Agape

            I have one book in my library that has a very long title. It is called “The Expository Dictionary of Greek New Testament Words” by W. E. Vine. I became interested in the book a number of years when someone told me that every pastor should have a Bible, a Strong's Concordance and this Expository Dictionary. One of the advertisements for the book was the definitions of the word “love.” The book points out the various definitions that are in the New Testament and gives ample examples of how they are used. The main uses of the word in the New Testament is either Phileo or Agape. The first one is where we get the definition of the city of Philadelphia as being the city of “brotherly love.” The second definition, agape, is the love that is associated with God and with believers of the Christian faith. Defining it is a bit more complicated. 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.”

        This passage shows the importance of the word in the life of the believer. This love is to be a characteristic of every believer's life and is not an option to apply at some later date. We often look at it as being a sacrificial type of love, but what does that mean? Many say that it is not to be confused with the warm “fuzzies” that are associated with puppy love or for the attraction of people of the opposite sex. It is also not to be confused with the type of love, phileo, which is associated with the love between members of a family, although it could be used in family situations. The practical definition seemed to allude me until the pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Parkersburg, West Virginia gave us all a very practical definition of the word. Pastor Randy Kochersperger once define this love as, “righteous acts to meet the needs of another.” The supreme example of this type of love is seen at Calvary. Our need was payment for our sin and the righteous act of the Lord Jesus Christ was to die for those sins. I had a need that only Christ could pay and His fulfilling of that need was the righteous act. Today's passage reminds us that we are to love one another as Christ has loved us. For us, the Lord Jesus Christ went all the way and paid the price for every sin. When He stated on the cross, “It is finished,” that meant that the payment was full and complete. Now, how are we to “love one another” in this way. The same thought is there that we should be doing “righteous acts to meet the need of someone else.” What righteous acts can we do for someone else today and in the days to come? It can range from giving a glass of water to someone who needs one to giving a hug to someone who is discouraged, or even listening to a person as they unload their problems. It can even be saying a prayer to God for the needs of someone that is around you or in your own sphere of living. It can accomplished with a family member, wife or husband, children, sons and daughters and it can be done with your neighbor or the cashier at the grocery store or in the department store. We often see plenty of examples of people yelling at someone else, and perhaps see far less examples of someone doing righteous acts to meet the needs of someone else. In thinking about this definition, please notice that is not just any act that is needed, but a “righteous one.” How important is this? Well, Christ said that “...by this shall all men know ye are my disciples...” The cross around your neck or your bumper sticker about the love of Jesus is not going to be the example that the world needs, but your love for others will show it. Praise God today for His righteous act to meet the supreme need of you and me.