Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Agape is Godly love! There is no higher concept of love than this. God's love for His
creatures, even though undeserved, was freely offered to all . Jesus showed the
importance of this concept of love when he pointed out what the two greatest commands were:
(1) To love God with our whole mind, soul, and heart; and
(2) To love our neighbor as ourselves.
Then, He added something that is very important to see. Another time, Jesus stated
it this way:
John 14:15
"If you love Me, keep My commandments."
Or, as the Apostle Paul
expressed it in
Romans 13:10,
Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.
Love causes us to do what is right, even if it mean our physical death.
Agape is the primary reason why I remain faithful as a Christian, even when things seem to be
coming apart.
Abraham sets an example of "agape" when he started on the journey to offer his son as a
sacrifice unto God. This was not his idea, but God's His love (agape) for God was so strong that
he was determined to be obedient to God in the face of what all would say was "far out!" Yet, he
and his son made the journey to Mount Moriah. When Isaac asked his father where the
sacrificial lamb was, you know that the fatherly emotions must have been strong when he said:
"God will provide!" When the altar was prepared, Isaac knew then that he was to be the
sacrificial lamb
blow, the Angel of the Lord stayed his hand—for he had proven his love to the Father. Abraham
had to control the emotional love of "storge" (family affections) and "phileo" (closeness to his
son) in order to be obedient to God. What an example of "agape" for us to follow!
What love will do
Love is patient
Love suffers long.” “Love is slow to lose patience.” Love is passive, waiting, calm, and understanding. In society, we encounter many occasions of irritation, conflicts of disposition and bad habits.
Love is kind
Love looks for ways of being constructive, useful, profitable, and encouraging
to others. Mark’s Gospel pictures Christ as busily engaged in doing good for people.
Love us humble
Love is not arrogant, conceited and does not put on airs, nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. This is Love hiding itself! It does not “toot” its own horn. It does not do good works to be seen of men, but rather to be seen of God. It does not seek to win praise or applaud. It is not a “show off,” nor a braggart. Love is not pretentious or arrogant, nor does it have a mind full of itself.
Love has a good temper
Not easily provoked. Love does not bear malice toward others, nor is it quick to take offense, or to be irritated, or become resentful or touchy. A seeming good disposition can be marred by easily ruffled, quick-tempered, touchy disposition. The elder brother in the story of the “Prodigal Son” illustrates this disposition. Love is needed to control such actions towards others.
Love is Generous
Love envies not. Love never boils with jealousy. Love is being generous hearted to others. This is Love in competition with others. Any work that we try to do, there will be others doing the same thing and maybe even better.
God bless you :)