What does it really mean to love someone as Christ loves us? Is love simply accepting everything a person does, or does genuine love sometimes require difficult conversations?
In today’s episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef explores the Biblical meaning of agape love and why forgiveness, grace, and accountability must go hand in hand.
Drawing from Ephesians 4:15, Dr. Youssef reminds believers that speaking the Truth in love isn't about criticizing every mistake. It's about caring enough to humbly encourage those who are wandering from their faith or pursuing destructive choices.
Discover how to practice Christlike love that offers both compassion and correction—and strengthens the body of Christ.
Prayer: Father, help me to internalize this precious concept of Christian love. May I seek to build up my brothers and sisters in Christ by pointing them to You and exhorting them to Christlikeness even as I receive the same counsel. May we all receive and give admonishment with humility and love, remembering the grace we have received. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).
*Excerpt adapted from Fearless Living in Troubled Times by Michael A. Youssef © 2017. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR. Used by permission.
Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Until Christ Returns, Christ-Centered Church Until the End: LISTEN NOW
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[00:00:00] This is Dr. Michael Youssef, and you are listening to today's MY Devotional from Leading The Way, Uncompromising Truth for Everyday Faith. The 22nd of October, 2026 Exhibiting Christlike Love We are all imperfect human beings, fallible and prone to sin, and that is why Christlike love is so important in the Church.
[00:00:30] Because we are imperfect, we must learn to accept one another and tolerate one another in all our many imperfections. Because we are imperfect, we must learn to love one another with genuine agape love. Because we are imperfect, we must learn to forgive one another. And because we are imperfect, we must hold one another accountable.
[00:00:55] The culture around us embraces a false notion of tolerance and love that says, if you love somebody, you must accept all their sins, their character flaws, and their godless lifestyle. You must never correct them, never rebuke them, never challenge them, never encourage them to repent and live righteously. Love means tolerating whatever anyone does, including their sinful and destructive behavior. That's the world's notion of love.
[00:01:23] And if you violate that notion, if you confront or rebuke someone for a lifestyle of sin, suddenly you would become the bad guy, the bigot, the hater, the reactionary, the extremist. According to the world, the out and proud sinners are good and the godly are evil. Right is wrong and wrong is right. We are living in Orwellian times.
[00:01:48] But God's Word teaches that admonishing one another in a spirit of humility demonstrates Christian love. As someone once said, if you love, you level. Paul calls this speaking the truth in love, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15. Paul is not telling us to go around correcting and confronting our fellow Christians for every little thing they do wrong. But if someone is straying from the truth or wandering from the faith,
[00:02:17] if someone is living a lifestyle of sin and self-destruction, we should love that person enough to sit down, reason, pray, and even weep with them over the tragedy of sin. That's what it truly means to love one another. Join me in prayer. Precious Lord, help me to internalize this precious concept of Christian love. May I seek to build up my brothers and sisters in Christ by pointing them to you
[00:02:45] and exhorting them to Christ-likeness even as I receive the same counsel. May we all receive and give admonishment with humility and love, remembering the grace we have received. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.