Agape Love

Love. 
It is a word that comes and goes, but few people really know what it means to really love somebody.
These words are lyrics to one of my favorite songs, Love, by Kirk Franklin.
And in this month of February, we celebrate love.
This month the love we celebrate is typically centered around one another, but today, I want to talk about a different love,
The love of the Father.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8 (KJV)

The love of the Father is agape. And as we reflect on today's passage in 1 John 4, we see that agape love is a love that extends to us and extends from us. Agape love is unconditional love; it is a love that preservers regardless of situation or circumstance. Agape love is the love that led Jesus to the cross, to die for our sins, knowing that we may not choose him, even though he has chosen us. Agape love is a love that forgives and allows us another chance to get it right.
Agape love is Jesus. Jesus is Agape love.

The love that comes from the Father, is the love that lives in us. 

So what do we do with that love, the same love we receive, the same love we do not deserve? The Bible is clear; we are to extend that love to one another. John 13: 34-35 says:

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (KJV)

The Bible says that when we know love and receive love, we as disciples of Christ share that love with others. While our love is not called to be perfect, our love is called to be patient, our love is called to be kind, our love is called not to be easily angered, and our love is called to persevere. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Our love is a love called to try; it's a love called to forgive; it's a love that comes from the Father and lives not only in but through us. 

So here is your reminder to love, here is your reminder to embrace God's love, and here is your reminder to let God's love live through you. Agape love friends!