CE 1 YEAR: 25 The Spirit’s Love

Week 25

The Spirit’s Love

Christian love is unconditional and miraculous

A result of God’s Spirit controlling you is “love” (Gal 5:22). The Apostle Peter wrote something very strong about the importance of love. He said the end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, the most important thing is for Christians to show deep love for each other (1 Pet 4:7-8). There would be a long list of things you would want to do when the end of the world is coming soon. Peter said the most important thing to do would be to deeply love your Christian brothers and sisters.

Because of love’s supreme importance, we need to fully understand what it is. In the time and place that Christianity began, Greek was the language of the people. The Greek language had three nouns for love: erōs, philia, and storgē. Erōs was romantic, sexual love between a man and woman based on physical attraction. Philia was a warm, brotherly love between friends, based on mutual interests and liking each other. Storgē was a natural love, especially between parents and children.

But Christianity introduced a new kind of love to the world. The cross demonstrated the unconditional love of God the Father for sinners. God the Son taught about a love for your enemies (cf. Matt 5:43-48). And the indwelling of God’s Spirit gave Christians the same power of unconditional love for others. Therefore, it was necessary for the early Christians to invent a new word for this new kind of love. That word was agapē.

Because of the supernatural and divine nature of agapē, the word was never used in any classical Greek literature that we know of before the NT. “God is love [agapē]” and agapē “love comes from God” alone (1 John 4:7-8). The idea of unconditional and unstoppable love was never invented by humans. It only became known through Christianity. Agapē love is only found in Christians who have God’s Spirit living through them. Non-Christians can experience romantic, friendship, and parental love, but not unconditional agapē love.

Christians should experience romantic, friendship, and parental love. But none of these is the essence of Christianity. God’s people must understand that unconditional patience, kindness, and compassion is the only kind of love that is worthy to be called Christian love.

Like magnets, there are natural human loves based on attraction. But when the attraction weakens the relationship also weakens. For example, romantic love happens when you are attracted to the physical body of your lover. Friendship love occurs when you are attracted to the personality, character, or interests of your friend. Parental love can come from all the attractive things and good feelings that come from having a baby.

But what happens to romantic love when you are no longer attracted to another person? What happens to friendship love when you are no longer attracted to the personality, character, or interests of another? What happens to parental love when raising a child is no longer attractive because your child is needy or rebellious?

No merely human loves endure in this world because they are all conditional. All human loves are founded on, and limited to, liking someone. CHRISTIAN LOVE BEGINS WHEN LIKING ENDS. Liking someone and being attracted to them does not require or involve Christian love. You do not need Christian love when you like someone. It is when you stop liking them that Christian love is needed and will become activated.

It is easier and even more enjoyable to only need and experience liking someone to have a relationship with them. But everyone in this world will sin, including you. There will always be things about others that you do not like. Which is why unconditional Christian love is necessary to preserve relationships. Sin destroys relationships. What in this world is more destructive than sin? But Christian “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4:8) and is more powerful than sin.

Agapē Christian love is the only kind of love that endures through everything and never stops (1 Cor 13:7-8). Romantic, friendship, and parental love all require a natural attraction based on the attributes of the person being loved. And because these things can change, these loves are unreliable. Christian love is sacrificial, undeserved, and unwavering love because it is unconditional.

Paul describes the agapē love of God the Father when he writes that when we were sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:6-8). God gave you His most, when you deserved it the least. That is Christian love.

Agapē is the kind of love that God had to have for you, to even initiate a relationship with you. Weak, ignorant, selfish, sinful, and proud humans, are not naturally attractive to an almighty perfect God. It is only because of the force of God’s unconditional love that you can be brought together with Him at all.

This Christian love is based on a decision made by the lover, and has nothing to do with the attributes of the one loved. This is why Christian love is the only kind of love that you can have for your enemies. CHRISTIAN LOVE SEEKS THE BEST EVEN FOR THOSE WHO TREAT YOU THE WORST. You will not like your enemies and those who hate you. But God commands you to love them. This is why Jesus distinguished unconditional Christian love with the merely human love of “pagans” (Matt 5:43-48).

Christian love is the most powerful and miraculous thing in this world. Unfortunately, many Christians misunderstand the powers of the Holy Spirit today. They think it is primarily the power to command demons, perform miracles, prophesy, or speak in a charismatic and eloquent manner. But fake Christians can easily do those things without the power of God (Matt 7:21-23). The Apostle Paul corrected this error when he wrote that nothing is valuable without love (read 1 Cor 13:1-2).

Even the ability to perform a miracle, like move a mountain, is not as valuable and powerful as the ability to love. Christian, you do not have the power to make trees wither or blind men to see. But you have the power to do even greater miracles. You have the power to unconditionally love other people. You have the power to forgive the greatest wrongs committed against you. That is an amazing miracle!

Do you want to see a list of the greatest, most supernatural miracles in the Bible? Maybe you think you should read Exodus and the miracles of Moses. Or 1 and 2 Kings to read about Elijah and Elisha. Or surely the Gospels and Acts to study the amazing miracles of Christ and His Apostles. No, these are not where we read of the greatest miracles. Rather, that list of the greatest miracles is found in the most definitive passage of Scripture on love (read 1 Cor 13:4-8).

Being “patient” and “kind” to people who hurt or hate you is miraculous. Not envying what others have, nor boasting about what you have is a moral miracle. To never be selfish in all you do is an amazing miracle. Keeping “no record of being wronged” and forgiving everyone is simply supernatural. Having an unconditional love that “never gives up” no matter what happens is the greatest of all miracles occurring today.

This stuff just doesn’t happen apart from the working of Almighty God. Levitation is recognized as an amazing miracle because of the great power and pervasiveness of gravity in Nature. So, love should be recognized as an amazing miracle because of the great power and pervasiveness of selfishness in humanity. Patience, kindness, humility, unselfishness, forgiveness, and faithfulness are the greatest miracles ever performed by anyone, even God Himself. These were the most supernatural things about Jesus when He was on this Earth.

Christian love is kind, patient, and compassionate

“Love is patient and kind” (1 Cor 13:4). Kindness is the INITIATING part of Christian love that always enjoys serving the needs of others. Patience is the REACTIVE part of Christian love that always responds to the sins of others with compassion. Compassion is the essential EMOTIONAL part of both patience and kindness, and empowers and enables the sincerity of Christian love. Let’s look at each of these in more detail.

KINDNESS IS THE POWER TO ALWAYS ENJOY SERVING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS. In fact, the Greek word translated “kind” in the NT chrestos meant “being helpful or useful.” Christian kindness is being helpful and a blessing to others by meeting their practical needs.

Again, kindness is the INITIATING part of Christian love. While others may avoid the needs of others, kindness actively seeks to find and serve such needs. While others may feel forced or obligated to serve the needs of others, a truly kind person enjoys helping needy people. It is no wonder the Bible says, “What is desirable in a man is his kindness” (Prov 19:22). This is why kind people have a lot of friends.

PATIENCE IS THE POWER TO ALWAYS RESPOND TO THE SINS OF OTHERS WITH COMPASSION. It is the responding part of love toward those who are not loving you. Sin against you costs you something and brings suffering into your life. Patience is enduring the cost and suffering of the sins of others. Which is why the Greek word for patience in the Bible (makrothymia) can literally mean “long-suffering.”

But the suffering of patience is done with compassion. A patient person understands that the person sinning against them is usually doing the best they can and are in some kind of emotional pain themselves. “Hurting people hurt people.” And that is true of the people who hurt you. Truly patient people know that.

COMPASSION IS ALWAYS FEELING SYMPATHY FOR THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS AND DESIRING TO RELIEVE IT. Some have been taught that Christian love is a decision, not an emotion. But feeling compassion is the essential EMOTIONAL part of Christian love. Compassion makes Christian love genuine. This is why when the Bible tells you to put on kindness, patience and love, it includes the feeling of compassion (Col 3:12, 14).

All of which makes real forgiveness even more miraculous. How do you know when you have completely forgiven someone? You will feel compassion for them. If your forgiveness of someone does not result in feeling compassion for them, then you have not forgiven them. We will discuss forgiveness more in Week 43 of the Essentials.

The loss of love: irritation, anger, & criticism

The opposite of Christian love is sinful anger. God warns that “Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming” (Prov 27:4). ANGER is one of the most common and destructive emotions known to humans. Very early in human history, anger caused the first murder (Gen 4:6-8). Ever since then it has damaged and ruined many millions of friendships, marriages, children, and lives. This may be why Jesus discussed the sin of anger in His very first recorded teaching and warned, “if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!” (Matt 5:22). Likewise, the Apostle Paul commanded: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior” (Eph 4:31).

What is the source of ANGER? Anger is the selfish response to someone not fulfilling your needs or desires. If a person does not give you the respect you desire, you will be tempted to be angry. If a car does not give you the service you want, you will be tempted to be angry with it. Selfishness is the root of sinful anger.

Unfortunately, anger is so prevalent in many Christian’s lives that they do not notice it. They simply live with a constant anger and being controlled by their sinful nature. Therefore, it is vital to understand the very first sign of anger. What is it? To merely be IRRITATED. The Bible says Christian love “is not irritable (paroxynetai: “irritate”; 1 Cor 13:5). To “irritate” means “to cause impatience, anger, annoy.”

This vastly increases our understanding of the sin of anger! You do not need to be bitter, resentful, harsh, or yelling to commit the sin of ANGER. Merely being IRRITATED, ANNOYED, and FRUSTRATED with someone or something is a sign that you have lost the powers of God’s Spirit including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and compassion. Notice then how often you might be controlled by your sinful nature instead of God’s Spirit! Merely being IRRITATED, ANNOYED, and FRUSTRATED is the first sign!

Likewise, having a critical spirit of others is a sure sign you have lost your love. Paul’s warning about having a critical attitude toward another Christian is serious (Rom 14:4, 10). When you criticize a Christian in words or just your heart, do you realize who you are disrespecting? They are a chosen, dearly loved, and completely forgiven son or daughter of Almighty God! Do you really want to think less of someone than God Himself does? How would you feel if someone was to “look down” on your son or daughter and have a low view of them? That’s how God feels about you thinking lowly of any of His kids. There is a place in the Christian life for loving correction. But often we harbor a disrespectful, critical, lowly attitude toward a child of God and this is not Christian love.

Christians often make excuses for anger and fail to recognize it as a sin and a power of the sinful nature. This is what the Devil wants so that the destructive force of anger can continue to work in our lives.

Is anger ever acceptable to God? In very limited circumstances and for a very limited time (Eph 4:26-27). This verse implies that you might be able to be angry about something and not sin. What kinds of things? Other people being hurt by the sin of others. This is the kind of things that Jesus seemed angry about (Mark 3:1-6; John 2:13-17).

Some initial and temporary anger about others being hurt may be legitimate. But there is no indication in the Scriptures that anger is ever a legitimate response to wrongs committed against you. How did Jesus respond to those who crucified Him? He prayed for them, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34) because He had already forgiven them.

Likewise, Jesus taught, “Do not resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. . . Love your enemies” (Matt 5:39, 44). Getting briefly angry about others being hurt is acceptable. Being angry towards people who hurt you is not. God expects you to forgive and treat even your enemies with love and compassion. Therefore, be careful about ignoring your anger as the righteous kind, when it is probably the sinful kind.

Even “righteous” anger over how others are being hurt should be brief. Some think that if the object of their anger deserves it, then their anger is righteous no matter how long it lasts. But the Bible says our anger should not last more than a day. If it does, it turns into something sinful and harmful to your life (Eph 4:26-27). Even “righteous” anger about harm done to others is dangerous because it can easily turn into lasting bitterness. God did not create us to be able to carry anger for more than a day. Even if you were angry at the Devil for more than a day, it would be sinful and harmful anger. Therefore, the Bible warns us to stop being angry because it only leads to harm (Ps 37:8).

Anger is never to be your motivation for doing anything good, including helping people who are being hurt. The Bible says that anger never accomplishes the righteousness of God (Jas 1:20). Never. If your immediate response to others being hurt is anger, it is acceptable. But your motivation for helping them must turn to love if you want to do God’s will, God’s way.

Practical Application: Is there anyone in your life who has loved you unconditionally? Even when you sinned against them, they forgave you and loved you? If so, think about what you can learn about God’s love through them. If not, then study the life of Jesus and see how He loved people.

In your small group meeting this week, share praises and prayer requests and then discuss these questions:

1) What is different about God’s love (agapē) from other kinds of love?

2) Why do we say that Christian love is the greatest miracle?

3) What are three essential elements in God’s love? How do we define these? Why is the emotional part important?

4) What is claimed to be the best proof that you have completely forgiven someone? What do you think?

5) What was most meaningful to you in this chapter? Why?