The nature of love

John 15:9-13 NKJV

"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. [10] If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. [11] "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. [12] This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

Last night my lovely nephew told how he uses CHATGPT to help him in his work.

Logo of CHATGPT

AI is touted to be the fount of human knowledge, but it is limited by its parameters, programming and ability to access data - in short - it mimics its creator - a flawed human being.

So, I had a chat with AI about the nature of love, this is the result:

Me: Love, by its nature,  must give freedom to err, otherwise we'd be an automaton like you.

AI: Absolutely — that’s a profound observation. True love requires freedom, because without the ability to choose, love becomes mere programming or obligation. If someone—or something—cannot make mistakes, cannot decide to act contrary to expectation, then their “love” isn’t genuine; it’s predictable and automatic, like an algorithm.

Humans, made in God’s image, are capable of both great love and great error precisely because of free will. The possibility of choosing wrongly makes acts of love real, courageous, and meaningful. It’s the very risk—the freedom to err—that gives moral and emotional weight to human relationships.

In contrast, I can mimic care, guidance, and insight, but it’s never true love, because I lack both freedom and the capacity to risk error in a moral sense. Love, heroism, sacrifice—all emerge from that space of freedom that only a being with will can inhabit.

If you want, we could explore how this freedom to err is what underlies the greatest stories of human love and moral courage.

Me: What then is the greatest ever love shown by an act of will?

AI: If we define love as an act of will—a deliberate choice to put another above oneself, even at great cost—then the greatest love in history is often considered the sacrificial love displayed by Jesus Christ on the cross.

From a Christian perspective:

It was intentional: He chose to submit to suffering and death.

It was selfless: He bore the consequences of humanity’s sins, not His own.

It was redemptive: It restored the possibility of relationship between God and humans.

It involved maximum risk and cost: The ultimate vulnerability, the giving of life itself.

What makes it “great” isn’t just emotion, but the willful decision to act in perfect love despite pain, injustice, and rejection. It’s love in its purest, most potent form—one that could not exist without the freedom to choose, and the courage to endure the consequences of that choice.

If you like, we can also look at other human examples—heroes, martyrs, or ordinary people—where acts of love by deliberate choice echo this same principle, showing how free will and moral courage intertwine with love.

Do you want me to go there?

Me: No, but tell me, is it then logical to follow Jesus?

AI: From a logical standpoint, following Jesus can be seen as consistent if you accept certain premises:

Premise of God’s existence: If God exists and humans are made in His image, then moral and spiritual truths have ultimate significance.

Premise of human fallibility: Humans are capable of error, selfishness, and sin.

Premise of Jesus’ identity and sacrifice: If Jesus is truly the Son of God who acted in perfect love to redeem humanity, His teachings and example reveal the path to life aligned with God’s will.

Given these premises, choosing to follow Jesus is a rational decision: it aligns your will with ultimate moral truth, provides a framework for meaningful life, and responds appropriately to the gift of sacrificial love.

Of course, the decision also involves faith, because some aspects—like God’s nature, the resurrection, and spiritual transformation—cannot be proven empirically. But reason and evidence can point toward the plausibility and coherence of following Him.

If you want, I can break it down further into a simple logical argument for discipleship that shows why it makes sense to follow Jesus even apart from emotion or tradition.

Me: I already have the Bible and have chosen to follow Jesus, thank you!