--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We do not truly know what love is unless…" description: "\"We do not truly know what love is unless we know Christ.\" — Kevin DeYoung" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/kevin-deyoung-1086_christ_we-do-not-truly-know-what-love-is-unless_743781.png" --- # We do not truly know what love is unless we know Christ. ![“We do not truly know what love is unless we know Christ.” quote by Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/kevin-deyoung-1086_christ_we-do-not-truly-know-what-love-is-unless_743781.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/kevin-deyoung-1086_christ_we-do-not-truly-know-what-love-is-unless_743781.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/kevin-deyoung-1086_christ_we-do-not-truly-know-what-love-is-unless_743781.png) > “We do not truly know what love is unless we know Christ.” [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that true understanding of love is rooted in Christ, implying spiritual insight is essential. **In simple terms:** Love is fully understood through Christ. Key Takeaway Explore Christ‑centered love. Themes faith love spirituality Christianity theology Mood inspirational thoughtful Type theological motivational When to use this quote - personal relationships - church teaching - mission work - counseling - faith formation Key Concepts Christocentric love spiritual discernment biblical ethics Questions to Reflect On - How does Christ shape our view of love? - Can love be understood outside religious frameworks? A Different Perspective May exclude non‑Christian perspectives on love. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [I came to know Christ at the age of 13 during church camp at Glorieta, New Mexico.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-millard/i-came-to-know-christ-at-the-age-of-13-during-church-camp-at-glorieta/) [Bart Millard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-millard/) > [How do I know that I am in Christ? Because of my trusting, costly obedience to the Word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/how-do-i-know-that-i-am-in-christ-because-of-my-trusting-costly/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [To know the Cross is not merely to know our own sufferings. For the Cross is the sign of salvation, and no man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/to-know-the-cross-is-not-merely-to-know-our-own-sufferings-for-the/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [My faith rests not in what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/my-faith-rests-not-in-what-i-am-or-shall-be-or-feel-or-know-but-in/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [If you know Christ, you don't need to beg for the Holy Spirit to come into your life; He is already there- whether you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/if-you-know-christ-you-don-t-need-to-beg-for-the-holy-spirit-to-come/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Know who you are in Christ. Then stand on it and let the devil know that you are not for sell! Let him know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa/know-who-you-are-in-christ-then-stand-on-it-and-let-the-devil-know/) [Lisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa/) > [“It is an early step in this knowledge of Christ, to know and to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord; to know that Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spurgeon-charles-h/it-is-an-early-step-in-this-knowledge-of-christ-to-know-and-to/) Spurgeon, Charles H > [Anyone who is to find Christ must first find the church. How could anyone know where Christ is and what faith is in him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/anyone-who-is-to-find-christ-must-first-find-the-church-how-could/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [I'd grown up in a Presbyterian church, but I really didn't know Christ personally in my heart. I knew him, but I didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/i-d-grown-up-in-a-presbyterian-church-but-i-really-didn-t-know-christ/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“One does not know yet whether Christ was God or the Devil - Buddha is more reassuring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/one-does-not-know-yet-whether-christ-was-god-or-the-devil-buddha-is/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) > [The first thing in faith is knowledge. What we know we must also agree unto. What we agree unto we must rest upon alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-first-thing-in-faith-is-knowledge-what-we-know-we-must-also-agree/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [You'll never know Christ is all you need until...Christ is all you got!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-never-know-christ-is-all-you-need-until-christ-is-all-you-got/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“To know Christ truly is to know the Trinity, for God has not revealed himself in such a way as to allow us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-robert-white/to-know-christ-truly-is-to-know-the-trinity-for-god-has-not-revealed/) [James Robert White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-robert-white/) > [“To know Christ Jesus is to seek God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/to-know-christ-jesus-is-to-seek-god/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“For what harm can come to you even if the world is most hostile to you, persecutes and torments you? You still know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/for-what-harm-can-come-to-you-even-if-the-world-is-most-hostile-to/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) ## More by Kevin DeYoung > [“Worry about the future is not simply a character tic, it is the sin of unbelief, an indication that our hearts are not resting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/worry-about-the-future-is-not-simply-a-character-tic-it-is-the-sin-of/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [There is nothing gray about whether a follower of Christ should see 50 Shades of Grey. This is a black and white issue. Don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/there-is-nothing-gray-about-whether-a-follower-of-christ-should-see/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [A catechism is simply a tool for teaching the fundamentals of the faith. Unlike a creed or confession, a catechism uses questions and answers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/a-catechism-is-simply-a-tool-for-teaching-the-fundamentals-of-the/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/live-for-god-obey-the-scriptures-think-of-others-before-yourself-be/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [Busyness kills more Christians than bullets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/busyness-kills-more-christians-than-bullets/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [Grace is free, but it's not cheap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/grace-is-free-but-it-s-not-cheap/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [If there really is a perfect will of God we are meant to discover, in which we will find tremendous freedom and fulfillment, why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/if-there-really-is-a-perfect-will-of-god-we-are-meant-to-discover-in/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [Seek first the kingdom of God, and then trust that He will take care of our needs, even before we know what they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/seek-first-the-kingdom-of-god-and-then-trust-that-he-will-take-care/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [There is no sin so prevalent, so insidious, and so deep as the sin of fearing people more than we fear God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/there-is-no-sin-so-prevalent-so-insidious-and-so-deep-as-the-sin-of/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [“The pursuit of holiness is not a quixotic effort to do just what Jesus did. It’s the fight to live out the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/the-pursuit-of-holiness-is-not-a-quixotic-effort-to-do-just-what/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [Offendedness is just about the last shared moral currency in our country. And, I'm sorry, but it's really annoying. We don't discuss ideas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/offendedness-is-just-about-the-last-shared-moral-currency-in-our/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [The finality of Christs redemption for us is intimately tied to the finality of his revelation to us. . . . If we say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/the-finality-of-christs-redemption-for-us-is-intimately-tied-to-the/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [Everything before Jesus is preface. Everything after Jesus is appendix. Jesus is the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/everything-before-jesus-is-preface-everything-after-jesus-is-appendix/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [Sometimes feeling overwhelmed is part of what it means to be a Christian. You can't bear somebody else's burden unless you are taking something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/sometimes-feeling-overwhelmed-is-part-of-what-it-means-to-be-a/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [“Faith and good works are both necessary. But one is the root and the other the fruit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/faith-and-good-works-are-both-necessary-but-one-is-the-root-and-the/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) [Explore all 295 Kevin DeYoung quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) ## More Christ quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“I would even go so far as to say that the mythical character of a life is just what expresses its universal human validity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-jung/i-would-even-go-so-far-as-to-say-that-the-mythical-character-of-a/) [C.G. Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-g-jung/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/may-nothing-entice-me-till-i-happily-make-my-way-to-jesus-christ-fire/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [Whoever does not seek the cross of Christ doesn't seek the glory of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-the-cross/whoever-does-not-seek-the-cross-of-christ-doesn-t-seek-the-glory-of/) [John of the Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-the-cross/) > [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [Christ never preached any funeral sermons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/christ-never-preached-any-funeral-sermons/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [One thing the young Christian should be taught as quickly as possible after his conversion is that Jesus Christ is all he needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/one-thing-the-young-christian-should-be-taught-as-quickly-as-possible/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If you don't plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-arthur/if-you-don-t-plan-to-live-the-christian-life-totally-committed-to/) [Kay Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-arthur/) > [Lord, send Your life throughout the entire church. Visit Your church; restore sound doctrine and holy, earnest living. Take away from professing Christians their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/lord-send-your-life-throughout-the-entire-church-visit-your-church/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) [Browse all 9,006 Christ quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We do not truly know what love is unless we know Christ.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kevin DeYoung" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/we-do-not-truly-know-what-love-is-unless-we-know-christ/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christ" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/we-do-not-truly-know-what-love-is-unless-we-know-christ/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/kevin-deyoung-1086_christ_we-do-not-truly-know-what-love-is-unless_743781.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/kevin-deyoung-1086_christ_we-do-not-truly-know-what-love-is-unless_743781.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/kevin-deyoung-1086_christ_we-do-not-truly-know-what-love-is-unless_743781.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We do not truly know what love is unless we know Christ.” — Kevin DeYoung", "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": "Kevin DeYoung", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We do not truly know what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/we-do-not-truly-know-what-love-is-unless-we-know-christ/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/we-do-not-truly-know-what-love-is-unless-we-know-christ/#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 } } ] } ```