TRUE LOVE: From the Apostle of Love - 1 John 4:7-21
As many of you know, our English word, love, lacks impact unless it has a reasonable amount of context around it. I could rightly say, “I love my wife Fiona,” but an equally true statement for me would be, “I also love a really good steak.” Having the same word in such vastly different contexts sounds almost inappropriate. If I said, “I love my sons and daughters-in-law,” and then said, “I also love our 2 elders, Graham and Doug,” you might say ok those uses of the word are quite similar; but in the Greek, they are different words. This is where the original Greek, in which the New Testament was written, helps us.
John was called ‘the Apostle whom Jesus loved’ and he certainly had a lot to say about the subject.
Different words for love in the Greek
1. Eros ἔρως (érōs) - Eros is physical love or sexual desire. Eros is the type of love that involves passion, lust, and/or romance.
2. Philia : ϕιλία (philía) Philia is affectionate love. Philia is the type of love that involves strong friendship.
3. Storge : στοργή (storgé) Storge is familial love. Storge is the natural love that family members have for one another. Of all of the types of love, storge might be the easiest to understand. It is the type of love that parents feel toward their children and vice versa. Storge also describes the love that siblings feel towards each other.
4. Mania : μανία (manía) Mania is obsessive love. Mania is the kind of “love” that a stalker feels toward their victim.
5. Agape : ἀγάπη (agápē) Agape is often defined as unconditional, sacrificial love. Agape is the kind of love that is felt by a person willing to do anything for another, including sacrificing themselves, without expecting anything in return. Philosophically, agape has also been defined as the selfless love that a person feels for strangers and humanity as a whole. Agape is the love that allows heroic people to sacrifice themselves to save people whom they’ve never met.
This is the love that is most used in the New Testament as it refers to the love Christ had for us and, as such, the love we should have for each other. Look at its characteristics being described here.
Commanded to love (verse 7) If we don’t show this love, then we can’t say we know God. If this love isn’t on display, then we are not forgiven, we are not saved, no Heaven for us. Why? (verse 8) God is love: this is who God is, so we need to have this agape love on display. So, what does it look like?
Identity and empathy towards the estranged, lost and helpless. (Verse 9) Remember, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…” Agape love involves the deepest sense of empathy and sacrifice for others. I.E story of an island leper colony observed from a boat, as opposed to a missionary working in among the lepers, coming into contact with them as they administer the medicine and hope, with the very real possibility of contracting leprosy himself. Such was the case of Father Damien ministering to an Hawaiian leper colony in the mid 1800’s. He died of the disease after many years of loving (agape) service. Jesus became sin, who knew no sin, that we might become His righteousness.
Agape love simmers down and takes away the heat, through its own influence; a calmer of the tempest. (Verse 10) Jesus became our propitiation – He cooled the anger and judgement of God through His own intervention and sacrifice. He was the ultimate calming influence, the calmer of conflict; an influence of gentle grace when there is the heat of disagreement.
Christ, as our example, is how we love together as a people. (verse 11) This is how others see God. Our witness in a lost world is shown through this agape love (verse 12), because no-one has ever seen God. Consider what this verse is saying: someone will say I have never seen Jesus, but I know Dave from work and I reckon He would have been like him. I know Sarah from uni.; she is the closest version of Jesus I know.
Verses 13 - 15 are a test as to whether we have the ability to show this love. “By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
They see God in us, because God is agape love. (verse 16) This love is to be seen in us, but it abides in us. That means it lives there as a resident owner, not a rental occupier for a season. This is how we are known, because we are owned by this love from God. It’s core to our being.
It is growing and being perfected. (verse 17) We have more agape this year than last year. This gives us growing confidence as the day of death and the Day of Judgment approaches. There is no fear of judgement for those who have this love. (verse 18) “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
This love should be especially shown towards each other as those who have this agape love corporately. It should be seen in our services, our events, our social circles, our communication, our corporate character.
Hindrances to agape love: 1. Ignorance – don’t know. That’s not you. 2. Self focus/glory – due to isolation, laziness and apathy. 3. Not saved – no Spirit.
Quick assessment: 1. Do you serve others in any way in the church? 2. How would others describe you?
Promoters of agape love: 1. Consistent reading of the example of Christ. 2. Show sacrificial love through service. You have a gift; use it in the church, the body of Christ. 3. Be honest with yourself – get a true character assessment from a trusted mentor. 4. Make steps towards true love in a Christ centered character through accountability.
Now that we have learned about the word, we understand it. You attend CBC: we are going to apply it to you. You will be held accountable with your scripture reading. You will be asked to serve here in some way if you don’t already. You’ll be held accountable for your character – and you will hold others accountable.
This is how we grow as a church in every sense of the word. You’ll hear more about that next Sunday and over the coming weeks.