Agape Is A Strong Wall Of Protection Surrounding The Other Loves
Unlike storge, phileo, and eros, agape is not based on feelings. Neither is it affected by how the other person responds. Thats why the Bible can realistically command us to love our enemies. This unconditional love depends only on the commitment, made and sustained through the power of the Holy Spirit, to consistently minister the love of God to another person.
Thats why I can love my wife even in the times when I dont like her . No matter how I am feeling about her at the moment, I can and must still make the decision that with the help of God I will treat her with kindness and consideration and concern for her wellbeing.
A marriage needs for storge, phileo, and eros to all be functioning with full force in order for that relationship to reach its full potential. But these loves, based on feelings and therefore subject to the impact events can have on our emotions, are vulnerable. It is agape that surrounds them like a high wall, and protects them from being destroyed by the pressures and stresses of changing circumstances.
1 Corinthians 13:13 gives a great summary of the preeminence of agape love:
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three but the greatest of these is love.
This article is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
Love Puts Privacy In Its Place
Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
When times get tough, people begin to tighten up and to take fewer risks. Jesus warned His disciples that the love of the saints would wane in the days of tribulation:
And Jesus answered and said to them, See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will mislead many. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. And at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many. And because lawlessness is increased, most peoples love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, it is he who shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come .
Times of political tension and religious persecution take a heavy toll on Christians:
Gods Love Is Personal
God became personally involved in our salvation. The entire biblical record shows us that a large part of Gods character is that He is personal. He did not simply lay down a set of rules to follow and then sit down in Heaven to watch us attempt to keep those rules. On the contrary, the rules God gave were given to reveal to us the fact that we are unable keep enough rules to be holy, rather what makes us holy is a personal relationship with God. From Genesis to Revelation the witness of Gods Word is that God is a personal God who desires to have a personal relationship with every one of us.
Worldly love is oftentimes impersonal it attempts to mimic true love by giving money instead of offering someone a shoulder to lean on. It calls itself tolerant while overlooking all kinds of sinful and destructive behavior in the name of love. Only by knowing God, His character, and His Word, can we hope to understand even a small part of just how great Gods love is. Only by trusting in His Son, Jesus Christ, can we become an overflowing vessel of that godly love to share with a lost and hurting world.
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What Is The Hebrew Meaning Of Charity
Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for philanthropy and charity. It is a form of social justice in which donors benefit from giving as much or more than the recipients. So much more than a financial transaction, tzedakah builds trusting relationships and includes contributions of time, effort, and insight.
What Is Storge Love In The Bible
Storge is a term for love in the Bible that you may not be familiar with. This Greek word describes family love, the affectionate bond that develops naturally between parents and children, and brothers and sisters.
Many examples of family love are found in Scripture, such as the mutual protection among Noah and his wife, the love of Jacob for his sons, and the strong love the sisters had for their brother Lazarus. An interesting compound word using storge, “philostorgos,” is found in Romans 12:10, which commands believers to “be devoted” to one another with brotherly affection.
Christians are members of God’s family. Our lives are knit together by something stronger than physical tiesthe bonds of the Spirit. We are related by something more powerful than human bloodthe blood of Jesus Christ. God calls his children to love each other with the deep affection of storge love.
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What Does The Bible Say About Love How Does God Love
The Greek word for spiritual love is agape, which according to Dictionary.com, means:
- The love of God or Christ for humankind.
- The love of Christians for other persons, corresponding to the love of God for humankind.
- Unselfish love of one person for another without sexual implications brotherly love.
1. Spiritual love is not self-love, but rather self-sacrificing 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 and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth .
According to this passage, Jesus is the reason we even know what spiritual love is! In laying down His life for us, He taught us everything we need to know about true love.
2. Spiritual love is generous, not selfish or greedy.
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. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins .
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 .
3. Spiritual love is unending, not a temporary feeling, emotion, or attraction.
4. Spiritual love is undeserving and often unreciprocated.
What Does The Bible really Say About Love
What does the good book have to say about everyone’s favorite subject at this time of the year — love? Describing a biblical view of love turns out to be no simple matter. First off, the Bible was written in both Hebrew and Greek, and each of these languages has multiple words that we translate as “love.”
There are also understandings of love floating around among different authors. So what the author of the Song of Solomon says about love isn’t the same as what the author of Genesis say, which isn’t the same as what John says, which isn’t the same as Paul … and so on. All of which means that not only is there no single view of love in the Bible but any larger scheme you propose by which to organize these various treatises on love will inevitably fall short.
Nevertheless it may still be a useful, if far from perfect, endeavor. To get at it, I’ll borrow the classic formula that distinguishes between three Greek words: eros, romantic, passionate love, from which we get our word “erotic” phileo, the love of great friends and siblings, from which we get “Philadelphia,” the “city of brotherly love” and agape, parental, self-sacrificing love that seeks only the welfare of the other. All three kinds of love are represented in the Bible, which means that all three are considered to be created and blessed by God.
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Loves Relationship To Righteousness
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil cling to what is good.
Joseph Fletcher, an advocate of situational ethics, once told the story of a farmer whose daughter was seduced by a traveling salesman. Incensed by the violation of his sister, the girls brother was ready to exterminate the salesman with his shotgun. Stepping in, the father admonished his son with the words: Son, you are so full of whats right that youve lost sight of whats good.
Situational ethics is a term which is hardly used any more. This is not because the theory is pass, but because it is so widespread, no one thinks of it as something distinct. Our whole society is situational in its ethics. Situational ethics does not define morality and immorality in terms of biblical revelation, but in terms of love. Moral judgment is determined by the existence or absence of love. A sexual union outside of marriage, but which is thought to be the expression of love, is considered moral. The question then becomes, Is it loving? rather than, Is it right? If it is loving, it is presumed to be right.
Faq: What Is The Definition Of Charity In The Bible
Charity, in Christian thought, the highest form of love, signifying the reciprocal love between God and man that is made manifest in unselfish love of ones fellow men. Pauls classical description of charity is found in the New Testament .
What does the Bible specifically say about charity?
- The Spiritual aspect of charity is that, as love, it is part of the fruit of the Spirit, which gives it a Spiritual foundation and motivation. Therefore, the Bible teaches that God defined charity as acts of love motivated by the Holy Spirit because of our love for Christ.
What is the biblical definition of charity? Charity, in Christian thought, the highest form of love, signifying the reciprocal love between God and man that is made manifest in unselfish love of ones fellow men. Pauls classical description of charity is found in the New Testament .
Contents
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What Does The Bible Say About Love Loving First
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son. 1 John 4:10. Its great if someone loves me, and I love them in return. Thats easy. But that is not proof of love. God loved us before we loved Him, and we certainly did nothing to deserve that love. What if someone has treated me badly? Where is my love then? Love gives, and not only to those who are good to us. It loves its enemies it loves first. And it doesnt disappear if that love is never reciprocated. It endures all things.
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:44-45.
Love In The New Testament
What makes the New Testament new is the appearance of the Son of God on the scene of human history. In Jesus Christ we see as never before a revelation of God. As he said, If you have seen me, you have seen the Father . For in a real sense, Jesus was God. .
But the coming of Christ not only brings about the revelation of God. By his death and resurrection Christ also brings about the salvation of men . This salvation includes forgiveness of sins , access to God , the hope of eternal life , and a new heart which is inclined to do good deeds .
Therefore, when dealing with love, we must try to relate everything to Jesus Christ and his life, death and resurrection. In the life and death of Christ we see in a new way what Gods love is and what mans love for God and for others should be. And through faith, the Spirit of Christ, living in us enables us to follow his example.
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Gods Love Is Sacrificial
BUT God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
For one will scarcely die for a righteous personthough perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us . Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, endured the pain of the cross because He loves us. Jesus gave up His place with God in heaven in order to come down to earth, experience humility, shame, suffering, and death so that anyone who trusts in Him will be forgiven of their sins and can enjoy the close personal relationship with Him for which they were created. It is astonishing that He did this voluntarily motivated by His love for us.
Worldly love is selfish, self-serving, and cares more for what it gets from a relationship than what it gives to that relationship. Many marriages and friendships fail because this is the type of love the participants exhibit. Only when relationships are built on Gods love will they flourish.
How Does Gods Love Differ From The Worlds Definition Of Love
We oftentimes hear people talk about showing love to others. They say that all we need is love . Many people believe they know what love is when they are really only living by certain feelings that they call love. Everyone wants to be loved and most people want to love others in return. However, do we really know what love is? The Bible speaks many times about love, and what it is. Let us look at a biblical definition of love and see in what ways it is different from its worldly counterpart.
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Is Charity The Same As Love In The Bible
Charity, in Christian thought, the highest form of love, signifying the reciprocal love between God and man that is made manifest in unselfish love of ones fellow men. Pauls classical description of charity is found in the New Testament .
English Definition Of Love
The English word love has been used in reference to a strong affection for another since before the 12th century, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary. It has been said that the English language has only one word for love, but English also has other words implying love such as affection, friendship, attraction, etc. The word love though is a constantly evolving concept with ever-broadening definitions. Human love, therefore, cannot be simply defined, as it is being redefined all the time.
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Love According To The Bible
In a world confused about what love really is, its crucial for us to understand and uphold the Bibles definition of love. A great place to start is with the most famous passage on the topic:
If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didnt love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I had the gift of prophecy and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didnt love others, what good would I be?
And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody.
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it but if I didnt love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.
Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.
It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear.
Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little! But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear.
How will you live out biblical love today?
Love Gives You The Confidence To Face Even The End Of Time
True love keeps you away from sins and cleanses your soul so that you may become confident even on the Day of Judgment.
In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment because in this world we are like him. 1 John 4:17
True love is indeed powerful and thats why its not an easy thing to do. Giving pure love involves making great sacrifices and enduring a lot of pain. However, it rewards genuine happiness and fulfillment in life and beyond.
Perhaps we cannot make our love perfect on our first try. But love is not only a one-time act its an act that we should practice consistently. Remember that practice makes perfect. Therefore, dont stop trying to love truly.
I hope this article serves as your guide, not only in identifying if someone is giving you real love, but most importantly in learning how to give it. Take note that true love is more about giving rather than receiving. So start building true love inside you.
Feel free to share this article and share the right love in the world.
Note: All Bible verses presented in this article are based on the New International Version .
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