Is it Love?

Sorry for the lapse in time in blogs. I must do better. In our Adult Bible Study group we are doing the book Quest. It is really a good book, IF you take it full stride and study it and teach it the way it was meant to be. Last night we were on Discovery Two and we had a great discussion on love. Did you know the worldly definition of love is primarily that of a sexual desire. It's true check it out on Webster.com. No wonder the world is so messed up. Love is one of the most abused and misused words of all time right now. That would be probably why in early Bible times they used four different words for love, so as to be able to differentiate exactly what kind of love they were pertaining to. Sure there is a love from early Bible times that defines that of sexual desire, that being Eros love. Yet this love was the love meant to be between a husband and wife, a man and woman. This love may begin to develop in the "dating" stages of a relationship, but it is meant to be full circle only under Holy Matrimony, so as not to make a mockery of, or belittle the love the Creator has given His Creation to express. The other love terminology used in early Bible times that originate from the Greek language after a heavy hellenization period are terms like storge, which represents the love between kin or family, philea, which is the love between friends as in brotherly love, and the greatest of all is Agape. In the love chapter found in 1 Corinthians 13, the KJV Bible uses the word charity as being the greatest virtue of all Christians. That word is directly referring to Agape love, or an unconditional love that has no strings attached and has genuine care and concern for the well being of others without the expectation of something in return. You can find references to storge, as well as philea love in the Bible as well. But consider this, philea or the friendship love is never used in the Bible to relate to the love relationship between God and man. Why? Because God expects so much more than the casual friendship love from us. He wants us to love Him and other unconditionally, just as He did in John 3:16, and as He continues to do despite anything we have done. That's real love. So the next time you hear the L-word, think about it and try to discern if it really is love.

Blessings to you!