Love is the heart of both Scripture and Neville Goddard’s teachings. Yet where the Bible presents love as a divine command and fruit of the Spirit, Neville shows us how love is first a state of consciousness, shaped by our imagination and feelings. This guide explores:
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Biblical Foundations of Love
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Neville Goddard’s View of Love
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Practices to Cultivate Love
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Bringing Both Together
1. Biblical Foundations of Love
The Bible uses several Greek words for love, but the most significant is agapē—selfless, unconditional love that reflects God’s own heart.
1.1 Love as Divine Command
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Deuteronomy 6:5
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
This is the foundation: love for God expressed in whole‑person devotion. -
Matthew 22:37–39
“You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbour as yourself.”
Love of God and love of neighbour are inseparable.
1.2 Love as God’s Character
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1 John 4:7–8
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and whoever loves has been born of God… God is love.”
Love isn’t just an action; it is who God is, and our capacity to love flows from Him.
1.3 Love in Action
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1 Corinthians 13:1–3
“If I speak… but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
Without love, even the most impressive deeds are empty. -
1 Corinthians 13:4–8
“Love is patient and kind… bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
The Bible gives us a portrait of agapē in everyday behaviour.
1.4 Love as Sacrifice
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Romans 5:8
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Ultimate love is sacrificial and unconditional.
2. Neville Goddard’s View of Love
Neville reframes love as a felt state that arises in the imagination first, then manifests outwardly.
2.1 Love as a State of Consciousness
“Feeling is the secret.”
(Neville Goddard, Feeling Is the Secret)
For Neville, love is not primarily an emotion triggered by events, but a deliberate inner assumption. When you feel loved within your imagination, that state externalises as experiences of love.
2.2 Love as Creative Force
“Imagination creates reality.”
(Neville Goddard, The Power of Awareness)
Just as the Bible says “God is love,” Neville teaches that our imagination—our inner God—is the birthplace of love. By dwelling in the feeling of love, we animate our relationships, circumstances, and even our self‑worth.
2.3 Love and the Law of Assumption
Neville’s core method for love:
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Assume the feeling of belovedness or affection.
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Live from that state, regardless of outer appearances.
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Persevere in the feeling until it hardens into fact.
This mirrors 1 Corinthians 13: “Love never ends”—because once you assume love as a state, it becomes an endless wellspring.
3. Practices to Cultivate Love
Whether you approach love biblically or from Neville’s standpoint, these daily practices align both:
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Meditate on Scripture & Imaginal Scenes
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Read 1 John 4:7–8, then imagine yourself overflowing with unconditional love for others.
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Feel the State First
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Before reacting, pause and feel love in your chest. Let it colour your words and actions.
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Use “Revision” for Past Hurts
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Neville’s technique: imagine past relationship pains healed, forgiven, and transformed into love.
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Speak & Act ‘As If’
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Speak kindly, serve warmly—as if love is already fully present.
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Pray/Assume in Tandem
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Combine biblical prayer (“Lord, fill me with Your love”) with Neville’s assumption (“I now feel fully loved and loving”).
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4. Bringing Both Together
| Biblical Love | Neville’s Love |
|---|---|
| Commanded by God (Deut 6:5; Matt 22:37) | Chosen inner state (“I choose to feel love”) |
| Rooted in God’s nature (1 John 4:8) | Rooted in imagination as “God within” |
| Expressed sacrificially (Rom 5:8) | Achieved via feeling the wish fulfilled |
| Manifested in tangible acts (1 Cor 13) | Manifested by living “as if” |
Together, they tell us:
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Love starts within—whether by divine command or imaginal choice.
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Love changes everything—externally and internally.
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Practice makes reality—you become what you persist in feeling and doing.
Conclusion
Love is both a divine gift and a creative art. The Bible lays out the nature and purpose of agapē, while Neville Goddard shows us how to activate that love from within our imagination. By combining scriptural truths with the Law of Assumption, you can cultivate a life—and a heart—overflowing with genuine, lasting love.
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