Love Unspeakable

Foundation of God’s Love

Love

ag-ap-ah’-o - to love affectionately, ardently, supremely, perfectly, passionately, enthusiastically, commitment

Eternal - John 17:24 “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

It’s debatable that God’s central attribute is His love - 1 John 4:8 “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

Maybe there is no single primary attribute of God, but we do know that all of His attributes work in harmony with each other. Therefore, God demonstrates His love not only in His goodness, mercy and compassion, but He also demonstrates His love in His holiness, jealousy and wrath.

Love is the attribute that drives the other attributes of God - “we do, not what we know, but what we love”

Balanced - as he does immanence with transcendence

Reciprocated in Trinity or divine “self-love”

Love

fil-eh'-o

Old Testament

Chesed (Hebrew for God’s covenantal faithfulness)

Unconditional (Deut 7:7)

Suffering prophesied (Is 53)

New Testament

Violent and final Sacrifice (Rom 5:6-10)

Humility/Obedience (Phil 2:1-11)

Adam & Eve

First lovers loved God and each other because they were created in God’s image.

Their loved turned - 2 Timothy 3:2-4 “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;”

The world hates those who love God - John 15.19 “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

They hid from God - Peter hid from God when His glory was revealed in the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5:8, “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Our misdirected love or affection for sin turns us away from God’s love - we reject His love because we presume rejection by Him - God has never and will never reject anyone. Eternal damnation comes to a person because they rejected God - eternal life comes to a person because they accept God’s love gift.

God is persistent - Jesus told Peter, “ Luke 5:9-10 “...Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.”

1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

You and I do not deserve God’s love - we cannot earn it nor can we maintain it. Jesus went to the Cross because of God’s love for you. If you receive His love by repenting of your sins and turning to Jesus then you cannot lose it. As a child of God you cannot get on His bad side. His love exists in blessing and in correction.

God chastens those He loves - Heb 12:6 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”

On the night that Jesus was betrayed, the eve of his Crucifixion, He prayed to the Father in John 17:26, “And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Now What?

Love your neighbor as yourself - not giving them what you want/like but giving what they want/like - Mark 12:28-31 “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

Loving your neighbor is serving them in a manner that matters to them…not based upon what matters to me. Giving gifts that they like not what I like.

Ambassadors for Christ - Matt 5.44-46 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?”

1 Jn 4.8 “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” We are to love even our enemies as Christ loved us in our sins against Him.

We are motivated not by what we know but by what we love - knowledge is our map, our worldview is the compass and love is motivation

Love does not compare - John 21.15-17 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

Jesus referenced Peter’s previous statement in Matt 26.33 “Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.”

Jesus’ first to questions were about ag-ap-ah’-o (commitment) then he asked Peter if he fil-eh'-o (feeling) him.

Peter always replies with fil-eh'-o - feeling or sentiment of love for a person or thing. Where Jesus was asking him if he loved him with more supremely as a matter of principle.

Loyalty - Can you fileho someone and not agapaho them? Luke 16.13 “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love (ag-ap-ah’-o) the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

“hate” is the same kind of commitment or action as “love”

Obligation or gratitude - Luke 7:47 “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”

Jesus loves but do we love him with our whole being?Mark 10.19-22 “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.”