We begin a brand new series this Sunday at Grace Point called Agape. Here is the series blurb: “Unlovely things must be deeply loved before they become lovable. God is love and Jesus insists that the primary identifying trait of his followers is love. Created and demonstrated by God, agape is an in spite of love. It is unconditional, unprovoked, and undeserved. Discover what it means to experience and live agape.”
Love is such a funny word in the English language. Very few languages use the exact same word to communicate their level of affection towards both their family and their favorite food, drink, TV show, pet, sports team, and salad dressing. The simple word “love” does not really communicate affection levels.
New Testament Greek had 3 primary words that express levels of affection:
Eros – a self-centered love whose primary concern is “what’s in it for me?” Eros love is a feelings precede actions love. I feel love therefore I will love. Eros love is conditional. I love as long as … the person remains beautiful to me, we get along, my needs are being met … you get the picture. Eros is an “all-take” love.
Phileo love is reciprocal love. It is a give and take kind of love. It is the affection from which friendship arises and potentially a long-term romantic relationship. It is a 50-50 love. I get and so I give. I overlook some minimal flaws, weaknesses, and differences because of what I get in the long run. Phileo love is innate. While it is still somewhat conditional, it is not as self-focused as eros.
Agape love is a love created, demonstrated, and provided only by God. Agape love is totally unconditional, unprovoked, and unearned. It is an in spite of kind of love. Agape is an all-give, regardless of the worth or response of its object, love. Agape is the very nature of God and it is why God sent His own Son to provide for the sins of unworthy, undeserving people. Agape can’t be earned. It is simply given.
It is difficult for us to wrap our minds around agape love. We are conditions people. We love “as long as…” That is natural. So agape is not something we can conjure up or obtain. It only comes through a source outside of us. It is a love that comes only from God.
There are two sides to understanding agape love. First we have to embrace agape. We have to embrace the reality that we cannot earn God’s all-give love. We simply receive it. Second we learn to live agape love by growing in our faith. Becoming a Jesus follower does not suddenly make you love your enemies. Loving as God loves is a process. As I grow in my faith, agape develops in me. It comes through Christ as I live for Christ.
Agape love is John 3:16 love: “God SO LOVED the world that He gave His one and only Son.” It is Romans 5:8 love: “God DEMONSTRATED His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” It is 1 John 4:9 love: “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.”
God created and modeled it. We are to live it. AGAPE – its the way to life and a way of life.