers-5328316/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Obedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obedience/) ## Related quotes > [The two poles could sooner meet, than the love of Christ and the love of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/the-two-poles-could-sooner-meet-than-the-love-of-christ-and-the-love/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [I don't reject Christ. I love Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-don-t-reject-christ-i-love-christ-it-s-just-that-so-many-of-you/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The important thing when you are tied down is to continue to model Christ's love. This will ensure that your words, perhaps spoken long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/the-important-thing-when-you-are-tied-down-is-to-continue-to-model/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Christ’s love and friendship are no illusion. On the Cross Jesus showed how real they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/christ-s-love-and-friendship-are-no-illusion-on-the-cross-jesus/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [When I say, 'I love Christ and love the teachings of Christ,' I mean that in the most simple and naive way. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/when-i-say-i-love-christ-and-love-the-teachings-of-christ-i-mean-that/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [That question in marriage is mutual submission, really - the next verse goes on: "husbands love your wife as Christ loves the Church."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/that-question-in-marriage-is-mutual-submission-really-the-next-verse/) [Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/) > [“Ingredients for a terrific Christmas: Christ. Love for one another. Forgiveness. Generosity. Time. Music. Children’s laughter. Reminising with loved ones. Remembering those who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/ingredients-for-a-terrific-christmas-christ-love-for-one-another/) [Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/) > [When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/when-we-truly-understand-what-it-means-to-love-as-jesus-christ-loves/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [To love as Christ loves is to let our love be a practical and not a sentimental thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-villiers-stanford/to-love-as-christ-loves-is-to-let-our-love-be-a-practical-and-not-a/) [Charles Villiers Stanford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-villiers-stanford/) > [“To love one another as He loves us, is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. For it is love that kills our outward man’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-roberts/to-love-one-another-as-he-loves-us-is-the-true-gospel-of-jesus-christ/) [Ted Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-roberts/) > [It is the thing God gave each and everyone of us so we can live to love,praise,and worship Him and His Son,Jesus Christ.We love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melesley-drye/it-is-the-thing-god-gave-each-and-everyone-of-us-so-we-can-live-to/) [MeLesley Drye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melesley-drye/) > [“Is there anyone or anything that can separate me from Christ’s love for me? And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/is-there-anyone-or-anything-that-can-separate-me-from-christ-s-love/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“The motive for discipling others begins in the love of God and nothing less. He has loved us in Christ, and so we love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/the-motive-for-discipling-others-begins-in-the-love-of-god-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [The tendency in our spiritual life but also our more general attitude toward love is that our feelings are all that is going on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kolodiejchuk/the-tendency-in-our-spiritual-life-but-also-our-more-general-attitude/) [Brian Kolodiejchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kolodiejchuk/) > [I hunger for the bread of God, the flesh of Jesus Christ ...; I long to drink of his blood, the gift of unending love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/i-hunger-for-the-bread-of-god-the-flesh-of-jesus-christ-i-long-to/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) ## More by John MacArthur > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [The more you focus on yourself, the more distracted you will be from the proper path. The more you know Him and commune with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-more-you-focus-on-yourself-the-more-distracted-you-will-be-from/) [John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [There are things that God hates, right? One of them is the one who stirs up strife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/there-are-things-that-god-hates-right-one-of-them-is-the-one-who/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [Over the years, I've fought a number of polemical battles against ideas that threaten the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/over-the-years-i-ve-fought-a-number-of-polemical-battles-against/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“You and I believed the gospel, not because we were wiser or more righteous than anyone else but because God graciously intervened, opening our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/you-and-i-believed-the-gospel-not-because-we-were-wiser-or-more/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“He call us to obey, not because He needs us but because He knows we need Him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/he-call-us-to-obey-not-because-he-needs-us-but-because-he-knows-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“The Spirit works in the church so that men might see Jesus as Lord, recognizing His authority and submitting to His will (1 Cor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-spirit-works-in-the-church-so-that-men-might-see-jesus-as-lord/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [Grace does not grant permission to live in the flesh; it supplies power to live in the Spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/grace-does-not-grant-permission-to-live-in-the-flesh-it-supplies/) [John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [Sexual expression within a marriage is not an option or an extra. It is certainly not, as it has sometimes been considered, a necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/sexual-expression-within-a-marriage-is-not-an-option-or-an-extra-it/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“18O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/18o-my-god-incline-your-ear-and-hear-open-your-eyes-and-see-our/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“Sin is the monarch that rules the heart of every man. It is the first lord of the soul, and its virus has contaminated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/sin-is-the-monarch-that-rules-the-heart-of-every-man-it-is-the-first/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“Psalm 13 O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/psalm-13-o-lord-how-long-will-you-forget-me-forever-how-long-will-you/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [Scripture repeatedly makes clear that heaven is a realm of unsurpassed joy, unfading glory, undiminished bliss, unlimited delights, and unending pleasures. Nothing about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/scripture-repeatedly-makes-clear-that-heaven-is-a-realm-of/) [John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [God's true church has always been a place where people hunger for the truth from the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/god-s-true-church-has-always-been-a-place-where-people-hunger-for-the/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [The lies of systemic racism and the race hustlers dominate the ideologies of universities and even churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-lies-of-systemic-racism-and-the-race-hustlers-dominate-the/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Explore all 279 John MacArthur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) ## More Authenticity quotes > [“the property that grounded the self in Romanticism was sincerity, and in modernism was authenticity, then in postmod ernism it is visibility.10”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/the-property-that-grounded-the-self-in-romanticism-was-sincerity-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Real artists offer authenticity, not just money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhymefest/real-artists-offer-authenticity-not-just-money/) [Rhymefest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhymefest/) > [“I figure the more people think I'm just mildly weird, the less likely they are to know how weird I really am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-hooyenga/i-figure-the-more-people-think-i-m-just-mildly-weird-the-less-likely/) [Melanie Hooyenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-hooyenga/) > [I think people can read authenticity and they know when you're involved and when you're just slapping your name on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-la-anthony/i-think-people-can-read-authenticity-and-they-know-when-you-re/) [La La Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-la-anthony/) > [“I strive for authenticity even though it brings with it vulnerability and the inevitable judgment of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-r-w-lee/i-strive-for-authenticity-even-though-it-brings-with-it-vulnerability/) [L.R.W. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-r-w-lee/) > [Children go where they find sincerity and authenticity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantona/children-go-where-they-find-sincerity-and-authenticity/) [Eric Cantona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantona/) > [Accepting the reality of our sinfulness means accepting our authentic self. Judas could not face his shadow; Peter could. The latter befriended the impostor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/accepting-the-reality-of-our-sinfulness-means-accepting-our-authentic/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, focus your energy on what you can create.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-bennett/instead-of-worrying-about-what-you-cannot-control-focus-your-energy/) [Roy Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-bennett/) > [Anything that I ever do is from the heart and authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belinda-carlisle/anything-that-i-ever-do-is-from-the-heart-and-authentic/) [Belinda Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belinda-carlisle/) > [What I love about Nivea is they're all about authenticity. The brand isn't pretending to be anything it isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-virtue/what-i-love-about-nivea-is-they-re-all-about-authenticity-the-brand/) [Tessa Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-virtue/) > [There is nothing which so certifies the genuineness of a man's faith as his patience and his patient endurance, his keeping on steadily in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-which-so-certifies-the-genuineness-of-a-man-s-faith/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you're really famous, there's very little authenticity in people, so you prefer the company of children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-ryan/when-you-re-really-famous-there-s-very-little-authenticity-in-people/) [Katherine Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-ryan/) > [“We could not be fulfilled if we weren't inauthentic some of the time—inauthentic, that is, in relation to such things as our passing desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/we-could-not-be-fulfilled-if-we-weren-t-inauthentic-some-of-the-time/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [No man knows the genuineness of his convictions until he has sacrificed something for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/no-man-knows-the-genuineness-of-his-convictions-until-he-has/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) [Browse all 1,437 Authenticity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Genuine believers are characterized by a deep love for Christ, and that love inevitably manifests itself in obedience. 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