South End Church of Christ

South End Church of Christ 4001 Taylor Blvd Louisville, KY 40215

	Love Aaron Erhardt Napoleon once declared, “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself have founded empires, but upon what do these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love: and to this very day millions would die for Him.” Indeed, the “empire” of Christ is rooted in, motivated by, and dependent upon love. There were four Greek words for “love.” (1) Eros is sexual love; passion. It is from this Greek word that we get our English word “erotic.” It does not appear in the New Testament. (2) Storge is natural love; affection. It is the love that a father has for his child. The negative form of this word is translated “without natural affection” in Romans 1:31 (KJV). (3) Philia is brotherly love; fondness. It is the love that exists among friends. (This is seen in the name “Philadelphia,” the city of brotherly love). (4) Agape is the highest form of love. It is a willed love that goes beyond emotion and seeks the very best for its object. It is a sacrificial and selfless love. It loves the unlovable! Agape is personified in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Paul lists fifteen characteristics: (1) Love is patient: longsuffering (2) Love is kind: gracious (3) Love does not envy: not jealous (4) Love does not boast: not a braggart (5) Love is not arrogant: not proud (6) Love is not rude: not unbecoming (7) Love does not insist on its own way: not self-seeking (8) Love is not irritable: not easily provoked (9) Love is not resentful: not bitter (10) Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing: takes no pleasure in sin (11) Love rejoices with the truth: takes pleasure in truth (12) Love bears all things: either endures or protects (“stegei” has both meanings) (13) Love believes all things: not cynical (14) Love hopes all things: optimistic (15) Love endures all things: perseveres Agape is used of God Himself (1 John 4:8), for it defines His very essence. This is seen in His love for the Son (John 3:35), the church (2 Thessalonians 2:16), and the world (John 3:16). Agape is also used of a man’s love for his wife (Ephesians 5:25), his neighbor (Romans 13:9), and his enemies (Matthew 5:44). Agape is the first “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) and the last “Christian grace” (2 Peter 1:7). Christians are to “pursue love” (1 Corinthians 14:1), “bear with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2), “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), “walk in love” (Ephesians 5:2), “have the same love” (Philippians 2:2), “be knit together in love” (Colossians 2:2), “put on love” (Colossians 3:14), “increase and abound in love” (1 Thessalonians 3:12), and “stir up one another to love” (Hebrews 10:24). In similar exhortations, Peter told the readers of his first epistle to “love one another earnestly” (1:22) and to “keep loving one another earnestly” (4:8). In both places, the word “earnestly” literally means “to stretch out.” It denotes strenuous and sustained effort. It was used in ancient Greek literature of a horse stretching out and running at full speed. An Athenian philosopher named Aristides described early Christians in a document to the Roman Emperor Hadrian. It was written between 120-130 A.D., and shows that they were heeding Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 16:14: “Let all that you do be done in love.” Below is an excerpt: Their oppressors they comfort and make them their friends; they do good to their enemies; and their women, O King, are pure as virgins, and their daughters are modest; and their men keep themselves from every unlawful union and from all uncleanness, in the hope of a recompense to come in the other world. Further, if one or other of them have bondmen and bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction. They do not worship strange gods, and they go their way in all modesty and cheerfulness. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother; for they do not call them brethren after the flesh, but brethren after the spirit and in God. And whenever one of their poor passes from the world, each of them according to his ability gives heed to him and carefully sees to his burial. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food. Love Obeys The bond between love and obedience is so tight that the two are inseparable. Love that does not obey is not true love: John 14:15 — “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” John 14:21 — “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me” John 14:23 — “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word” John 14:24 — “Whoever does not love me does not keep my words” John 15:10 — “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” Galatians 5:6 — “Faith working through love” 1 John 2:5 — “Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected” 1 John 5:3 — “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” 2 John 6 — “And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments” Misplaced Love There are many ways in which love can be misplaced. For instance, some love the glory of men (John 12:43), themselves (2 Timothy 3:2), money (2 Timothy 3:2), pleasure (2 Timothy 3:4), the world (2 Timothy 4:10), or the preeminence (3 John 9, KJV). Unity Love is the key to unity in local churches, for it “does no wrong to a neighbor” (Romans 13:10). Where love abounds, there will be no backbiting, bitterness, or bullying. Neither will there be any resentment, ridiculing, or rivalry. There will only be goodwill. Each member will “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10) and “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). Conclusion Jesus knew that love was paramount (Matthew 22:37-40). He loved us and insists that we love one another (John 15:12). Furthermore, love must be the motivation for all we do (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). It has been said that love is the badge of true discipleship. Let us then make sure that our badge is ever-present and always “genuine” (Romans 12:9).