Love

What is love? I'm not talking about the sweaty palms kind of love when you try to talk to a girl in Jr. High. But I want to know about true God inspired love. After all the two most important commands involve love. But what does it really look like? Unfortunately, the English language does not really do the concept justice - the same word is used for baseball, our country, your wife and God. In reality we love all of these things differently. But the Greek language is much more precise in speaking of love. As most of you know there are four words that we translate love, but only two of which we are really concerned. The first is phileo which is a love of friendship and which is usually in response to pleasure received from the person or thing loved. It is never the word used of God's love for us. That word is agape. It is a self sacrificing type of love which is derived from placing value on the one loved, not because of anything he did but simply a choice. It does not expect anything in return. It's most comprehensive expose of course is in I Corinthians 13. I have been studying it recently and have a few thoughts.

First of all we see that love is greater than the three main areas of our lives - speech, thought (prophesy, knowledge, faith) and actions. Secondly we see what it looks like in real life. It does not expect people to be perfect and offers forgiveness readily. It treats people with respect and gentleness as if they were important, paying no attention to their status in the world. It protects others' emotions, reputation and honor, even at the expense of ours. It gives the one loved reason to hope and it hopes for better things for them - it truly desires the highest good of the one loved, and not just the immediate happiness. It allows us to endure suffering, false accusations, betrayal, disappointment ect. because it is not based on getting anything in return.

Next we see what love is not. It has a balanced perception of self ( no righteousness of our own, but worthy in God's sight) and others (not perfect but loved by God) so that there is no need for comparisons or getting self worth by judging myself against others rather than God. Thus there can be no pride. By treating everyone as valuable and honorable, it cannot allow improper conduct. It does not expect others to act in any certain way, and thus it is not disappointed or hurt thereby leading to anger. Because it freely forgives, it does not talley up wrongs and blessings. It is not bestowed based on one deserving it by doing enough good, but is freely given as an act of the will, regardless as to whether it is deserved. Since it arises within the heart of the one loving and does not require a response from the one loved, it can never fail to accomplish its purpose.

Lastly, we come to a most interesting idea. When we get to heaven, many things of this world will pass away, even good things. Three things will remain - faith, hope and love. It is obvious that love will be important in heaven as it has to do with relationship, and there will be plenty of relationships in heaven. The Trinity had a love relationship before the world began and that will certainly continue. The more we grow in our love for God now, the closer we will be to Him when we are in heaven and will make it even better. Likewise, the more we learn to love others with true agape love here now, the more of a headstart we will have in heaven. I do not think that we will immediately be able to love perfectly but will continue to grow in that grace forever. What is troubleing is that faith and hope also remain. How is that if God is present with us? I think that it means that heaven is going to be a much more active and growing type of place than we can possibly imagine. We will still need to trust that God is good and has our best interests in mind and we will still need to hope for growth and maturity. I think it is saying that our progressive sanctification is not complete when we pass through the Pearly Gates, but will continue. How exciting is it to think that heaven will be such an active place of work and growth, without the constraints of sin, but with an atmosphere full of agape love. Are you ready?