No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. (1 John4:12).
How would you describe the love of God? The two basic needs of man are: the need to love and to be loved. Everyone needs to love someone and to have someone love them. We have within us the natural ability to love others with a human kind of love.
Three Greek words are used to describe this natural love. Storge is used to indicate a feeling of affectionate love for one another. This kind of love wants to be reciprocated. Eros is a Greek word for our natural, sexual love based upon physical attraction. The third Greek word is Phileo and stands for our friendship love. It involves companionship, sharing of common interests, being compatible, being able to think alike or see eye to eye. Many marriages are built on this kind of love. These three kinds of natural love as not comparable to what the Bible calls Agape love.
Natural love says, "I'll love you as long as you love me, but if you stop loving me, then I'll stop loving you." Natural love is a conditional kind of love. God's Agape love is just the opposite. His love is unconditional. God's love doesn't require a response or make demands. You cannot stop the love of God from coming, and as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:8, "His love never fails."
Do you have Agape love residing within your heart? The answer to that querstion is "absolutely" if you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior. The moment you believed in Jesus as Savior, God implanted his agape love within your heart. The verse at the top of this devotional is proof that God's love resides within us. You have the capacity to love as God loves. For this love to flow outward we must allow the indwelling Spirit to be in control. Have you submitted to Him?
Thought for the Day: Agape love is the very essence and nature of God.
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