No Greater Love

By: Bishop Mike Ainsworth

Conference Superintendent

Cornerstone Conference IPHC

Seventy years ago last month, five young missionaries—Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian—felt called to reach the Huaorani people of Ecuador, an indigenous tribe known at the time for its violent history toward outsiders. They understood the risks. Still, they prayed, prepared, and committed themselves fully to the call of Christ.

Jim Elliot in Ecuador

After months of peaceful attempts at contact, the missionaries were finally approached by members of the tribe. Within days, all five men were killed. Though they carried firearms for protection, they had resolved never to use them against the people they had come to serve. Jim Elliot had written earlier in his journal, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Jesus’ words echo powerfully through their story: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). These men laid down their lives not for lifelong companions, but for people who did not yet know them—and did not yet know Christ. Their sacrifice was not accidental; it was a conscious offering born out of love for God and for othe

rs.

In the years that followed, something remarkable occurred. The widows of the missionaries returned to the same people group. Through forgiveness, perseverance, and the gospel, many within the tribe eventually came to faith in Christ—including some who had participated in the killings. What appeared to be a tragic loss became a testimony to the redemptive power of God’s love.

 “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

This story reminds us that biblical love is not measured by safety, success, or comfort. It is measured by faithfulness. Scripture presents love not as a fleeting emotion, but as the very nature of God. The Bible’s declaration is both simple and profound: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Love does not begin with human feeling or effort; it begins with God Himself.

From the opening pages of the Old Testament, love is revealed through God’s faithful commitment to His people. God chooses, sustains, forgives, and restores—not because His people are deserving, but because He is faithful. Scripture often describes this love as steadfast and enduring, a covenant love that does not abandon when tested (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 136)

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments." - Deuteronomy 7:9

Jesus Christ reveals the fullest expression of this love. He teaches that the greatest commandment is to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37–39). Yet He goes further, showing that love is measured not by words, but by sacrifice. At the cross, God demonstrates His love in action, offering grace to sinners and hope to the broken (Romans 5:8). Biblical love is also transformational. The Holy Spirit produces love in the life of the believer, shaping attitudes, actions, and relationships (Galatians 5:22). Love becomes evidence that God is at work within us.

Receiving God’s love calls for a response. Scripture invites us not only to believe that God loves us, but to allow that love to shape how we live. We are called to love God with devotion, obedience, and trust—and to love others with patience, humility, and grace, even when it is costly.

Today, consider how God’s love might be expressed through your actions: forgiving where there has been offense, serving where there is need, or showing kindness where there is indifference. As we abide in God’s love, we become living witnesses of His heart to a world in need of hope. We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ, the one who lived and offered himself in the greatest demonstration of a love without limitation.