The Convicting Beauty of Agape

As you may know, the Bible’s New Testament was originally written in the Greek language, which, unlike English, defines love in three distinct words. Eros refers to sexual love between husband and wife; phileo is the brotherly or sisterly affection we feel toward our friends; and Agape is the deep, unconditional love that Father God expresses toward His children and that Christians are commanded to show to one another.

The problem is that agape is impossible for us to consistently express in our own human strength, since it runs completely contrary to our fleshly, self-serving nature. 

Yet, God commands us to “love (agape) one another” continually as an ongoing lifestyle (Matt. 22:39). He even goes so far as to say that the one who does not agape does not know God (1 John 4:8) and abides in death (1 John 3:14).

Ouch! That seems harsh, considering how difficult it is to act in contrast to our given nature. How can God expect such high standards from us mere humans?

This is just one reason why baptism is a necessary part of our surrender to Christ. Acts 2:38 explains that when we are immersed into Christ, God’s Holy Spirit takes up residence in our very bodies!

When the King of the universe comes to live inside your heart and mind, He brings with Him the power to enable you to abandon your fleshly nature and surrender your will to Him. The Holy Spirit becomes your life coach and mentor, empowering you to agape others.

So what does agape truly look like?.

Agape is not a feeling; it is a response—an action. Agape, described in detail in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, teaches us that love is a verb. 

Agape responds in total surrender to the Holy Spirit and obedience to God’s commands.  (John 14:15)

Agape is not fueled by the desire of the recipient, but by the need of the recipient.           (It’s not about what they want; it’s about what they need.) (Romans 5:6)

Unlike phileo, agape is not an emotion that arises because of the character of the recipient. (It has nothing to do with how much you like them.) (Luke 23:33-34)

Agape it is not prompted by the worthiness of the recipient. (Romans 5:8)

Agape will never be a natural, involuntary response. It intentionally acts in direct contrast with natural motives or desires (which is why we can choose to love our enemy instead of taking revenge on them) (Romans 12:19-21)

Agape is unconditional. It acts in the best interest of the one being loved with no self-serving motive. It is an emptying out of oneself with no expectation of a reward. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Self-preservation, self-protection, and self-pleasing will are the polar opposite of agape. 

Agape does not spend itself only on the object of one’s affection; it seeks the welfare of everyone. (John 3:16)

Agape expresses the deep and constant love of our perfect Savior toward entirely unworthy people to meet their deepest need, even in the midst of their rebellion. (Titus 3:3-5)

God’s agape love produces in us a reverential response to love Him back, to love His other children, and to help others seek the Originator and Giver of this agape love.

Corinthians 13:4-8 is the perfect description of agape; it is our “how to” guide for loving others. In the attached photo, you can see the Greek meaning of each description of agape. I pray that this will help us better understand how to truly love one another the way Jesus loves us.

Loving Him and you,

Shawna