To Love; Learn How To Love Like Jesus Loves

Agapao-to love

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God; for God is love [1 John 4:7-8 (RKJNT)]. [Read 1 John 4:7-11]

Think about this

What does it mean “to love one another”? Is it possible to love every child of God? Jesus made it clear, as He said to His followers in John 13:34 I give you a new law: Have love^G25 one for another; even as I have had love^G25 for you, so are you to have love^G25 one for another (BBE).

Notice, in each case, love is from the Greek word, agapaō (G25). Work on it, and choose to make it happen. Love each other. The Lord wants you to do it, it is not an option.

Key Points:

1. The proof

   When we love and obey God, then we will love others. By this we know that we love God’s children — when we love God and carry out his commands [1 John 5:2 (OEB)].

2. How to love (agapao)

   To love others you must first love, your own self. His reply was — “‘ You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as you love yourself’” [Luke 10:27 (OEB)].

3. Defined

   When you love others you help them be at ease. It is to care; to love (agapao) very much in a social or a good way.

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Agapao (To Love) Each Other

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God; and everyone who loves has received the new life from God and knows God. 8 The person who does not love has not learned to know God; for God is love.

9 The love of God was revealed to us by his sending his only Son into the world, so that we might find life through him. 10 His love is seen in this — not in our having loved God, but in his loving us and sending his Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

11 Dear friends, since God loved us in this way, we, surely, ought to love one another. 12 No human eyes have ever seen God, yet, if we love one another, God remains in union with us, and his love attains its perfection in us [1 John 4:7-12 (OEB)].

NOTE: to help identify each word (various forms of ‘love’, e.g., loves, loved, loving, etc.) in bold and blue in this lesson come from the Greek ἀγαπάω agapaō (ä-gä-pä’-ō).

Agapaō love

What kind of love is this? Jesus advised us to love our enemies with this love [Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27, 35]. ♥ To love our neighbor with this love [Matthew 19:19; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27 (key verses: 27-37); Galatians 5:14].

But he, desiring to put himself in the right, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 36 Which of these three men, in your opinion, was neighbour to the man who came into the hands of thieves? 37 And he said, The one who had mercy on him. And Jesus said, Go and do the same. (BBE)

This love

♥ To love the Lord thy God with this love [Matthew 22:37; Luke 10:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:16)]. Jesus also tells us to love each other with this love [John 13:31-35 {(34); reference 1 Thessalonians 4:9}; 1 Peter 1:22 and 2:17; 1 John 2:10; 2 John 1:5].

Attention married men, in addition to sexual/sensual/intimate love (ἔρως érōs), this is the love you should have for your wife [Ephesians 5:25-33 (28, 33); Colossians 3:19; Ecclesiastes 9:9].

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church, and gave himself up for her; 28 So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 33 Nevertheless, let every one of you love his wife as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband [Ephesians 5:25, 28, 33 (RKJNT)].

Definition

Agapaō (verb), the root of agape, is used more than agape (noun), but is less known. So we begin our ‘LOVE’ series with agapaō; to love; beloved. I created a definition after careful review of the Scriptures, Greek lexicons¹ and dictionaries¹; agapaō simply means to love (in a friendly, non-sexual, intimate {in marriage man to woman; husband to wife}, or good sense); to love and be grateful to God (people of God).

G25 ἀγαπάω agapao (a-ğa-paō’) v. 1. to love (in a social or moral sense). 2. to show and be full of good-will. 3. to regard the welfare of.

1. Christians for each other (including the unchurched and those considered enemies) – to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of; value, esteem, feel or manifest generous concern for.
2. Husbands love for his wife – to treat her with affection, to caress, to love (ἔρως érōs) dearly; take pleasure and delight in (a short definition; coming this year ‘Love Beyond the Bedroom’; we will get into details at that time).
3. God and His children – the active love of God for His children, and the active love we have for and faithfulness to God.

TMI?

The main NT word for love, agapáœ, occurs 137 times as a verb and 116 times as a noun. Both noun and verb are usually translated “love” (in the AV 29 times as “charity”). Like its Hebrew equivalent it expresses desire, leading to quest (“they loved the praise of men,” John 12:43), or it may mean a discriminating choice, whether of the world (“Demas, in love with this present world,” 2 Timothy 4:10), of God (“You shall love the Lord your God,” Matthew 22:37), or of men (“Love your enemies,” 5:44). – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) via PC Study Bible

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Love Like Jesus Loves

When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away. 33 Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ now I tell you the same.

34 “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another” [John 13:31-35 (NET Bible)].

John 3:16 love

In John 3:16, God shows His love for humans by offering up Himself as a sacrifice. His correction also is used to show it.

[Hebrews 12:6; paired with the Hebrew H157 אָהַב אָהֵב ‘ahab (aw-hab’) (or raheb {aw-habe’}) v. 1. to have affection for (sexually or otherwise); 1 John 5:1-2]. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” [John 3:16 (WEB)].

♥ This is the love Jesus had for Mary (Magdalene), Martha and Lazarus [John 11:1-16 (5)], for John (the disciple/apostle) [John 13:23] and for all of the followers/imitators of God (God’s chosen) Ephesians 5:1-2. If you have agapaō love you will obey the Lord and do what He says [John 14:15-18; Hebrews 1:9].

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray to the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; 17 That is the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see him, neither does it know him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you [John 14:15-18 (RKJNT)].

To love with discipline/correction

3 Sinful men spoke words of hate against Christ. He was willing to take such shame from sinners. Think of this so you will not get tired and give up. 4 In your fight against sin, you have not yet had to stand against sin with your blood. 5 Do you remember what God said to you when He called you His sons? “My son, listen when the Lord punishes you. Do not give up when He tells you what you must do.

6 The Lord punishes everyone He loves^G25. He whips every son He receives.” 7 Do not give up when you are punished by God. Be willing to take it, knowing that God is teaching you as a son. Is there a father who does not punish his son sometimes? 8 If you are not punished as all sons are, it means that you are not a true son of God. You are not a part of His family and He is not your Father.

For your good

9 Remember that our fathers on earth punished us. We had respect for them. How much more should we obey our Father in heaven and live? 10 For a little while our fathers on earth punished us when they thought they should. But God punishes us for our good so we will be holy as He is holy. 11 There is no joy while we are being punished. It is hard to take, but later we can see that good came from it. And it gives us the peace of being right with God [Hebrews 12:3-11 (NLV)].

Learn how to love

My friend I urge you to learn how to love as Jesus loves. His love is true. Let us learn to love the Lord, others, and ourselves!

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Wrap-up

In this way love is made complete in us, so that we may be without fear on the day of judging, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love: true love has no room for fear, because where fear is, there is pain; and he who is not free from fear is not complete in love. 19 We have the power of loving, because he first had love for us.

20 If a man says, I have love for God, and has hate for his brother, his words are false: for how is the man who has no love for his brother whom he has seen, able to have love for God whom he has not seen? 21 And this is the word which we have from him, that he who has love for God is to have the same love for his brother [1 John 4:17-21 (BBE)].

Agapaō and agape

Agapaō is the kind of love mentioned in 1 John 2:15 “Love (agapaō) not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love (agape) the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Finally, my brothers and sisters, I pray that you have better knowledge of what it means to love agapaō style. Before you go: 1 John 3:17-18 “Suppose someone has enough to live [the world’s possessions/goods] and sees a brother or sister [fellow believer] in need, but does not help [closes off his heart/compassion from him].

Then God’s love is not living in that person [How does God’s love abide/remain in him?]. 18 My children [2:1], we should love people not only with words and talk [in word and tongue], but by our actions and true caring [or by showing true love through our actions; in deed and truth].” (EXB)

♦ 1 John 3:23 “And this is his commandment, That we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he commanded us.” (RKJNT)

Learn to love others and the Lord with agapaō love, be blessed my friends—♥ Tim.

Scriptures to read and study

1 John 4:7-21 [7-8, 11-12, 19-21 (11)]; John 13:31-35 [34-35; (34)]. Matthew 5:43-48 [43-46; (44); compare Luke 6:27-36 (27-28)]; John 3:1-21 (10-21). Matthew 19:16-22 [17-19; (19); compare Mark 12:28-34 {28-31; (31)}]; Hebrews 1:5-14 [8-9; (9)].

Matthew 22:34-40 (37); compare ; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 (9); 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 (key verses: 13, 16); Hebrews 12:3-11 (6; compare Proverbs 3:11-12); James 2:1-13 [8-13; (8)]; 1 Peter 1:22-25 (22) and 2:13-17 (17).

Highly recommended-Luke 7:36-50 [38-50 (44-48)]; 1 John 3:10-23 [10-14, 18-23; (18)]. Luke 10:25-37; 1 John 4:7-21 (7-8, 10-11, 12, 19-21). Ephesians 5:22-33 (25, 28, and 33); 1 John 5:1-5 (1-2).

Related studies/lessons/snacks for further Spiritual growth:

Personal Responsibility Alert; Warning, You Are in God’s Spotlight! – an estimated 18-minute read.

Greek word studies ‘agapao’ – It gives every verse where the ‘agapao’ appears.

Agape Love; Genuine Love of God is True Love – an estimated 20-minute read.

Definition of Eros Love in the Bible – an estimated 3-minute read.

The STM Love Series.

References/sources

Greek lexicons (Gl)/Greek dictionaries (Gd): lexiconcordance.com Gl ♦||♦ StudyLight.org Gl ♦||♦ biblestudytools.com Gl ♦||♦ studybible.info Gl. Greek Word Study (Transliteration-Pronunciation Etymology & Grammar) Gd

♥ Question for ‘To Love’: Have you learned to love like Jesus?

See what is available on the Sound Truth Ministry website.

Copyright information:

(EXB) The Expanded Bible Scripture taken from The Expanded Bible. Copyright ©2011 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. || Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.