“Agape is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest of the four
types of love in the Bible.” (aboutreligion.org)
Gotquestions.org defines agape as lofty and moral. It’s the
essence of benevolence and goodwill.
Agape is the Greek term used in 1 Corinthians 13, the definitive
chapter on the importance of love. Let’s look at some of the verses:
1
Corinthians 13 (NIV)
Verse 1--If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but
do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a cymbal.
Verse 4—Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it
does not boast, it is not proud.
Verse 8—Love never fails.
Verse 13—And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
I referred to my friend Little John’s words in my last article.
My friend said that agape deepens our wisdom and fills us
with God’s character. Let's look at some more of his thoughts on the subject. (Once
again, I have added headings and left out some of the text for the purposes of
clarity and conciseness.):
Love
is powerful.
It is God’s (true love’s) purpose, to flow through
us and among us with unadulterated
power, passion and purpose.
Love
requires humility.
For true love to flow through us and be contained in
us requires absolute humility, trust, loyalty, equanimity, faithfulness and
fealty. It is no coincidence that true love is as much a mystery, and as
difficult to attain, as God’s presence.
Love
overcomes all doubt and fear.
This is the battle of the doubtful mind: to live
according to the fears of your survival instinct and the world that has been
formed from it, or to overcome it and live in the freedom of God’s absolute love.
There is no doubt in a mind that
knows the absolute truth of God and has overcome the survival instinct of the
flesh.
Only when we realize we can never overcome the
reality of “the world” that is full of doubt and the battle between good and
evil with our own might or willpower,
and can only step aside from it and live in God’s reality of true love, will we
grow in supernatural strength and overcome the reality of the world.
Love
fights the darkness.
You can’t beat a bad influence by fighting against it.
You can only walk away in love and let your life in love be the example.
Love
provides.
When you absolutely believe in the supernatural
reality of God and His love, then the only step from there is to put your
absolute trust and faith in His love, and the desire of His love, to fill your
heart with absolute love, peace and joy and provide for all you needs--not your wants. He will always provide for you more than you can imagine
when you live for love with all you are and are yet to be--not for money or
things.
My
Conclusion
The spiritual light of unconditional (agape) love heals,
provides, and overrides fear. It fills us with power and glory.
Related Posts
How
are you exercising unconditional love?
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