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February 7th - 13th
LOVE - it’s more than a feeling…
Before we consider what the Bible says about our love for God, let’s pause a moment to think about what love is, and what it’s not.
In the Greek language of the New Testament, there are four different words that are used to describe love:
Stergo is a natural affection, such as the love for our families. We love them because they are father, mother, sister or brother.
Phileo is social love and is often translated in the Bible as “friend.” It is an expression of our pleasure when we spend time in others company. The relationship will last as long as you give 50% and your friend gives 50%.
Eros is centered on self and is love for the sole purpose of sexual gratification. Eros is not used in the Bible, but we get our word “erotic” from it. The Songs of Solomon speak about this concept. “I will love you as long as you give me pleasure.”
Agape is rooted in God and is total selfless love and it gives us the desire to help another without expecting anything in return. The fundamental concept of agape is sacrifice.
And what about our love for God? What type of love is that? We love God because He loved us first, because of His great sacrifice to reconcile us to Himself. In the Book of Matthew, one of Pharisees asked Jesus: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” In Matthew 23:37-40, Jesus replied: “…thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (KJV) Jesus stated that the entire Old Testament is rooted and grounded in these two commandments, so when we love God completely and we sincerely love our neighbors, we are living the essence of biblical teaching.
We show our love for God by obeying His commandments. “Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, always.” Deuteronomy 11:1 (KJV) “In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply; and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.” Deuteronomy 30:16 (KJV)
And God blesses us for our love and obedience:
Psalm 37:28 “For the LORD loveth judgment and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
Psalm 97:10 “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivers them out of the hand of the wicket.”
Proverbs 8:17 “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”
Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
Romans 13:10 “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
I Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
What is love for God? In a word, it’s self-sacrifice. “I beseech you therefore, brethern, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1 (KJV)
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