As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. John 15:9-17
Let us take comfort in this command of Jesus; it flows from His heart to us for the express purpose that we share the love of Christ with the rest of the world. Love only exists through relationships.
There are three words commonly used in the Greek language that are translated “love.” Each of them has completely different meanings. These are Eros, Phileo and Agape.
Eros means sex or sexual attraction and is the kind of love that the world promotes as the only kind of love. This love is a selfish love. How can I benefit in this relationship is the basic instinct and intent of this powerful impulse that feels naturally reasoned. It draws people together based on physical attraction or because of natural gifts they possess. It finds its root in “feelings.” This kind of love makes us feel good and floods our heart when we experience pleasure, not from God, but from what others have to offer us. This love is celebrated while our culture implodes and our families disintegrate. Building a life based on this love alone is a recipe for disaster. Marriages and friendships are torn apart if eros is the only kind of love a person experiences. A lot of times our flesh is screaming so loud our spirit cannot hear. It is a fire we can’t allow to get out of control.
Phileo is a Greek word which is translated “love” that is known as brotherly love or kindness. The word goes far beyond the simple courtesy of friendliness. Jesus used the parable of the Good Samaritan to illustrate this kind of love to us. See Luke 10:25-37. This teaching by Jesus is the greatest teaching on brotherly love in the world. This is a love that builds friendships based on mutual respect and how our relationship can help humanity. Often this is the foundation of many personal relationships and charitable organizations. Generosity flows out of this kind of love. Helping other is the motivation. We experience a warm feeling when we see other people blessed by an act of gratitude. Sometimes it seems that a willingness to help someone in need or common civility is becoming less and less common in our culture.
The third Greek word translated for “love” is agape. It means the love of God – a love that unconditional, without boundaries, without reservation and goes beyond what the natural mind can comprehend unless the Holy Spirit fills the heart of man. The great Apostle Paul wrote about this love in I Corinthians 13:4-8. This is the kind of love was physically expressed by Christ’s death upon a cruel and rugged cross. It is the bridge between Heaven and earth. He gave His life for us and commands His followers to follow in His footsteps and to love all humanity just as we love our self.
We can experience joy and peace in the midst of tragedy and travail during the storms of life when our heart is filled with this love. It never leaves us. It is the presence of God Himself filling our heart in the person of the Holy Spirit – it assures us of victory today. This love surrenders to God in absolute trust and confidence which leads to ultimate freedom and joy including freedom from death itself. Agape love is total freedom in Jesus Christ, Almighty God.
This is the greatest and most complete expression of love and life.
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