Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Agape

Agape is love without reason, love that is unearned and undeserved. It's love by choice, love as an act of the will instead of an emotional reaction or mental response. It's love that sets aside its own will for the good of another, without consideration of reciprocity. In other words, agape loves no matter what.

Agape is love which is of and from God, whose very nature is love itself. The Apostle John affirms this in 1 John 4:8: “God is love.” God does not merely love; He is love itself. Everything God does flows from His love. But it is important to remember that God’s love is not a sappy, sentimental love such as we often hear portrayed. God loves because that is His nature and the expression of His being.

He loves the unlovable and the unlovely.....that is us.....not because we deserve to be loved, but because it is His nature to do so, and He must be true to His nature and character. God’s love is displayed most clearly at the Cross, where Christ died for the unworthy creatures who were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), not because we did anything to deserve it, “but God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

The object of agape love never does anything to merit His love. We are the undeserving recipients upon whom He lavishes that love. His love was demonstrated when He sent His Son into the world to “seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), and to provide eternal life to those He sought and saved. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for those He loves.

Be Blessed.

4 comments:

Erica said...

This message is beautiful! There is so much understanding that we lack as it relates to the love God is to us and for us and how we should apply His approach of love towards each other. Thanks for not only sharing but inspiring!

ViveAlive said...

Thanks Erica for your encouragement. God Bless You.

HMS said...

Amen. Thanks for sharing!

Linh Dang Khanh said...

Thanks God. Thanks very much for sharing your meaning message. AMEN.