Agape
Godly love - (Gives) selfless love, unconditionally meets the needs of others
Two characteristics: Love - Given irrespective of considered merit; Desire - to give to the object of one’s love
People make friends with others according to the kind of car they drive or what kind of clothes they wear, or their status in society. The agape love of God goes past the surface, enabling us to look deep into our mate's heart and love them for who God has made them to be despite their faults and shortcomings. Agape is the word used when the Bible talks about Christian love for one another. Agape love is talking about our behaviour towards others, not our feelings.
The selfless love is agape. But there are very few of us who have the agape love. In a world of materialism, our love is also corrupt, and we are engrossed by lust and fear of losing what we possess. It’s the love of sacrifices, but it doesn’t mean complete surrender. This is the best type of love to maintain a relationship that’s on the verge of breaking.
The selfless love is agape. But there are very few of us who have the agape love. In a world of materialism, our love is also corrupt, and we are engrossed by lust and fear of losing what we possess. It’s the love of sacrifices, but it doesn’t mean complete surrender. This is the best type of love to maintain a relationship that’s on the verge of breaking.
Actually, this NT word (agape) stands in sharp contrast to eros, and is rarely used outside the NT. It means to highly value, and unconditionally have at heart the genuine welfare and best interests of the object loved. It includes a rational commitment and motivation to maintain a relationship even in the face of problems. It directs kindness, respect and loyalty toward the object loved. Agape stands at the heart of what is commonly referred to in the Bible teaching about Christian love. The concept of this kind of experience was in Greek and Roman culture, but not the actual word, agape.
God expresses Christian love toward us (John 3:16; cf. Romans 5:5, 8), and Jesus explained this self-sacrificial love, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12, 13).
Agape is fully described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. This kind of love can be directed (wrongly) toward the things of this world, which might include cars, clothes, cameras, money, fame, power, and manifold “bling blings” (1 John 2:15-17).
According to Jesus’ definition, agape can be expressed in patriotism, as in soldiers laying down their lives for their country. The Bible teaching about Christian love indicates it should form the foundation of believer’s relationships with one another (John 13:35). Agape love demonstrates our friendship with Jesus (John 15:14), and expresses our Christian love toward God (1 John 5:1-3).
But, there is more to Christian love than this.
Morlove defines agape as:
It is not a love of the worthy, and it is not a love that desires to possess. On the contrary, it is a love given quite irrespective of merit, and it is a love that seeks to give’
Irrespective of merit
God loved the world irrespective of its merit to deserve His love; for while we were enemies, God reconciled us to Himself (Rom 5:10); while we were sinners and living in opposition to His will, He died for us (Rom 5:8); while we hated God, He loved us and poured out His wrath upon Christ that should have been our due (I John 4:10).
Through the cross, God showed that His love for mankind sprang out of His Being (that is, who He is) and not as a response to what we were. Morlove comments accurately that
God expresses Christian love toward us (John 3:16; cf. Romans 5:5, 8), and Jesus explained this self-sacrificial love, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12, 13).
Agape is fully described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. This kind of love can be directed (wrongly) toward the things of this world, which might include cars, clothes, cameras, money, fame, power, and manifold “bling blings” (1 John 2:15-17).
According to Jesus’ definition, agape can be expressed in patriotism, as in soldiers laying down their lives for their country. The Bible teaching about Christian love indicates it should form the foundation of believer’s relationships with one another (John 13:35). Agape love demonstrates our friendship with Jesus (John 15:14), and expresses our Christian love toward God (1 John 5:1-3).
But, there is more to Christian love than this.
Morlove defines agape as:
It is not a love of the worthy, and it is not a love that desires to possess. On the contrary, it is a love given quite irrespective of merit, and it is a love that seeks to give’
Irrespective of merit
God loved the world irrespective of its merit to deserve His love; for while we were enemies, God reconciled us to Himself (Rom 5:10); while we were sinners and living in opposition to His will, He died for us (Rom 5:8); while we hated God, He loved us and poured out His wrath upon Christ that should have been our due (I John 4:10).
Through the cross, God showed that His love for mankind sprang out of His Being (that is, who He is) and not as a response to what we were. Morlove comments accurately that
‘He loves because of what He is, not because of what we are’
God showed the true meaning of His command through Jesus to ‘love your enemies’ (Mtw 5:44-45) by laying down His life for those who showed no affection for Him by their lifestyle.
Seeking to give
It was because God wanted to lavish upon us the riches that we’d forfeited through our rebellion, that Christ came - so that everyone could receive the benefits and blessings of communion with God. He sent Jesus so that we might through Him receive Himself. He desired to give Himself to us for our benefit. All Jesus had to give was Himself anyway!
Agape is a self-giving love and cannot be described in terms of possession. Therefore, when the cross is looked at, we see not a god trying to obtain selfishly but God who is laying His life on the line so that he might give Himself away freely to all.
It was agape that the early Church used to denote the Love of God demonstrated in His sending of the Son to effect reconciliation (I John 4:10, Rom 5:8, Eph 2:4-5). It’s these twin concepts of ‘undeserved merit’ and ‘the giving of oneself’ that lie behind the concept of the love of God in the NT.
It is a love that is totally selfless, where a person gives out love to another person even if this act does not benefit her/him in any way. Whether the love given is returned or not, the person continues to love (even without any self-benefit).Say, you help out a person, even though that person hates you and curses you. Or you take insults from your partner without hitting back, all the while forgiving and praying for your partner to amend her/his ways. Or the famed "unconditional love" that a mother has for her child (her child will always be the most beautiful child in the world to her, even with a face only a mother could love!).
Or the love we show our parents, taking care of them and helping them in their old age. Just like they took care of us when we were young, it is done with or without benefit in return.
However, the highest type of agape love is not human at all, but divine - God's unconditional love for us, His children.
God's love was shown to us the most when God the Father sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to his suffering and death on the cross for our salvation. There is no greater love than this. Jesus had no obligation to die for us, but He chose to. It is His gift, His ultimate gift.
He chose to die for us because He knew what would happen to us, to all mankind if He left us on our own. Without Jesus' death on the cross, mankind is doomed to eternal damnation; no soul will be able to enter eternal life in Heaven.
The sins of mankind (since the first sin at Eden by Adam and Eve) have become so many and so great that no man can "redeem himself" by his own means alone. Even if each person "suffered and died on the cross", it will not be enough to "repay sins' debts" to God. Only the Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ Himself, dying on that cross for us would "repay our debts of sin".
First Corinthians 13:4-8 provides a perfect description for agape: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
In essence, eros love is "physical", philos love is "mental", and agape love is "spiritual". Thus, it is made up of the three fundamental elements of man: physical, mental and spiritual.
Agape means to choose to seek the best for others. This is a love based in the mind. We can chose to show agape love by actively thinking about, and deciding how we act toward other people. Agape is the word used when the Bible talks about Christian love for one another. Agape love is talking about our behavior towards others, not our feelings.
Phileo love is about feelings. Agape love is about how we act toward others.
The problem we have is that, unlike the Bible, we do not distinguish between these two types of love. We know that we are called to love one another, but we think that means we must like one another and accept everything other people say and do. The Bible talks about agape love, and we think it means phileo love.
A good example is homosexuality. Christians love (agape) homosexuals. What this means is that we want the best for homosexuals. Christians treat homosexuals the same as they treat anyone else -- wanting the best that can be had for everyone. However, that does not mean Christians accept homosexuality as being a good lifestyle. Homosexuality is a sin. God hates sin.
God showed the true meaning of His command through Jesus to ‘love your enemies’ (Mtw 5:44-45) by laying down His life for those who showed no affection for Him by their lifestyle.
Seeking to give
It was because God wanted to lavish upon us the riches that we’d forfeited through our rebellion, that Christ came - so that everyone could receive the benefits and blessings of communion with God. He sent Jesus so that we might through Him receive Himself. He desired to give Himself to us for our benefit. All Jesus had to give was Himself anyway!
Agape is a self-giving love and cannot be described in terms of possession. Therefore, when the cross is looked at, we see not a god trying to obtain selfishly but God who is laying His life on the line so that he might give Himself away freely to all.
It was agape that the early Church used to denote the Love of God demonstrated in His sending of the Son to effect reconciliation (I John 4:10, Rom 5:8, Eph 2:4-5). It’s these twin concepts of ‘undeserved merit’ and ‘the giving of oneself’ that lie behind the concept of the love of God in the NT.
It is a love that is totally selfless, where a person gives out love to another person even if this act does not benefit her/him in any way. Whether the love given is returned or not, the person continues to love (even without any self-benefit).Say, you help out a person, even though that person hates you and curses you. Or you take insults from your partner without hitting back, all the while forgiving and praying for your partner to amend her/his ways. Or the famed "unconditional love" that a mother has for her child (her child will always be the most beautiful child in the world to her, even with a face only a mother could love!).
Or the love we show our parents, taking care of them and helping them in their old age. Just like they took care of us when we were young, it is done with or without benefit in return.
However, the highest type of agape love is not human at all, but divine - God's unconditional love for us, His children.
God's love was shown to us the most when God the Father sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to his suffering and death on the cross for our salvation. There is no greater love than this. Jesus had no obligation to die for us, but He chose to. It is His gift, His ultimate gift.
He chose to die for us because He knew what would happen to us, to all mankind if He left us on our own. Without Jesus' death on the cross, mankind is doomed to eternal damnation; no soul will be able to enter eternal life in Heaven.
The sins of mankind (since the first sin at Eden by Adam and Eve) have become so many and so great that no man can "redeem himself" by his own means alone. Even if each person "suffered and died on the cross", it will not be enough to "repay sins' debts" to God. Only the Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ Himself, dying on that cross for us would "repay our debts of sin".
First Corinthians 13:4-8 provides a perfect description for agape: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
In essence, eros love is "physical", philos love is "mental", and agape love is "spiritual". Thus, it is made up of the three fundamental elements of man: physical, mental and spiritual.
Agape means to choose to seek the best for others. This is a love based in the mind. We can chose to show agape love by actively thinking about, and deciding how we act toward other people. Agape is the word used when the Bible talks about Christian love for one another. Agape love is talking about our behavior towards others, not our feelings.
Phileo love is about feelings. Agape love is about how we act toward others.
The problem we have is that, unlike the Bible, we do not distinguish between these two types of love. We know that we are called to love one another, but we think that means we must like one another and accept everything other people say and do. The Bible talks about agape love, and we think it means phileo love.
A good example is homosexuality. Christians love (agape) homosexuals. What this means is that we want the best for homosexuals. Christians treat homosexuals the same as they treat anyone else -- wanting the best that can be had for everyone. However, that does not mean Christians accept homosexuality as being a good lifestyle. Homosexuality is a sin. God hates sin.
