God’s Love: Infinite, Unconditional, Eternal

 

As many prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day, we think about romantic love, and the joy of committing our lives to our beloved and anticipating the same in return. But true love is not reserved for one day a year, but should be in our hearts continually, regardless of the circumstances. Many couples began their marriage by promising to love one another for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until parted by death.

Most of us believe that we love our spouse, children, and family deeply, as they do us. We hope that should the need arise, we would sacrifice anything for their good – even our life if circumstances demanded it. But we pray to God that we would never have to find out whether our love or theirs would meet that standard.

In contrast, God’s love is infinite, which means He can’t love us any more than He already does, nor could He love us any less. What a relief to know that we don’t need to work at earning His love, for we are saved by His grace through our faith (Ephesians 3:8-9) in the death, burial and resurrection of His son (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

And similarly, we don’t need to walk on eggshells for fear of losing His love when we sin, for if we confess our sins, He forgives us (1 John 1:9). Infinity plus anything, or infinity minus anything, is still infinity.

We can’t begin to wrap our heads around the concept of how much God loves us. God Himself is Love (1 John 4:8). He loved us so much that He gave Jesus, His only begotten Son, to suffer and die in our place (John 3:16) so that those who trust Him would live forever.

Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God, loved us so much that He willingly died for us on the cross to pay the sin debt we could not begin to repay. He loved His earthly mother Mary so much that in the midst of His agony, He arranged for His beloved disciple John to take care of her for the rest of her life (John 19:26-27). He loved those who crucified Him so much that He asked His Father to forgive them (Luke 23:34).

On the cross, Jesus was covered in blood, oozing wounds, sweat and tears, devoid of physical beauty, His human body brutally disfigured beyond recognition (Isaiah 53:2). Not the lovely, frilly sentimentality of a Valentine, but the gut-wrenching, all-consuming fire of self-sacrificing love that knows no bounds.

His death satisfied the demands of God the Father, Who is perfectly holy and just, while His resurrection allowed all who trust Him to live forever with Him in Heaven. How can we begin to comprehend that God Himself, Creator of all, Love incarnate, loved us, regardless of how much or even whether we loved Him? (1 John 4:9)

God has loved each of us since before the beginning of time. He has loved us even while we were His enemies and children of the devil (Romans 5:8). But once we are saved, we become God’s children and friends, and God then loves us as members of His own family (Matthew 12: 49-50).

Because God is Love, His love enters our heart along with the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (1 John 4: 16). His love in our heart replaces not only hate, but also fear that keeps us from sharing His love and His Word with others. We love him, because he first loved us (1 John 4:17-19).

As humans, we experience different kinds of love. We may say “I love chocolate!” but that means a craving, preference or desire – not actual love. There are three Greek words for love. “Eros” means physical or sexual attraction. “Phileo” means brotherly love, or love that we have for our family, friends and like-minded people. Generally this type of love means that we have expectations of the ones we love – we treat them well, and we hope they treat us well in return.

But the Biblical word for God’s love is “agape,” which means self-sacrificing love.

The apostle Peter boasted that he would follow Christ even to the death, but when Jesus was arrested and crucified, Peter denied Him three times. But Jesus, because of His infinite love, not only forgave him but gave Peter three opportunities to express his love to Christ once He rose again. Three times He asked Peter, “Do you love me?” using the word “agape,” or self-sacrificing love. But each time Peter replied, he used the word “phileo,” or brotherly love (John 21:15-17).

Jesus told Peter that if he indeed loved Him, he should feed His sheep. If we love Christ, we can show it and please Him by sharing His love and His Word with others.

God loves us unconditionally, not in exchange for anything we could give us, because He needs nothing from us (Psalm 50:10). He loves us even when we sin or rebel against Him. His mercy spares us from the punishment our sins deserve, and His grace gives us blessings we don’t deserve (Romans 5:20-21)

Not only does God love us infinitely and unconditionally – He loves us eternally. He has loved us since before the beginning of time, when He conceived a special and perfect plan for each of us who would become His children (Ephesians 2:10; Jeremiah 29:11).

He loves us throughout our lifetime, saving us through His mercy while we were still sinners, and allowing us to sit in heavenly places with Him once we are saved. God will love us forever, “that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2: 4-7).  

The love of Christ, shown to us in His mercy and grace, lasts forever. Each of the 26 verses of Psalm 136 ends with “for his mercy endureth for ever.” It’s as if God really wants to emphasize that He will love us throughout eternity!

Once we are born again, God gives us eternal life in Heaven and promises to give us glorified bodies at the Rapture, so that we will live with Him and experience His perfect love, joy and peace forever. Once we are truly saved by making a heart decision to follow Christ, we can never lose our salvation nor God’s love (Romans 8:39).

In 1 Corinthians 13, known as the “love chapter,” the apostle Paul describes the attributes of perfect, divine love. It is patient, kind, long-suffering. It is not envious, rude, proud, self-serving, or easily provoked. It “rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

Paul goes on to say that of faith, hope, love, the greatest of these is love. Why? Because in Heaven, we will no longer need faith, for our faith will have become sight. We will no longer need hope, for our hope of the Rapture, glorified bodies, and eternal life with Jesus Christ and our loved ones in Him will have been realized.

But love? Praise God, we will experience His infinite, unconditional love throughout eternity!  

Copyright 2026

Laurie Collett

Christ’s Earthly Ministry: Triplets of Love

 

As the world prepares to celebrate Valentine's Day and its homage to earthly "love," Christians can experience, appreciate, and give thanks for the perfect love of Jesus Christ. The holiday on February 14 exalts eros, or romantic, sensual, and physical love, but born-again believers (John 3:8) can honor Christ's agape, or self-sacrificing, boundless, and transformative love every day of the year.

The third Greek word for love, in addition to eros and agape, is philia, or brotherly love. Eros, often translated as lust, diminishes its subject to the status of an object for the lover's gratification or pleasure, often without consideration for that person's well-being. Philia is based on common interests and beliefs, and the relationship typically benefits both parties, as in the colloquialism "You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours." But agape, exemplified by Christ's love for us, gives all to the loved one with no expectation of receiving anything in return.

After all, what could the Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of all (Genesis 1; John 1:3), King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16), need from us? Yet He suffered, bled on Calvary's cross, and died to pay our sin debt in full, while we were still His enemies (Romans 5:10). The agony He experienced to save us was not only physical torture, but the emotional pain of betrayal, rejection, and abandonment, and, as He became our sin, the spiritual ordeal of momentary separation from God the Father, with Whom He had been since eternity past (John 1:1).  

The Lord Jesus Christ proved His divinity when He rose again on the third day so that all who trust Him would be justified in God the Father's sight (Romans 3:24,28), reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-20), and adopted into His family (Romans 8:15).

As joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), our love gifts from Him include eternal life with Him and our loved ones in Him (John 3:16), an eternal home of unimaginable splendor in Heaven (1 Corinthians 2:9), and glorified bodies that will never age, die, or experience sin, pain, or sorrow (1 Corinthians 15:35-58). Even in this world, He gives us abundant life (John 10:10), joy in His salvation (Isaiah 61:10), and peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). We are blessed that He calls us His friend (John 15:13-15), bride (Isaiah 61:10), and ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) – throughout all time He was, is and will be Almighty God. He represents and is the fullness of the Godhead – Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- as cited in three verses (Ephesians 3:19; 4:13; Colossians 2:9). Even in His earthly ministry, which lasted three and a half years, we see the signature of the Trinity reflected in triplets of love.

The apostle John described the Trinity in Heaven reflected in the life and work of Jesus Christ through the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: for these three “agree in one” (1 John 5:6-8). 

John further explained that Jesus came in the flesh (i.e. with human blood and born out of the water in Mary’s womb), empowered by the Holy Spirit. We see the water and the blood again when a spear pierces His side (John 19:34) and Jesus lays down His life to suffer and dies on the cross, which was possible only through the power of the Spirit.

At His baptism marking the beginning of His earthly ministry (Matthew 3:16-17), we see all of the Trinity in one picture: Jesus the Son being baptized, the Holy Spirit descending on Him in the form of a dove, and God the Father announcing that Jesus is indeed His beloved Son.

This was the first of three proclamations from God the Father Himself that Jesus is His Son, worthy of God’s love and glory and our praise and obedience (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 12:28). The second of these Divine revelations was the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-8). His inner circle of Peter, James and John witnessed three glorified beings: Jesus, Moses, and Elias, prompting Peter to want to build three tabernacles.

After Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tested by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11). Three times the devil tempted Him, appealing to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16) and each time Jesus rebuked the devil by quoting Scripture – three times He replied, “It is written…”

Jesus’ closest friends, apart from His disciples, were Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (John 12:1-3). The precious ointment Mary used to anoint Jesus’ feet was worth three hundred pence (John 12:5). Lazarus was one of three people Jesus raised from the dead (John 12:9), the other two being Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:35-43) and the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-15).

Jesus summarized His work on earth in terms of three types of miracles: spiritual healing, physical healing, and His own perfection, or resurrection from the dead (Luke 13:32). That perfection occurred on the third day, when He had paid all of our sin debt by suffering and dying on the cross, was buried, and rose again, so that all who believe this may also have eternal life (1 Corinthians 15). 

May we all trust in His completed work and become joint heirs with Him (Romans 8:17), His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20, and rulers in the Millennial Kingdom! (Revelation 20:4)

© 2012 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives, edited and expanded

Love and Death

 

Photo of Michelangelo's Pieta by Torbjorn Toby Jorgensen

For the first time in decades, Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday fell on the same date this year. One holiday celebrates love, while the other reflects on death. The Catholic ritual of wearing ashes in the shape of a cross on the forehead symbolizes the human condition as sinners doomed to eternal death in hell, were it not for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross (Romans 6:23).

Ash Wednesday thus marks the beginning of Lent, a time of reflection on Christ’s finished work on the cross (John 19:30) and on sinners’ unworthiness (Romans 3:12), based on their own merit (Ephesians 2:8-9), to receive His freely given gift of eternal life. Lent ends on Easter Sunday, commemorating Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, and the triumph of God, Who is Love (1 John 4:8), over death. Praise God that through the righteousness of Christ credited to the account of all believers (Romans 4:16-24), He no longer remembers our sin and frees us from its penalty of death (Hebrews 8:12; 10:17).

The perfect, sinless, Lamb of God (John 1:29) – God the Son – came to earth in human form (John 1:14) specifically to die. His death was excruciating, marked by the physical suffering of crucifixion, the emotional isolation from His friends and disciples who betrayed (Luke 22:3-4;34) and abandoned Him, and the humiliation of being rejected, mocked, and mistreated by His people whom he came to save (John 1:11; Luke 23:20-23).

Worst of all, He had to be momentarily separated from the God the Father (Matthew 27:46), with Whom He had been present in close fellowship and love since before the beginning of time (John 1:1-2), as holy God could not look on our sin, which Christ became to save us (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Yet this horrific death was motivated by self-sacrificing love. There is no greater love than to die for others (John 15:13). Christ’s death was the very definition of love, for it was the perfect sacrifice to appease the anger of holy God and to reconcile sinful man to Him (1 John 4:10).

Christ died for us while we were not only sinners (Romans 5:8), but children of the devil (John 8:44) and His enemies, rebelling against Him in anger and hatred. His inspiration to endure this agony was the joy that came from knowing that all who trusted in His sacrifice and resurrection would live forever with Him in Heaven (Hebrews 12:2).

God the Father loved the world so much that He was willing to submit His precious Son to this torturous death (John 3:16). God’s love is unfathomable by our mere human minds. We might be willing to take a bullet for our spouse or child, and our brave troops and first responders daily risk their lives to protect our country and communities. We might sacrifice ourselves for a good person, but for an evil, hateful one? (John 8:44)

So how can we begin to comprehend how the Divine Godhead, in need of nothing (Psalm 50:10-12), Creator of all (Genesis 1:1), with infinite power (Jeremiah 27:5), riches and wisdom (Psalm 139:1-6), could love us infinitely? We who are vile, lowly sinners, made from dust and destined to return to ashes? (Genesis 2:7;3:19).

Appropriately enough, the ashes used on Ash Wednesday come from palm fronds burned after the previous year’s Palm Sunday service. It is a sad reminder to be careful lest we fall (1 Corinthians 10:12), for the very people who loudly praised Jesus, crying Hosanna and waving palm branches on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, were the same who cried out for His death on the cross a few days later.

Through His supreme sacrifice He changed all who would believe in Him into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). By trusting Christ we are transformed from His enemies to His friends (Proverbs 18:24), from children of the devil to God’s children, becoming joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:14-17) in eternal life, peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), joy in His salvation (Psalm 35:9), wisdom through the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), and all the blessings of Heaven.

Beyond that, His death allowed His love to make us His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), given the unique privilege, honor and blessing of being able to share the Good News of His love, death, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-5) as the only Way (John 14:6) to Heaven. At the moment we trust Him, we become part of His church, or beautiful bride that one day will unite with Him in sinless, holy perfection (Revelation 21:2).

Once we experience the transformation His love and death allow, love and death take on a new meaning for us. We love Him because He first loved us, and He is love itself (1 John 4:8,19). His love is infinite, while ours is still tainted by the curse of sin, stained with selfishness and pride. Yet as He daily molds us into His image (Romans 8:29), often through suffering (Philippians 3:10), our love can also begin to reflect His self-sacrificial agape love, which we can share with others to bring them closer to Him.

For the Christian, death loses its sting (1 Corinthians 15:55), for it no longer represents eternal punishment in hell, but a momentary transition from the burden of this aging and infirm body to the freedom and joy of being in the presence of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). When we lose loved ones in Him, we have the sure hope that we will one day be reunited. Yet while we are still on earth, we must die daily (1 Corinthians 15:31) to our sin nature, to the corruption of the world (Romans 12:1-2), to the temptations of the flesh (Romans 8:6-7), and to the traps set for us by Satan (Ephesians 6:11).

I chose the Pieta, the renowned sculpture by Michelangelo, to illustrate this post, as it so poignantly communicates the love of a mother for her dying Son, of a sinner for her Savior, of the Son to die for the sins of the world, of the Father to give His Son, and of the Spirit to raise the Son from the dead, that all who trust Him would have everlasting life.

As we reflect on Christ’s death, burial and resurrection this Easter season, may we let His love shine through us to bring others closer to Him!   

© 2024 Laurie Collett

Who Is Love?

 

Photo by MOSSOT 2015

As we saw last week, humans may sometimes be capable of agape, or self-sacrificing love, as in the case of a parent, spouse or soldier dying to protect a child, spouse, or country. But the sacrifice is usually made impulsively before the person has a chance to weigh the outcomes, and it protects a person or idea highly valued by the person making the sacrifice.

In contrast, true agape, like that shown by Jesus Christ, sacrifices with full knowledge of the cost and of the absence of reward, commits to the sacrifice well in advance, and is done to benefit those who hate rather than love the donor.

Imagine, for example, that everyone in the world, except for your son, is dying from a lethal virus infection. Everyone hates your son because they are jealous and resentful of his perfect health. Doctors study him and discover that he has a unique antibody in his blood against the deadly virus, and that everyone can be cured by receiving that antibody. You gladly agree that he should donate his blood to save the world, but then the doctors inform you that it will take every drop of his precious blood, and that he will have to sacrifice himself if others are to be saved.

Now you and your son realize the cost of saving those who hate your son and are his enemies. Yet motivated by pure, selfless love, you both agree to make that sacrifice. Shockingly, instead of loving your son for his lifesaving sacrifice, many still hate him, many ignore him, and many even refuse his precious gift, without which they will die.

Yet this is a weak analogy to what God the Father and Jesus Christ did for us, agreeing that God the Son would shed every drop of His precious blood to save His enemies, not just in this life, but throughout eternity. Only His perfect holiness is the antidote to sin, for which we would otherwise be forever condemned to hell.

Because of our sin nature (Romans 5:12), none of us can ever love perfectly. Only Jesus Christ, the holy, sinless, Lamb of God (John 1:29) Who took on human flesh (John 1:14) to reconcile sinful man to Holy God (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20) can do that. The truly amazing thing about the love of God is that He showed us His infinite love by sacrificing His only begotten Son (John 3:16), Who died an excruciating death to pay for our sins, even when we were His bitter enemies (Romans 5:6-10; James 4:4) and children of the devil (John 8:44), rebelling against Christ, despising Him, and rejecting Him.

God does not need us, for He owns everything (Psalm 50:9-14) and is completely self-existent (John 8:58). Yet the Creator of all made us in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) and wants to have fellowship with us (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3), to be able to call us His friends, His children (Romans 8:16-21; 9:26), His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).

Once we are freed from condemnation by the law, which we cannot keep completely because of our sin nature, we are saved by God’s grace through our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). We can then follow Him through His law of liberty (James 1:25; 2:12), which is to love God and love one another (Luke 10:27; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 John 4:7-12; Romans 13:9-10). We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

God shows His love for us through His mercy (Ephesians 2:4; Jude 1:21), by not giving us what we do deserve, and by His grace (2 Corinthians 13:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 Timothy 1:14), by freely giving us what we don’t deserve. His mercy spares us from the eternal punishment in hell that our sins have earned (Mark 9:43-49; Romans 6:23), and His grace allows us into Heaven (Romans 5:21; Titus 3:7; 1 Peter 5:10), for Christ has covered us in His perfect righteousness (Romans 3:22), so that God no longer sees our sins (Psalm 103:12).

Once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), the Holy Spirit enters us and teaches us about who we are in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). The Spirit also gives us the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22). These fruit are actually different aspects of love and reflect the character and nature of God, for God is love (1 John 4:8).

In 1 Corinthians 13, the so-called love chapter, the apostle Paul describes the qualities of this type of love, here translated as “charity.” It is longsuffering, meaning patient; kind, which corresponds to goodness of the fruit of the Spirit; content rather than covetous, reflecting peace; well-mannered and self-controlled, which parallels the gentleness, meekness and temperance of the fruit of the Spirit.

Self-sacrificing agape love puts the needs of others ahead of personal gain, finds joy in God’s truth and not in anything evil, suffers all hardships, and has faith, hope and perseverance. Love never fails!

Until we receive our glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:35-57), free of all sin, we will not be able to love perfectly as Christ does, but we must follow His example by dying daily to our sin nature (1 Corinthians 15:31). In the “love chapter,” Paul explains that we will not know true love, or charity, until we see Jesus Christ face to face in Heaven. Agape love will last throughout all eternity and outshines even faith and hope (Romans 8:24-25), because these will no longer be needed once our faith becomes sight!

Remembering that His love is infinite and eternal, may we try to love one another as He loves us! Rather than asking, “What is love?” we should ask “Who is Love?” and answer that He is our Lord Jesus Christ!

© 2019 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

What Is Love?

 

Photo by Patty Colmer 2007

 

As we in the United States prepare for Valentine’s Day, it is appropriate to consider what love truly is. We use the term very loosely, as in “I love chocolate!” Great songs, poems, and books have been written about love, but what do the writers mean by love? There are three Greek words describing love: eros, phileo, and agape.

Eros refers to erotic or sexual love and is seldom used in the Bible, but this type of love is often exploited in songs, movies, and TV of today. In isolation, eros is not really love at all, because it is a form of lust that demeans its object as merely an end to satisfy one’s own needs. It often borders on hate, as we see when lust led Amnon to rape his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13). When he had what he wanted, he hated her even more intensely than he had once desired her (v. 15).

Yet when eros is accompanied by love within the marriage relationship as God designed it, it forges an unbreakable, exclusive bond between man and wife, causing them to become one flesh (Genesis 2:21-25; Mark 10:6-9). This type of romantic and physical marital love is beautifully depicted in the Song of Solomon. Many regard this poem as an allegory describing the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:22-32).

Phileo appears often in the Bible, referring to brotherly love. It is the root word of “Philadelphia,” meaning brotherly love. Many of our human relationships, such as those between brothers and sisters in Christ, schoolmates, or other friends or family, are based on phileo. Despite our sin nature, this type of affection comes fairly naturally to most of us because we find the resulting relationships to be rewarding. Often we form such relationships with like-minded people with whom we have much in common, and we enjoy their company because they think and act like we do.

Even unsaved people have natural affection for their family and friends. However, Scripture warns that in the End Times, that affection will grow cold, and men will love pleasure more than they love God or one another (2 Timothy 3:1-3). We see this today when mothers abort or abandon their children for convenience or fathers slaughter their family, because they have no love even for their own flesh and blood.

The expectation in relationships governed by phileo is that we will help one another, encouraging each other (2 Corinthians 1:4), praying for one another (James 5:16), bearing one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), and exchanging gifts or uplifting messages. Friends may often provide substantial help when needed, such as errands, moving, home maintenance, food or medicine when one is sick, or even a job opportunity or financial assistance.

I know of someone in our former church, a mother in her forties, who is an amazing example of this type of brotherly love. Her close friend and sister in Christ married a diabetic, and several months later, he developed kidney failure that became so severe that he needed a kidney transplant. His wife was not a good match to be an organ donor, but her friend was, and she gave her kidney so that her brother in Christ would live and so that her sister in Christ would not lose her husband! Praise the Lord, all are still doing well!

But even when the giving becomes lopsided because one is going through tougher times than the other, the unspoken assumption is “You scratch my back – I’ll scratch yours,” or “I’ve always been there for her, so she’ll always be there for me.” If we are honest with ourselves, we may realize that some of these relationships are actually more like a contractual partnership than a true friendship, and we may begin to resent the “friend” who takes much more than she gives.

The truest form of love described in the Bible is agape, or self-sacrificing love that gives freely and completely while expecting nothing in return. Sacrificial, anonymous giving may be motivated by agape, provided it is not done to bolster one’s ego, pride, or self-righteousness.

The apostle Paul warned that even if we give away all our possessions to feed the poor, and even give our own body to be burned, it does us no good unless we do it out of sacrificial love, translated as charity (1 Corinthians 13:3). When we face Jesus Christ at the judgment seat for believers, even magnanimous deeds like these will burn up in the fire of judgment (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) unless they were motivated by true love for God and for one another.

Jesus told us to love and pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44), even though they would destroy us if they had the chance, much less thank us. (Praying for our enemies to be exiled to Siberia doesn’t count!). Jesus told us that the greatest form of love, which He exemplifies, is to lay down your life for your friends (John 15:13).

Many people would take a bullet to spare the life of their child or wife, because they love that person more than they value their own life. Many soldiers end up sacrificing their life to protect their fellow troops or country. But in these examples, the sacrifice is usually impulsive rather than premeditated, and protects a person or idea of great worth to the person making the sacrifice.

In contrast, true agape, like that shown by Jesus Christ, sacrifices while fully aware of the cost (Matthew 16:21) and of the absence of reward. It commits to the sacrifice well in advance (Isaiah 50:6-7), and benefits those who hate rather than love the one who dies. He sacrificed Himself for His enemies (Romans 5:6-10), so that all who are saved by trusting in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6) can have eternal life!

Next week, we’ll explore the concept that a better question than “What is love?” may be “Who is Love?” and that the answer is Jesus Christ!

© 2019 Laurie Collett

Edited and reposted from the archives

Luau: Let’s Celebrate Our Joy in the Lord!

 

Photo by Nicole Bratt 2005

 

As the summer season of celebrations and holidays has officially begun, may you enjoy this repost from the archives about the traditions of the Hawaiian custom of the luau, which is a popular summer party theme. Much of the symbolism of this ceremonial feast has a parallel in Christian beliefs.   

In Christ we have great reason to celebrate, no matter what our circumstances, because we have joy in the Lord (Psalm.32:11; Isaiah. 61:10; Matthew. 25:21,23) and the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah.8:10). Even while chained in a cold, gloomy prison cell for preaching the Gospel, the apostle Paul was so filled with joy that he said to Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4) 

The luau is held not only to celebrate, but also as an occasion to show hospitality to those outside our immediate circle of family and close friends. Scripture tells us to be hospitable even to strangers, because we may be entertaining angels without even knowing it! (Hebrews 13:2). When Abraham offered a feast to three strangers who dropped in, it turned out to be the LORD and two angels, and he was blessed by the news that Sarah would give birth to a son in her old age, giving rise to a great nation (Genesis 18). 

In ancient times in Hawaii, men and woman ate their meals separately, and women were not allowed to eat foods that were served only to men on special occasions. However, in 1819, King Kamehameha did away with these religious laws and taboos (Romans 14:2-3) and ate with all the women during the luau, with everyone enjoying the special dishes formerly given only to men. 

This reminds me that Jesus Christ, Who is King of Kings (Revelation 17:14; 19:16), is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), for all who trust Him are equal and all one in Him (Galatians 3: 26-28). Regardless of sex, race, nationality, or religious upbringing, all those who place their trust in Him will take part in His marriage supper, which will be the most amazing celebration of all time! (Revelation 19:9)  

To honor the guests of the luau, the host gives each one a lei, which is a garland or wreath given as a symbol of affection. It can be any series of objects strung together, like a necklace of beads, but it is usually made of fresh natural plants such as flowers, leaves, vines, fern fronds, nuts, and seeds. 

On May 1 of every year, Hawaiians celebrate "Lei Day," so named in 1927 by poet Don Blanding. Since World War II, it has been the modern custom in Hawaii to give a lei with a kiss. The apostle Paul four times in his letters tells believers to greet one another with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26).  But the traditional custom is to give a lei by bowing slightly and raising it above the heart as a sign of love, allowing the person to take it, because raising the hands above another's head, or touching their face or head, is considered disrespectful. 

This reminds me of the apostle Paul’s encouragement for us to submit ourselves to one another (Ephesians 5:1) and to be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another (Romans 12:10). Even in relationships where one person has rightful authority over another, such as parent to child, boss to employee, or teacher to student, we should still consider the needs of the other person over our own. If we brag or boast or lord our authority over someone, God will bring us down, but if we have a servant’s heart toward others, God will lift us up (Matthew 23:12). 

Hawaiians honor leis and what they represent by never throwing them away casually. If they cannot return leis to the place they were gathered, they return them to the earth by hanging them in a tree, burying, or burning them. Because a lei symbolizes the love of the giver, to toss one in the trash would be a sign of disrespect or ingratitude. Many types of lei can be left in a window to dry, allowing the natural fragrance to fill the room.  

On Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who went home to the Lord before us, especially those who lost their lives for our freedom in self-sacrificing love, reminding us of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice (John 10:15,17; 15:13; 1 John 3:16). I am thankful for the Godly legacy left me by those who went before me, and their memory lingers on like a sweet-smelling fragrance.  

Although we typically think of a lei as a flower garland, more loosely defined, a lei is any series of objects strung together. In Hawaii, children, family and sweethearts are poetically referred to as "lei." Paul describes the church as we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another (Romans 12: 5). So we, as members of the church or body of Christ, can be thought of as a lei, bound together in love as a family.  

Each of us is like a flower, different, but more beautiful and fragrant to God when we come to together in unity of spirit than we would be separately. Throughout the book of Acts, we hear of Christians in the early church acting together with one accord, accomplishing far more to spread the Gospel than they could if each were to act separately (Acts 1:14;2:1,46; 4:24; 5:12,7:57, etc.). 

The Haku lei is a type of lei crafted by braiding three cords together. Haku mele means to braid a song. A song composed out of affection for an individual is considered a lei, because it is words and notes strung together in love. Paul encourages Christian believers to speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). 

The three cords of the Haku lei remind me of Solomon’s wisdom that a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12), meaning that friends who are united in their faith in God strengthen and build up one another through trials and temptations (Galatians 6:2; Proverbs 27:17). 

The threefold cord is also reminiscent of the Trinity (Matthew 3:16-17). Christ is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). When our heart believes in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), the Holy Spirit enters us (2 Corinthians 1:22) to teach us about Jesus Christ, Who is the only Way to God the Father (John 14:6).  

So as we enjoy summer celebrations, may we remember the legacy of those who went before us and encourage fellow believers. May we celebrate our joy in the Lord, show hospitality and love to one another, and be united in Christ, like flowers woven together in a threefold lei!
 

© 2014 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

 

 

Who is Love?

Photo by MOSSOT 2015

As we saw last week, humans may sometimes be capable of agape, or self-sacrificing love, as in the case of a parent, spouse or soldier dying to protect a child, spouse, or country. But the sacrifice is usually made impulsively before the person has a chance to weigh the outcomes, and it protects a person or idea highly valued by the person making the sacrifice.

In contrast, true agape, like that shown by Jesus Christ, sacrifices with full knowledge of the cost and of the absence of reward, commits to the sacrifice well in advance, and is done to benefit those who hate rather than love the donor.

Imagine, for example, that everyone in the world, except for your son, is dying from a lethal virus infection. Everyone hates your son because they are jealous and resentful of his perfect health. Doctors study him and discover that he has a unique antibody in his blood against the deadly virus, and that everyone can be cured by receiving that antibody. You gladly agree that he should donate his blood to save the world, but then the doctors inform you that it will take every drop of his precious blood, and that he will have to sacrifice himself if others are to be saved.

Now you and your son realize the cost of saving those who hate your son and are his enemies. Yet motivated by pure, selfless love, you both agree to make that sacrifice. Shockingly, instead of loving your son for his lifesaving sacrifice, many still hate him, many ignore him, and many even refuse his precious gift, without which they will die.

Yet this is a weak analogy to what God the Father and Jesus Christ did for us, agreeing that God the Son would shed every drop of His precious blood to save His enemies, not just in this life, but throughout eternity. Only His perfect holiness is the antidote to sin, for which we would otherwise be forever condemned to hell.

Because of our sin nature (Romans 5:12), none of us can ever love perfectly. Only Jesus Christ, the holy, sinless, Lamb of God (John 1:29) Who took on human flesh (John 1:14) to reconcile sinful man to Holy God (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20) can do that. The truly amazing thing about the love of God is that He showed us His infinite love by sacrificing His only begotten Son (John 3:16), Who died an excruciating death to pay for our sins, even when we were His bitter enemies (Romans 5:6-10; James 4:4) and children of the devil (John 8:44), rebelling against Christ, despising Him, and rejecting Him.

God does not need us, for He owns everything (Psalm 50:9-14) and is completely self-existent (John 8:58). Yet the Creator of all made us in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) and wants to have fellowship with us (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3), to be able to call us His friends, His children (Romans 8:16-21; 9:26), His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).

Once we are freed from condemnation by the law, which we cannot keep completely because of our sin nature, we are saved by God’s grace through our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). We can then follow Him through His law of liberty (James 1:25; 2:12), which is to love God and love one another (Luke 10:27; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 John 4:7-12; Romans 13:9-10). We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

God shows His love for us through His mercy (Ephesians 2:4; Jude 1:21), by not giving us what we do deserve, and by His grace (2 Corinthians 13:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 Timothy 1:14), by freely giving us what we don’t deserve. His mercy spares us from the eternal punishment in hell that our sins have earned (Mark 9:43-49; Romans 6:23), and His grace allows us into Heaven (Romans 5:21; Titus 3:7; 1 Peter 5:10), for Christ has covered us in His perfect righteousness (Romans 3:22), so that God no longer sees our sins (Psalm 103:12).

Once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), the Holy Spirit enters us and teaches us about who we are in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). The Spirit also gives us the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22). These fruit are actually different aspects of love and reflect the character and nature of God, for God is love (1 John 4:8).

In 1 Corinthians 13, the so-called love chapter, the apostle Paul describes the qualities of this type of love, here translated as “charity.” It is longsuffering, meaning patient; kind, which corresponds to goodness of the fruit of the Spirit; content rather than covetous, reflecting peace; well-mannered and self-controlled, which parallels the gentleness, meekness and temperance of the fruit of the Spirit.

Self-sacrificing agape love puts the needs of others ahead of personal gain, finds joy in God’s truth and not in anything evil, suffers all hardships, and has faith, hope and perseverance. Love never fails!

Until we receive our glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:35-57), free of all sin, we will not be able to love perfectly as Christ does, but we must follow His example by dying daily to our sin nature (1 Corinthians 15:31). In the “love chapter,” Paul explains that we will not know true love, or charity, until we see Jesus Christ face to face in Heaven. Agape love will last throughout all eternity and outshines even faith and hope (Romans 8:24-25), because these will no longer be needed once our faith becomes sight!

Remembering that His love is infinite and eternal, may we try to love one another as He loves us! Rather than asking, “What is love?” we should ask “Who is Love?” and answer that He is our Lord Jesus Christ!

© 2019 Laurie Collett