Agape Love - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional

Gracetoyou.org ^ | 1997 | John McArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

“. . . And in your brotherly kindness, Christian love” (2 Peter 1:7).

Sacrificial love proves genuine faith.

Classical Greek had three common terms for love. As we saw yesterday, phileo (philadelphia) is the love of give and take, best expressed in friendship. Eros is the love that takes—one loves another strictly for what he or she can get out of that person. It is typical of the world’s sexual and lustful desires, which are always bent toward self-gratification. Agape is the love that gives. It is completely unselfish, with no taking involved. This is the highest form of love, which all the other virtues in 2 Peter 1 ultimately lead to. It seeks another’s supreme good, no matter what the cost. Agape was exemplified perfectly by Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.

But what does this highest type of love look like? A brief survey of the one anothers in the New Testament gives an excellent picture. We are commanded to:

Edify one another (Rom. 14:19). “Serve one another” (Gal. 5:13). “Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21). Forgive one another (Col. 3:13). Instruct one another (Col. 3:16). “Comfort one another” (1 Thess. 4:18). Rebuke one another (Titus 1:13). Encourage one another to do good (Heb. 10:24-25). Confess our sins to one another (James 5:16). “Pray for one another” (James 5:16). “Be hospitable to one another” (1 Peter 4:9-10).

The Lord Jesus Christ was involved with individuals. He was a true friend who caringly, lovingly, and sensitively interacted with feeble, needy, and unimportant people and made them eternally important.

Nevertheless we still find people spiritualizing love into a meaningless term. “I love so-and-so in the Lord” really means, “He irks me, but I guess I have to love him if he’s a believer.” Don’t let yourself say that. Instead, display genuine love.

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God that Christ showed agape love toward you on the cross.

For Further Study

Memorize one of the verses in the list of one anothers, and apply it at every appropriate opportunity.

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

[metmom]

Studying God’s Word ping

[exPBRrat]

Big fan of pastor MacArthur, I go to sleep listening to his podcast. I pray that his procedure is successful and he’s returned to duty soon.

[mitch5501]

I heard his procedure went “perfectly” and he’s taking a few weeks off to rest.
Thank you again metmom for the post!

[imardmd1]

A fully complete summation of agapao as a verb, from which the meaning of it defines the noun agape, is this:

"To sovereignly prefer one over self and other (persons or things)."

This is a better concept to perceive, understand, memorize, and apply as exemplified in the verses cited in this article.

Does this not suggest the activity embodied in the "Golden Rule" principle as taught by the Lord Jesus Messiah?

"By this shall all men know you are My disciples."

Selah.

[ViLaLuz]

I appreciate this list describing agape love.

Edify one another (Rom. 14:19). “Serve one another” (Gal. 5:13). “Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21). Forgive one another (Col. 3:13). Instruct one another (Col. 3:16). “Comfort one another” (1 Thess. 4:18). Rebuke one another (Titus 1:13). Encourage one another to do good (Heb. 10:24-25). Confess our sins to one another (James 5:16). “Pray for one another” (James 5:16). “Be hospitable to one another” (1 Peter 4:9-10).