HARMONISING THROUGH THE FATHER’S LOVE

Looking at the following scriptures, Romans 8:35a talks about who shall separate us from the love of Christ? We love Him, because He first loved us 1 John 4:19. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another see 1 John 4:10-11 NKJV. It is so obvious here to see the kind of love with which God loves us; this love is unconditional to mankind and the primary reason for its demonstration is because He is love. God's kind of love or what is called the love of the Father has expressed through Christ Jesus who is the Son of His love (is translated from the Greek word Agape) this kind of love is very unique in all expression.

Agape denotes an undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable goodwill that always seeks the highest good of the other person, no matter what he does. It is the self-giving love that gives freely without asking anything in return, and does not consider the worth of its object. Agape is more a love by choice than philos, which is love by chance; and it refers to the goodwill rather than the emotion. In other words, it does not need a chemistry, an affinity, or a feeling. Agape is a word that exclusively belongs to the Christian community. Is a love virtually unknown to writers outside the NT.

Unlike the other kinds of love like Eros -sexual love and Philos -friendship love that depend on the response of the other party to determine how much of it to be given. In fact, in Eros and Philos love is reduced when it is not being reciprocated. But it is only the love of God which is in Christ Jesus that goes on lavishing love without considering the response of the recipient. God loved us when we were still in our sins. In the days when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly (read Romans 5:6), not minding our state, not considering the fact that we were His enemies.

As far as God is concern is an example for us -showing us both the way to love and the manner of love that must flow from us to others including our close enemies who by default we would not like to show any love. So if God so loved us then we must love one another. Whoever does not love his brother abides in death. To be in death is to step out of the life of Christ and to live contrary to what the life teaches. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us. The same Spirit who quickened us i.e. gave us life also shed love abroad in our heart; for love is a fruit of the Spirit.

Jesus told His disciples, this is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you John 15:12. We are to go all the way to show love despise the response of the recipient. Love can be difficult to show when the recipient does not deserve to be loved, but we must go ahead to show God’s kind of love because our love is unconditional and most importantly we are His love being, for we bears the very life of the Father called Zoe. Love cover multitude of sins and we equally give life to our brethren by restoring anyone who has wandered away from the truth. When we are conquered by His love, we will also conquer through His love. Love must be in it highest peak among us as believers, we must respond to God in love for He is the embodiment of love towards us, love our enemies without false humility, and finally, to this end demonstrate what I called 360 degree of love without barriers or limitations and by this we will daily exhibit the greatest gift 1Corinthians 13:13.