Agape - LOVE
Our word, `love` can mean many things, `I love chocolate, I love my cat, I love my children, etc.` However in Greek the word `love` has specific words for a variety of meanings.
- Phileo, love of a friend,
- Eros, romantic love.
- Agape, moral love.
`Agape` in relation to God`s Love is not of feelings but of the will. We see God`s love in the `giving of Himself` out to another.
`For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son....`(John 3: 16)
Then the Son gave of Himself out to others.
`Christ....gave Himself a ransom for all...` (1 Tim. 2: 6)
Christ gave of His Holy Spirit to the believers to make them like Himself, with His divine nature, His pure, holy, character. By Christ`s divine power we -
`....may be partakers of the divine nature....` (2 Peter 1: 4)
Christ`s agape love can be seen -
- To those in need by His great goodness.
- To those hurting by His great compassion.
- To those who are sinners by His great mercy.
- To those who are downtrodden by His great gentleness.
Christ revealed to mankind God`s great love that was not based on feelings, emotion or partiality. He even said to those who killed Him -
`Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.` (Luke 23: 34)
It is only through Christ`s great love that we can love not only one another but those who persecute us.
`Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God......In this the love of God was manifested towards us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him...
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.` (1 John 4: 7 - 11)
Our word, `love` can mean many things, `I love chocolate, I love my cat, I love my children, etc.` However in Greek the word `love` has specific words for a variety of meanings.
- Phileo, love of a friend,
- Eros, romantic love.
- Agape, moral love.
`Agape` in relation to God`s Love is not of feelings but of the will. We see God`s love in the `giving of Himself` out to another.
`For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son....`(John 3: 16)
Then the Son gave of Himself out to others.
`Christ....gave Himself a ransom for all...` (1 Tim. 2: 6)
Christ gave of His Holy Spirit to the believers to make them like Himself, with His divine nature, His pure, holy, character. By Christ`s divine power we -
`....may be partakers of the divine nature....` (2 Peter 1: 4)
Christ`s agape love can be seen -
- To those in need by His great goodness.
- To those hurting by His great compassion.
- To those who are sinners by His great mercy.
- To those who are downtrodden by His great gentleness.
Christ revealed to mankind God`s great love that was not based on feelings, emotion or partiality. He even said to those who killed Him -
`Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.` (Luke 23: 34)
It is only through Christ`s great love that we can love not only one another but those who persecute us.
`Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God......In this the love of God was manifested towards us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him...
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.` (1 John 4: 7 - 11)
