Skip to main content

Agape Love

Thoughts on God's Love

St. Valentine's Day gives the opportunity to celebrate love and most importantly, God's love. Without His redeeming love, we would never have known His salvation or forgiveness. Because God is love, He mercifully drew up a plan of eternal reconciliation. While God's redeeming love is the central theme of the Bible, there are three other aspects that should encourage us as we consider God's agape love.

Everlasting Love

We read a declaration of God's everlasting love in Jeremiah 31:3:

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying:

"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;

Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."
While this was originally directed towards His people, Israel, in the Old Testament, it is the same God who paid for the Church with the blood of His Son and draws us to Himself. His love is unconditional and constant. Often we do not feel worthy of His love, particularly if we believe in a performance-based acceptance. Christ's perfect sacrifice means we can be accepted and loved by God's grace alone.
In the cancel culture of today, it is reassuring to know that God's love for us does not change! He may have to discipline us when we wander from His path just as parents chastise their children for their own good, but He never ceases to love us.


Joyful Love
Zephaniah 3:17 is a delightful verse as we contemplate the subject of God's love.

The LORD your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

God takes pleasure in saving the lost and restoring broken lives and hearts. Only He can save us from the power of sin through His Son and when individuals repent, there is rejoicing in Heaven (Luke 15:10).
The Church is portrayed in the Bible as Christ's bride. The bride, fully satisfied with His love, becomes still in His presence with inner peace and assurance. Which bridegroom does not rejoice over his bride? Our heavenly Bridegroom rejoices over us with singing in joyful anticipation of welcoming His bride in a future day.

Unfailing Love
1 Corinthians 13 constitutes a well-known definition of God's agape love and contains a powerful statement in verse 8.
Love never fails.

God's agape love never fails. Everything else in this world will pass away, but God's steadfast love endures forever.


The phrase in 1 Corinthians 13:8 could also be translated: love will never become ineffective. As recipients of God's love, we are constantly being changed by the workings of His love in our hearts. It is our calling to share this love in a cold world to reflect God's heart.


Reaching out to others with acts of selfless love and kindness is more effective than we often realize. When someone is touched by God's love through a thoughtful gesture, they usually remember it. God's love will never become ineffective in our witness and in our lives!



God's love is everlasting, joyful and unfailing. We are blessed beyond words if we have offered Him our hearts to be filled by such love.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

and were the skies of parchment made;

were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill,

and ev’ryone a scribe by trade;

to write the love of God above

would drain the ocean dry;

nor could the scroll contain the whole,

though stretched from sky to sky.


F. Lehman


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"When you get to the top, there's nothing there."

The title of this blog is a quotation from author Jack Higgins, who wrote 'The Eagle has Landed'.  He wished he had known as a small boy that 'when you get to the top, there's nothing there'. The former President of the Republic of Macedonia, Sir Boris Trajkovski, reiterates similar sentiments in this video. The quality is poor, but I think his words can be heard clearly. Even to reach the top position in one's country, " ...as President, in my life I feel that nothing is more important than to know the Lord Jesus Christ. "    What about this feeling of emptiness inside? I agree with Sir Boris Trajkovski. His conclusion is: to have Christ is everything. Forget the religious nonsense which chokes the very soul of the living God. Religion is man-made and is therefore as stifling and narrow-minded as its makers. A real relationship with the God of Heaven fulfills and gives peace. I think that's what we are all looking for, if we a
1 comment
Read more

The Mystery that is Macedonia

When I first came to Macedonia on a visit in 2001, I found this little country so intriguing and breathtakingly beautiful that I happily accepted the invitation to return for a longer period. That ‘longer period’ has now extended itself to several years during which I have had many enriching, memorable experiences. I thought it might be interesting to jot down a few observations about the difference in culture. I appeal to my Macedonian readers not to misunderstand my intentions. What I have observed are customs and habits which are as normal to you as breathing and sleeping, but to someone from an entirely different culture, they are both interesting and noteworthy. It is always thrilling for me to explore how various nations function and it is nothing short of a privilege to experience a foreign culture first-hand. Hospitality Macedonians are a friendly, hospitable people. I do not know how many times they have almost literally killed me with kindness. Indeed, I have often
8 comments
Read more

Quiet Time

I must admit, I love the morning. The peace, the silence, the coffee... And most importantly, the presence of God! The Psalmist loved the morning. We can catch his sense of joy as he lifted up his heart to praise Yahweh, the Keeper of his soul. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night, On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound. For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. Psalm 92:1-4 Even though I grew up in a Christian family, I did not realize the importance of having a ‘quiet time’ with God each morning until I was 18. This materialized through a challenging teaching on the subject one Saturday evening. Then began an incredible journey of discovering truth for myself. The Bible is the LIVING WORD OF GOD! How exciting to hold it in our hands and learn throu
4 comments
Read more