TWO KINDS OF LOVE

I have written in the past about a dual system of life. There are many things, which we are able to see as a double of God’s economy. God gave to us many gifts. There are two kinds of life and two kinds of faith. One example would be the dual use of our mouth, which is to eat and speak. Likewise, light is for seeing and making sweet sugar.

There are more kinds of love, but mostly just two kinds of love: God’s love and man’s love. Since we all fall short of the glory of God, love was affected in a negative way.

God’s love is unconditional, but He gave us freedom, which also has to be honored and respected. There is often an imbalance between God’s love and man’s love.

In English and Slovak, as I grew up with in my youth, we have only one word for love – LOVE (LASKA). The Greek language has more words with more specific meanings for each kind of love:

1. Agape love – God’s kind of love

2. Agapao love – it is verb of word “agape love”.

3. Phileo love - friendly love; brotherly love

4. Sorge love – family love, or natural love

5. Eros love – physical love; sensory love; sensual love

The greatest love is agape love. We would most like to have this one. God loves us so much that He gave His only Son (the best He had for fallen man) to rescue him from eternal separation from Him. If there was only one man existing on the earth, God would love him and He would give His Son for him. There is no greater love than when one lays down His life for his friend.

I once made a statement to one precious person, “I love you with agape love”. I pondered it in my heart while I was in tune with God. He reminded me that His agape love is the greatest love of all types of love. Like a beam of light contains a whole spectrum of colors, there is one kind of God’s love, which supersedes all other kinds of love. We have to give our love first to Him. He will bless it, sanctify it and He will return it back to us, that our joy may be full. He will bless sensual love reserved only for marriage, so we may become complete.

To continue and go to another part of love, I would like to write briefly about sensual love. It is a God-given gift. Misusing it may be destructive because that would be sinful. God does not want to deprive us of this great love, but He does not want us to be hurt either, since the result may be devastating if we abuse physical love.

God is full of mercy and He welcomes change in man.

Once Jesus approached Simon-Peter with a question as to whether he loved Jesus more than others. It is a very interesting conversation when we read it in the Greek original manuscript:

John 21:15: Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonas, love (agapao) thou Me more than these? He said unto him, “Yea, Lord; thou know that I love (phileo) thee.” He said unto him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him again the second time, “Simon, son of Jonas, love (agapao) thou Me?” He said unto him, “Yea, Lord; thou know that I love (phileo) thee.” He said unto him, “Feed my sheep.” 17 He said unto him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonas, love (phileo) thou Me?” Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, ‘love (phileo) thou Me’ and he said unto him, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love (phileo) you.” Jesus said unto him, “Feed my sheep.”

We see that the Lord asked Peter specifically about His agapao (greater) love and it resulted in Peter giving his Master phileo (brotherly) love. Our conclusion is that God and Jesus love us with agape love, which Jesus confirmed at the point of death. While God loves His children with agape love, He loves the world to the point of death with agapao love.

God so loved (agapao) the world, even the unlovable world, that He gave His life to restore our connection with Him again (agape love), because our sin separated all of us from Him.

We know that when Jesus’ and Peter’s conversation took place there was no one man who was born again. All had fallen short of God’s glory, which included love – His perfect agape love.

Since we are allowed to love with all kinds of love in our families (i.e. husband and wife), the marriage is the greatest institution on the surface of the earth. It mirrors the fullness of love.

If we know the Word of God well and exercise and put it into practice, then the family will be rewarded so much that all would say being married is such a perfect and healthful, loving condition. There would be no divorces or separation.

When the family is healthy, the nation is healthy.

If you have never received the Lord before, please receive Him now. He will bless you beyond all your expectations and will give you victory. He will give you the gift of eternal life and will lift all curses, which came as a result of sin. He will bless you. For those who are not sure God exists, tell Him, “God, if you are real, I am giving my life to you now.” Then you will see what happens; you have no idea of the joy you will have. You will never be the same. He loves you so much. He will receive you and He will transform you to into a new man.

In conclusion: God is love. We need to love and we need to be loved.

No. 111609

© 2009 Vladimir Uhri