Home → Churches ( February 12, 2025 )
Good day dear hearts, I love you. Love is a word we frequently use. A word we love to use. Love is something we all desire in one form or another. I think something we humans crave the most is to love and be loved. There's a Beatle song titled, "All You Need Is Love". There's a saying, "Love is in the air.". This week, right up until Friday we as a nation will spend billions of dollars on love for Valentine's Day. What is love? The Bible describes three forms of love that highlight diverse ways love can be experienced, reflecting the depth and breath of human relationships and God's love for us. The three words I'll be focusing on today are the Greek words Philia, Eros and Agape and these three Greek words describe ways we express love.
Philia, this is brotherly love or friendship. It's the affection shared among friends and is characterized by mutual respect, care and compassion. The Bible speaks of this love in numerous places, such as the bond between Jonathan and David. When you have a moment read 1 Samuel 18:1-3. When David and Jonathan met, they became close friends at once. Their friendship is one of the deepest and closest recorded in the Bible. You probably have a very close friend like that. The name Philadelphia comes from the Greek word Philos, meaning loving or beloved and Adelphos meaning brother. Together they form Philadelphia which means brotherly love. I'm not sure how much brotherly love exists there. Willian Penn, the founder of the city of Philadelphia named the city to reflect his vision of a community built on principles of brotherly love and cooperation.
Eros is romantic love. Most of us have experienced this. Right or wrong, we feel a feeling of deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone. We become infatuated by them; we use the term love struck. This love is often experienced by married couples but in today's society Eros has become widespread. The term Eros is not explicitly used in the Bible, but the term is described by a book in the Bible written by Solomon. It's called Song of Songs. When you have time read Song of Songs 1:2-4. The book is a vivid description of a love relationship, and it begins with a picture of love itself. "Love is more delightful than wine; it makes lovers rejoice."
Agape is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. It's the highest form of love and is exemplified by God's love for humanity. Agape love is mentioned frequently in the New Testament, such as John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him, shall not perish but have eternal life." This Scripture demonstrates God's love for us. God's agape love flows through us. Our unconditional love should be first focused on God. Because of this love we carry it to our spouse, parent, child, sibling or friend.
The Holy Spirit through Paul the apostle describes the importance and expression of love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. It's titled the love chapter, and you know these words because you see them everywhere. Here are a few of its words, but take the time and read all of it. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ""It keeps no records of wrong." "Love never fails." The first three verses of this account issue a warning. Without the motivation of love, all our good deeds, including service for God will profit us nothing. We need to be careful of our intention. We are all blind to some degree regarding our motives, so discerning why we serve God or do good deeds can be difficult. Pray to know your heart's hidden intentions and ask God to replace any self-centered intentions with His more excellent way of love.
God's excellent way of love is unstoppable. God's love for us never ends, but we must open our hearts and minds to receive it. The truth is none of us deserve God's love, and yet He freely gives it anyway. Some people intellectually believe every word in the Bible, but still feel unloved because they judge themselves unworthy. Do you do that? Their doubt acts like a dam, keeping the flow of God's care from their heart, and the barrier will hold if the person believes divine love must be earned. God's love is free, there is nothing to earn! A unique expression of God's plan is His purpose and plan for us individually. Through his sovereign control, God works every situation, whether good or bad, to our benefit. Ask God to reveal and help you clear anything away that might be blocking the flow of His relentless love to you. Happy Valentine's Day! Oh, did I say I love you? God Bless.
Father, we ask your blessing upon our little town. Send your Spirit and touch the broken-hearted, give peace to the sick, bless the poor.
Join us on Saturday, Feb. 15 12:00 to 1:00pm for a free Italian dinner with dessert.
Contact me anytime. Pastor Vince Chiaramonte, 570-853-3988, Susquehanna Christian Community Church, 1361 Main Street, clearmountain2158@gmail.