“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
(I John 3:18)
As I began thinking and praying about this article, I read one on Christianity.com which was very interesting on “What is Love: A Biblical Definition”. Of course, it went to the different Greek uses of love, and there were more than the traditional four mentioned in most commentaries, teachings, and sermons. The traditional four are: storge – affection; phileo – friendship; eros – sexual; and agape – unconditional, self-less.
The others article are: ludus – flirtatious, playful, uncommitted; pragma – committed, long-standing; philautia – self-love; and mania – obsessive, possessive, addictive, dependent. These later four are not necessarily commonly used in the Bible, but we do see them lived out in our world. Also, we see how each can be harmful to both the one loving and the one being loved.
When John the Apostle wrote his words of how NOT to love, we notice that this seems quite common today, too. How many times have we or others just flippantly said, “I Love You” without thinking of the commitment required to demonstrate that love? Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrated His love for us: while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us.” One person said that biblical love is a ‘selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love that is demonstrated through actions’.
How can we demonstrate that ‘selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love’? First of all, we can demonstrate these characteristics through our daily interactions…the way we speak with others and the way we act toward others. Notice in Jesus’ life, he spoke lovingly toward unbelievers and spoke harsher toward the religious leaders and his own disciples. We should do the same. Unbelievers don’t know to speak, think, or act correctly because they are under the control of their father, Satan. Whereas, followers of Jesus must reflect Him, and we need to be rebuked and rebuffed lovingly by Jesus and his followers.
The second way to demonstrate biblical love is by loving our true enemies and praying for those who persecute us. Do believers have enemies? Are believers persecuted in the United States? Sure, they are! It might be subtle, or it might be overt, but it happens. What should be our reaction? It should be that of Christ, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”. (Luke 23:34) Stephen reacted similarly as he was being stoned to death, “Lord, charge not this sin against them”. Can we pray this way for our enemies and persecutors?
May we during this month of February demonstrate biblical love toward those with whom we come in contact!
Until Next Month,
Bro. Lyle