Written by Michelle J. Goff, Founder and Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries
The Greeks used at least six different words for what English summarizes in one word: love.
Eros described physical love or sexual desire.
Philia defined brotherly love.
Storge characterized familial love.
Mania was obsessive love.
Pragma, a love based on duty or obligation, referred to a practical love.
Finally, agape, described unconditional, sacrificial love.
Agape is the word used most often throughout the New Testament. Unconditional, sacrificial love characterizes the love that God has for us and the love that He calls us to have for others.
Often known as the apostle that Jesus loved, John speaks the most about love than any of the other writers. He quotes Jesus speaking about it and he illustrates it through his own writings, inspired of course, by the Holy Spirit.
While teaching Nicodemus, Jesus explained, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV)
- God does not love based on duty or obligation (pragma). Unconditional (agape) love is a choice.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:9, 12-13)
- Jesus speaks about love as sacrificial (agape), not merely a brotherly love (philia).
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:7-12)
- The familial love (storge), that the Father and the Son have, is the foundation on which their agape love for others is laid. They do not just speak of agape love theoretically, but rather show that love that we might live through them (1 John 4:9, above).
One of the beautiful things about God’s agape love for us is that if we truly dwell in His love, God’s perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).
I cannot love perfectly on my own. We live out love for God and for others when we are first filled to overflowing by His love.
Max Lucado wrote a book entitled, A Love Worth Living. The premise of this book is based on the idea that the 1 Corinthians 13 definition of love is our goal. If those characteristics of love are what we are all expected to maintain, we will fail. Lucado affirms that if we were to fill in our own names in the place of the word love, we would feel extremely inadequate and insufficient.
Using only verse 4 of 1 Corinthians 13, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” Michelle is patient… with children. Michelle is kind, usually. Michelle does not envy… most things. She tries not to boast. Uh, and that pride issue… well…
Conversely, as Lucado proposes, we can change our obvious imperfection to an expectation that God in us can be all of what love is because we are an outpouring of His love!
God in Michelle is patient. God, through Michelle, is kind. Because of God, Michelle does not envy. She boasts in the Lord (as Paul does). And through Christ’s example of humility, Michelle is not proud.
God sees us through the eyes of agape love. He is always kind and keeps no record of wrongs. Agape love never fails.
May we remain in His love to such a degree that we serve as broken vessels for the outpouring of His agape love.
What do you most love about God’s love?
How can you love like Christ loves today?