Post by Pam on Jan 23, 2010 22:39:05 GMT -5
~ AGAPE LOVE ~
January 23, 2010
What is Agape Love?
Encarta ® World English Dictionary defines Agape love as:
1. Nonsexual love: love that is wholly selfless and spiritual
2. Christianity Christian love: selfless love felt by Christians for their fellow human beings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agape Love is God’s love….
I believe that God wants to use His people as open vessels for pouring His love onto people. In giving love, we receive love back. Unreciprocated love and an unmet love hunger in a person is painful, as we all know. It is only God's perfect love that can truly fill our needs.
By spending time with our Lord and receiving His love, we have love to share with others through our words, smiles, kind deeds, and so forth. By demonstrating a genuine interest in another person's life, we set aside our own lives for a moment. Love must flow through us, it should never be forced.
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)
Jesus was speaking here to the disciples shortly after Judas left the room following Jesus' prediction of His betrayal.
We must show constant love toward one another to be recognized as followers of Christ.
Love is the very nature of God. It is eternal.
There are four basic words for love in Greek. The New Testament used only two, agapao and phileo.
Agapao is God's love. It means to have a preference for, to regard the welfare of. It is the love with God showed when He sent His Son to men and gave Him up to death. It is the love which moved Christ to His suffering for us.(Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon). It is the love used by God to express the deep and constant love and interest of a perfect Being toward entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential love in them towards the Giver and a practical love toward those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to see the Giver. (Vine's New Testament Expository Dictionary)
It refers to an unselfish, outgoing affection or tenderness for another without necessarily expecting anything in return. It seeks a person's highest good on the basis of a decision of will and an inclination of heart (Discovery Bible, synonym glossary). Agapao is to desire one's highest good, to experience one's greatest joy in another, to give freely without thought of oneself. It is the Greek word which most accurately portrays divine love. Agapao and agape are rarely used in secular Greek literature, begin reserved for God's love book, the Bible. "This is the highest form of love and the only kind which is completely unconditional."
Phileo refers to brotherly love. Phileo means to love, to be friendly to one, to delight in and long for...a love found in admiration, esteem, to be kindly disposed to one, to wish one well (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon). Phileo connotes an inclination of mind or emotion that arouses favorable interest or approval. It often involves a shared interest or commitment to a common cause or to cherished ideals; idea of friendship and liking a person because of his desirable characteristics, phileo can be alienated by an unworthy or ungrateful response (The Discovery Bible, synonym glossary).
Storge and eros are two other Greek words for love. Storge love is used for natural love and affection like a mother's love for her child. Eros refers to sexual love for husbands and wives.
The enemy can corrupt all forms of love except agape love, which belongs to God.
* * * * *
There are conditions of the heart which can hinder God's love in our lives. Consider these scriptures:
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:3)
"The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." (I Timothy 1:5)
"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart." (I Peter 1:22)
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (I John 2:15)
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12:9)
"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love." (Revelation 2:4)
Other truths about love:
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (I John 3:16)
"We love because he first loved us." (I John 4:19)
"If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (I John 4:20-21)
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
Why do you think the devil counterfeits love with his own cheap imitations? [/I]
What is love?
Therefore be followers of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:1,2 NKJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22, 23 NKJV)
You yourselves are taught by God to love one another (1 Timothy 4:9 NKJV)
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12 NKJV)
We love Him, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (1 John 3:1)
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (1 John 4:9)
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. (1 John 2:5)
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. (1 John 3:14)
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18)
And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. (1 John 3:23)
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7)
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:8)
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)
If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (1 John 4:20)
And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (1 John 4:21)
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. (1 John 5:2)
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)
It is God's command that we love people because God loved us first. This is not talking about whether or not they love us, too. We are to love those who love us and those who do not. It's easy to love someone who loves you. But it requires God's agape love to love those who hate you and hurt you.
Hurt people hurt people. When we forgive those who hurt us, we can show God's love to them. God's love is perfect. And perfect love casts out fear. His love heals and restores. Pray blessings on your enemies with a heart which has chosen to forgive. Let God bless you. Let Him heal the wounds.
January 23, 2010
What is Agape Love?
Encarta ® World English Dictionary defines Agape love as:
1. Nonsexual love: love that is wholly selfless and spiritual
2. Christianity Christian love: selfless love felt by Christians for their fellow human beings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agape Love is God’s love….
I believe that God wants to use His people as open vessels for pouring His love onto people. In giving love, we receive love back. Unreciprocated love and an unmet love hunger in a person is painful, as we all know. It is only God's perfect love that can truly fill our needs.
By spending time with our Lord and receiving His love, we have love to share with others through our words, smiles, kind deeds, and so forth. By demonstrating a genuine interest in another person's life, we set aside our own lives for a moment. Love must flow through us, it should never be forced.
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)
Jesus was speaking here to the disciples shortly after Judas left the room following Jesus' prediction of His betrayal.
We must show constant love toward one another to be recognized as followers of Christ.
Love is the very nature of God. It is eternal.
There are four basic words for love in Greek. The New Testament used only two, agapao and phileo.
Agapao is God's love. It means to have a preference for, to regard the welfare of. It is the love with God showed when He sent His Son to men and gave Him up to death. It is the love which moved Christ to His suffering for us.(Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon). It is the love used by God to express the deep and constant love and interest of a perfect Being toward entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential love in them towards the Giver and a practical love toward those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to see the Giver. (Vine's New Testament Expository Dictionary)
It refers to an unselfish, outgoing affection or tenderness for another without necessarily expecting anything in return. It seeks a person's highest good on the basis of a decision of will and an inclination of heart (Discovery Bible, synonym glossary). Agapao is to desire one's highest good, to experience one's greatest joy in another, to give freely without thought of oneself. It is the Greek word which most accurately portrays divine love. Agapao and agape are rarely used in secular Greek literature, begin reserved for God's love book, the Bible. "This is the highest form of love and the only kind which is completely unconditional."
Phileo refers to brotherly love. Phileo means to love, to be friendly to one, to delight in and long for...a love found in admiration, esteem, to be kindly disposed to one, to wish one well (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon). Phileo connotes an inclination of mind or emotion that arouses favorable interest or approval. It often involves a shared interest or commitment to a common cause or to cherished ideals; idea of friendship and liking a person because of his desirable characteristics, phileo can be alienated by an unworthy or ungrateful response (The Discovery Bible, synonym glossary).
Storge and eros are two other Greek words for love. Storge love is used for natural love and affection like a mother's love for her child. Eros refers to sexual love for husbands and wives.
The enemy can corrupt all forms of love except agape love, which belongs to God.
* * * * *
There are conditions of the heart which can hinder God's love in our lives. Consider these scriptures:
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:3)
"The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." (I Timothy 1:5)
"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart." (I Peter 1:22)
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (I John 2:15)
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12:9)
"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love." (Revelation 2:4)
Other truths about love:
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (I John 3:16)
"We love because he first loved us." (I John 4:19)
"If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (I John 4:20-21)
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
Why do you think the devil counterfeits love with his own cheap imitations? [/I]
What is love?
Therefore be followers of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:1,2 NKJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22, 23 NKJV)
You yourselves are taught by God to love one another (1 Timothy 4:9 NKJV)
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12 NKJV)
We love Him, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (1 John 3:1)
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (1 John 4:9)
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. (1 John 2:5)
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. (1 John 3:14)
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18)
And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. (1 John 3:23)
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7)
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:8)
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)
If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (1 John 4:20)
And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (1 John 4:21)
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. (1 John 5:2)
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)
It is God's command that we love people because God loved us first. This is not talking about whether or not they love us, too. We are to love those who love us and those who do not. It's easy to love someone who loves you. But it requires God's agape love to love those who hate you and hurt you.
Hurt people hurt people. When we forgive those who hurt us, we can show God's love to them. God's love is perfect. And perfect love casts out fear. His love heals and restores. Pray blessings on your enemies with a heart which has chosen to forgive. Let God bless you. Let Him heal the wounds.