The Love that is Agape

(This post was from my  old blog… it was a Valentine’s Day post… ^_^)

John 13:34-35

“A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you,  that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (KJV)

The real mark of a follower of Christ is his/her ability to love.

LOVE- hallmark of spirituality

We have to stop thinking of love as something that suddenly comes to our lives and as something that is uncontrollable. Love is not attraction. It is attraction which is uncontrollable, love is controllable because it is a choice.

Deuteronomy 30:20

“That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him………..” (KJV)

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;   rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” (KJV)

The word “love” has four implications in Greek. Agape is the love of God. Fileo is a child’s love to his/her parents. Eros is erotic love. Esporge is love for friends.

The love being described in the Bible is Agape.

1.   Love is patient .

Love is patient as God is patient. Hence, we should always be patient to others, especially to those we love.

2.   Love is kind.

There is a difference between a good Christian and a kind Christian. A good Christian goes to church and avoids sin. A kind Christian cannot stop his/her self from helping others because his/her heart goes out to them. Thus, he/she shares the Word of God and reminds others of the Love of God.

3.   Love knows no envy.

Love is being happy for the success of other people. It is being grateful that something good happened to the ones we love.

4.   Love is not boastful.

Love is not praising one’s self but being more aware of the positive virtues of others.

5.   Love is not proud.

Luke 17:1

Then said he unto the disciples, it is impossible but that offenses will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come.(KJV)

This verse means that one cannot help but be offended and offend.

Humble people do not need offenders to apologize to them to be able to forgive. They forgive with their hearts even if the people who did them wrong did not say sorry.

Don’t try to forgive people if Jesus is not in your life, it would be TOO DIFFICULT for you. Only God can change you and transform you. It is only with the help of God that you can do extraordinary things like forgiving.

2 Timothy 2:24-26

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (KJV)

If you don’t forgive people, you fall into the devil’s trap.

6.   Love is not rude.

Love is graceful and charming.

Don’t be tactful. (ouch) Always think before you speak.  (ehem) Even when you apologize after you say something bad, there is still a chance that the people you have hurt with your words would not forget what you have said, especially if Jesus is not in them as they would continuously hurt and hate you for what you have said.

7.   Love is not self-seeking.

A lot of people are in need, you have to realize that you are here to help those people.

The big problem that our planet faces is selfishness.

Corruption, environmental destruction, war, poverty, crime, single-parenthood, broken homes, etc. are caused by SELFISHNESS.

Love is wanting others to feel good, not seeking for personal pleasure.

8.   Love is not easily angered.

A person who is in Christ should always have his/her temper under check.

As God fills a person, he/she becomes less of his/her self. Hence, if you are in Christ and Christ is in you, you should learn how to control your temper. When you lose your temper, you lose everything, whereas when you master your temper, you’ll master almost everything.

When someone did something bad to you, what comes out of your mouth?

Remember, hurting words can kill.

(this entry is an excerpt of the message in our church dated Feb. 13, 2012)