The Love of God

In the Greek language, different words are used to describe different meanings of love.

One word is Eros, which describes the passionate, romantic love or sexual attraction that can arise between people. This kind of love is based on physical attraction and is purely sensual. When the attraction fades, so does the love. This love is essentially driven by lust. During the New Testament era, this word had become so degraded that it’s not used even once throughout the entire New Testament.

Another Greek word for love is Phileo. This word primarily describes the friendly affection and companionship shared between family or friends. Unlike Eros, which is closely tied to lust, Phileo is more emotional and relates to the intellectual exchange of ideas, tastes, and interests. However, we can feel this kind of love for our friends and family, but not for people we dislike or hate. This love isn’t felt between two people who are at odds with each other.

Different from these two is the third Greek word for love, Agape, which is often defined as “self-sacrificial love.” The Greeks rarely used it because it was so uncommon. This love moves people to act and seek the well-being of others, without considering the personal cost. It is a love of care, giving, and attention to the needs of others, completely selfless. In the New Testament, Agape is used to describe the love that belongs to and comes from God. God’s very nature is love itself: “…God is love” (1 John 4:8). It is a love of goodwill, kindness, and willing delight in the beloved. 1 Corinthians 13 provides a beautiful description of this love. This is also the love that Jesus commanded His disciples to show their enemies (Luke 6:35).

God’s love is most clearly demonstrated on the cross. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” (Ephesians 2:4-5). We did not deserve this sacrifice. God’s love is undeserved and full of grace. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

We are to use this selfless love to love others, whether we like them or not; whether they are fellow believers (John 13:34) or our enemies (Matthew 5:44). However, God’s love does not come to us naturally. Because of our fallen nature, we cannot produce this love on our own. If we are to love as God loves, that love can only come from its source—God. When we become children of God, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22). “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:16).

Only by understanding God’s love—Agape—can we grasp why Jesus Christ said the greatest commandment is to love: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).