How do we know that love is central to Christian doctrine?

Jesus reinforces the centrality of love in Matthew 22:37-40, where He states, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.' This is followed by the command to love one's neighbor as oneself. Thus, love is at the core of Christ’s teaching and serves as the distinguishing characteristic of His disciples, as stated in John 13:35. Theologically, love acts as the evidence of our salvation and our relationship with Christ. Our understanding of doctrine leads to a loving response to God’s truths, which is informed and transformed by a heart aligned with God's will.