Ephesians 4:32- 5:2 “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
Pastor Herk asks: Are we demonstrating our Christ-like love for others? Because God knows the end from the beginning, His ultimate act of love was one that He had planned before the beginning of time and proclaimed in this well-known Bible verse: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” Who on earth would sacrifice their son so that the sins of another could be forgiven? Unfortunately, in our culture today we have completely perverted the whole concept of love.
There are four types of love mentioned in the Bible. (1) Family love – The Greek word is “Storge” which describes the affectionate bond that develops naturally between parents and children, brothers and sisters, and natural family relations. Blood is thicker than water is a term used to say that a person's family is more important than a person's other relationships or needs because the bond of family love. This goes for the family of God also. An interesting compound word using storge, "philostorgos," is found in Romans 12:10, which commands believers to "be devoted" to one another with brotherly affection. Christians are members of God's family. Our lives are knit together by something stronger than physical ties—the bonds of the Spirit. We are related by something more powerful than human blood – the body of Christ.
(2) Brotherly love is the type of intimate love in the Bible that most Christians practice toward each other. The Greek word is “Philia’ and the term describes the powerful emotional bond of affection seen in deep personal friendships of beloved, dear friends or a a trusted confidant. Philia is the most general type of love in Scripture, encompassing love for fellow humans, care, respect, and compassion for people in need. The concept of brotherly love that unites believers is unique to Christianity. (3) “Eros” is the Greek word for sensual or romantic love. The term originated from the mythological Greek god of love, sexual desire, physical attraction, and physical love, Eros, whose Roman counterpart was Cupid. God is very clear in the Bible that “eros” love is reserved for marriage. Within the boundary of marriage, eros love is to be celebrated and enjoyed as beautiful blessing from God: " In our secular society today, at best it is an emotional attachment between two people, and at worse it is merely a physical attraction.
(4) Agape love is the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. This term defines God's immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. It is the divine love that comes from God. Agape love is perfect, unconditional, sacrificial, and pure. Love is one of the most powerful emotions humans can experience. For Christian believers, love is the truest test of genuine faith. Through the Bible, we discover how to experience love in its many forms and to share it with others as God intended. So, if we are going to imitate God’s love then our love must transcend the humanistic world’s concept of love. 1 John 3:18 says, “Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in actions and truth.” True Christian love is much more than a mere emotion as the secular world describes it and Christ-like love is a choice that we make. It puts the wellbeing of others ahead of our own. Jesus, Others, then You is the recipe for joy in life and a Fruit of the Spirit. This godly love is not just done in words, but in actions.
A third aspect in the love of God is that love is freely given, with no “strings attached”. That is why the Apostle Paul writes: “walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Of the five Old Testament sacrificial offerings prescribed by God, three (the burnt offering, the grain offering and the peacep offering) were made as a voluntary act of worship to God and were described as a sweet-smelling aroma to the Lord. They were given denoting gratitude and thanksgiving to God. Jesus’ sacrificial offering as a sweet-smelling aroma to Father God in Heaven reinforces that idea. 2 Corinthians 5:21 [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in willful submission to God’s Will, voluntarily gave up His life for us out of love. The greatest acts of love are not forced, coerced or by obligation, but willful and intentional. We can and must imitate the way that Jesus loves us. In the way that we love others.
In God we trust.
In Christ, Brian
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