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Perfect Love. 1 John 4:18 God is love. 1 John 4:16 Is there Perfect Love?? If God is love, then what kind of love is God? There are so many types of love! There is the love of pleasure, the love of a mother for a child, the love of a man for a woman, the love of food, the love for a dog or cat, the love between good friends, the love of a beautiful outfit or jewelry, the love for one's country, and the love for God. Of all the types of love, there are four categories of love in the Greek language. 1. Storge is family affection. 2. Eros is physical love. 3. Phileo is friendship love. 4. Agape love is generous and unselfish love. Agape love is the Love God is and gives.
Storge
is family affection. Storge means the love of a parent to a child and
a child to the parent. Storge talks about family affection between family
members. Even when there are quarrels, the emotional bond and affection of storge
is as “blood is thicker than water”. Storge
is a “survival” type of love.
Eros
is physical love. Eros is the physical love and affection between a
man and a woman. When people “fall
in love”, emotions cause eros love. The Eros of
a married couple is good (Genesis 1:28; Gen 2:18-25).
Without Eros man would not be fruitful and multiply.
Unfortunately, the selfishness and perversion of people turn Eros to
evil. That is how we got the word
Erotic.
Phileo
is friendship love. Phileo
is good friendship between various people, ranging from deep and close
friendships to those that are more shallow. Phileo
has to do with the relationship of one person to another person with a friendly
affection and endearment. Good emotional bonds create Phileo
love. Phileo love can grow between family members as relationships mature.
“I phileo you”, good friends can say one to another.
Agape
love
is distinctly different from all the others.
Storge love, eros love and phileo love are based on a
person’s emotional bonding and affection.
These kinds of love are limited by a person’s feelings, emotions,
relationship, and circumstances. Agape love is based on the will of a person over feelings, moods,
emotions, type of relationship, and circumstances.
Agape love is shown with deliberate actions and decisions to love
for the overall betterment. Agape
love is not only extended to people you know, but it also extends to people you
do not know well and your enemies. This
is how God is (John 15:23-25; Romans 1:28-32; Romans 5:6-11). Agape
love seeks out the best and highest good for every person whether the person
is evil or good. When relating with a person, no matter their strengths,
weaknesses, bad or good points are, one who has Agape love thinks,
“What is the best good I can do for this person?” The
highest good does not mean that there will be no pain in life, but that the
outcome will produce the best character within that person.
(Romans 8:28-30; Proverbs
3:11,12; Proverbs 19:18; Hebrews 12:5,6,7,8; the life of Joseph in Genesis
30-46) Agape love is the kind of love that God demonstrates.
“God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on
the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matt. 5:45 Agape
love is universal or for every person that exists in this world. Agape
love is a free gift to every person without prejudice and without consideration
of their worthiness to be loved. (John
3:16) Agape
love is eternal and unending. (1
Kings 10:9, Psalm 37:28, Rom. 8:37-39) Agape
love never changes. Agape
love can never grow more or become less since it is always magnificently,
gloriously, generously, grand and large. The other types of love depend on
circumstances, but Agape love is the type God is, so it remains
unchangeable. (Malachi
3:6) Agape love never fails. Agape
love is unstoppable and always prevails for the right and the most good.
(1Corinthians 13:8) The
flow of Agape love from the heart of God is through His Son Jesus and is a
benevolent love for all and everyone. (Romans
8:1,2) Agape love is an underserved love, that means that it is given to those
who do not deserve it by their words, actions, attitudes, thoughts, what they
have or do not have. (Romans 5:6-8) Agape
love is without favoritism and God invites everyone to receive His Agape
love. Agape love is given without condition or dependence on the recipient
of this immense love. Agape
love is given without a need for having love returned.
Agape love is demonstrated by a person when he or she obeys God and is committed to God. (John 14:15, 21; 2 John 6; Phil 1:9; Gal 5:22,23; Lk 11:42-43; 1 Jn 2:5) Jesus demonstrated His Love for Every one when He lived here on earth. << Link to the Facts.
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Bible verses are from the King James Version or from the New International Version with copyright permission from Zondervan Publishing House. Verses followed by TEV or CEV are from Today's or Contemporary English Version with copyright permission of the American Bible Society. NKJV is by Thomas Nelson Publishing. Spanish Scriptures noted NVI are from the Nueva Version Internacional, permission granted by International Bible Society. All other writings are used with copyright permission of CSB. Have questions or comments about this web site? Write our webmaster at Contact. Copyright © 2002 Need Hope Last modified: June 3, 2007 |
