What is agape love? That is the question that many people ponder. Agape love, also known as self-sacrificing or unconditional love, goes beyond what we typically think of when we hear the word “love.” It includes caring for someone’s needs without expecting anything in return.
Agape Love Meaning
The Greeks considered love to be a general empathy or lovingkindness for all people. However, Christians took this idea one step further- they expected their followers of Christ to care for others in the name of God. Biblical writers used Jesus as the standard of true agape because he died on a cross and came back from death alive!
Agape love is God’s selfless, unconditional kind of love. It’s not sentimental; it originates from who He is and flows out to all people because agape means “unconditional” or “chosen without conditions.” This divine characteristic emanates from a place of overflowing grace for those in need, which can be seen through the example set by Jesus Christ on Earth as well as what Christians are called to do each day (John 3:16).
Agapos
Agapos is a Greek word that means “to love.” The question we must ask ourselves, then, is what does it mean to love?
In the Bible, there is a word that was used for love. That word is agapos. Agape means unconditional and self-sacrificing love
Currently, the culture of Christianity has been watered down to such an extent that some believe agape to be nothing more than a feeling.
In order to explore this idea in-depth and provide clarity on the matter, I will pose three questions: What does it mean for us as humans to love one another?
What are the different kinds of love? How can we show God’s kind of unconditional agape for our fellow human beings?
The answer lies in understanding how much each type of love fulfills a need. We have many needs ranging from food and water everyday sustenance all the way up
This kind of selfless and sacrificial love can be seen in some marriages where one person takes on all responsibilities for raising a family while their spouse works to make more money.
Agape love is the unconditional, selfless love that God has for humans. It is a radical act of generosity and sacrifice to give your life in order to save someone else’s.
Agape love according to the Bible
The Bible not only teaches us about this type of love but also offers up many examples of it in action.
Throughout the bible, God’s love is described as being unconditional and sacrificial. The type of love that we’re describing here is called agape, which means unmerited and undeserved.
It describes a selfless act with no strings attached. We see this type of love on display in Jesus’ life and death for us on the cross–he sacrificed himself so that we could have eternal life with him.
When you experience this kind of love, it changes everything about how you live your life because now you can do things without worrying about what people think or what they’ll get out of it in return.
Agape isn’t just an idea from reading scripture; it’s something that should be lived out daily through our actions to others around us.
The Bible teaches us that God’s agape love was demonstrated through His son Jesus Christ who died on the cross to save sinners from eternal condemnation.
It also tells us about how we should show this same kind of agape love towards others by giving them what they need and putting their interests ahead of our own needs and desires (1 John 3:16).
Even though it might not always be easy, when we choose to live out this type of selfless, loving lifestyle then we are able to experience the joy that comes from giving and serving others.
1John 4:8, KJV: “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
This type of agape love is what Jesus desires for all Christians to have and learn how to live with every day, John 13:34, KJV: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
Jesus said that if any individual wants the fruit from His tree then they need to do what He says, and what He says is to love one another.
Other Examples of Agape Love in the Bible
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15: 13
Matthew 22:37-39
37 Jesus said unto him, “‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’
Believers and Agape
Agape love, often translated as “Christian” or “spiritual” love in English, can be defined as unconditional and sacrificial love for others that seek their highest good. It’s a deep understanding and acceptance of others with the willingness to understand.
The meaning of love may be one of the most confusing things about life. God’s divine agape is a complex concept to understand and even harder for us sinful humans to comprehend it in our natural state; however, with more understanding comes an increased capacity for real love. The only way we can show or experience this kind of true unconditional care from others is through Jesus Christ Himself!
Agape is an unconditional love that does not seek anything in return. Agape can be defined as a charity, but it’s a different kind of charity than the one often associated with giving money or things away.
To understand agape we have to look at what lies beneath emotions and feelings- faithfulness, commitment, and sacrifice without expecting any reward for our efforts are all necessary components of this type of love relationship.
It may seem counterintuitive when you think about how caring for others goes against your own desires sometimes; however, looking beyond self-interest will bring us closer together while also making everyone’s lives better.
Agape Love in Marriage
When love is lagging, agape can help keep a marriage together. Agape may be the glue that helps to rehabilitate areas of your relationship which need work. Here are some ways you might live out this type of unconditional love in your own marriage:
-Agápe relates to forgiving one another when conflict arises and respecting each other’s needs
-It refers back to children’s caregiving for their parents and grandparents as they age
-It is the type of love that helps us to bear one another’s burdens
-Agápe is expressed in each day caregiving, such as cooking and cleaning for your spouse
-And it can be seen in openness and honesty. This doesn’t mean you have to tell everything but this means not withholding what needs to be said.
-Agápe is a love that doesn’t hold grudges or demand perfection in return
-Women respecting their husband’s leadership
-Wives modeling the love of Christ for their husbands and children by doing what it takes to provide a loving home.
-Men showing up with an attitude of sacrificial service, helping where there is need at home”
-Putting what is best for your spouse before what you want.
-Agápe love does not abandon but renews and restores
Agape love can be difficult to find in a relationship. It is best modeled by how you would like the other person to treat you. You may surprise yourself at just what an impact this will have on them!
Types of love
1) Philia: This type of love is what you feel for people that you know and are friendly with. It’s the kind of love that makes it easy to keep in touch with old friends or go out on a date with someone from your area code.
Philia doesn’t always involve strong emotions, but can sometimes include them if they’re felt on both sides of the relationship.
2) Agape: Agape is a form of love that transcends feelings and emotions, making it possible to express unconditional love for other people who are not even part of your family or social circle. Agape is what you feel for friends at church, strangers down the street from you, people in need all over the world.
Agape love is what fuels your donations to the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, or Doctors Without Borders. It’s what drives you to wish good things on others and be their friend even when they’re not particularly friendly back at you.
3) Storge: Storge is what you feel for your parents, siblings or other members of your family. It’s a deep and abiding love that has been formed through years of shared experiences, memories, and time together.
The relationships in this category are more likely to have an emotional component – storge can involve both happiness at the good things happening (and grief when they don’t) as well as sadness at the bad things.
Storge types of relationships are often found within families which makes them a little different from friendship type ones – there is more room for controlling behavior and manipulation in these kinds of relations than you might find with friends or partners, but also more support and understanding too.
4) Philautia: Self-love that is not narcissistic but about a deep appreciation of the value and worth in one’s own being. It’s simply loving towards oneself.
Philautia is about a deep appreciation of the value and worth in one’s own being, which can be quite different from narcissism. This love towards oneself might include positive thinking or self-care activities you do for yourself to take care of your body and soul – things like exercising, reading books that make you feel good on an intellectual level, or trying new foods.
5) Pragma: This is what we think of as ‘true love’. It’s a deep understanding and acceptance of the flaws in someone, coupled with an unshakeable commitment to be there for them.
Pragma is about accepting people exactly as they are – which might include their flaws. This type of love means you’re committed to being by that person’s side no matter what.
6) Ludus: This is playful love, what we often see in a relationship between friends. It’s the one where you’re always trying to impress your partner and get them to like you because of how cool or funny you are.
Ludus means being lighthearted about relationships – it can be fun but doesn’t have any deep emotional content. You might like to tease your partner or joke around with them because you enjoy the excitement.
7) Eros: This is what we usually think of when someone talks about being in love. It’s passionate, all-consuming, and emotional – the type that makes you want to be with your partner 24/365 because it feels so right.
Eros is a longing for closeness and union from an intense emotion or sexual desire.
8) Mania: Mania is an intense emotional state that can be pleasurable or painful. In the absence of any other disorder, mania typically lasts a few weeks to months and then subsides spontaneously.
Manic episodes are often associated with grandiosity (thinking one has extra special talents), decreased need for sleep, increased goal-directed activity (either socially, at work, or sexually ), and risky behavior.
A person experiencing mania may not sleep for days, spend hours talking on the phone, dress in an over-the-top fashion, jump into relationships with inappropriate partners, start multi-tasking without any previous experience doing so (and find themselves failing miserably at what they set out to do) and engage in other risky behaviors.
Mania is sometimes associated with feelings of invincibility, power, and grandiosity which can lead to a reduced need for sleep as well as impulsive decision-making and high-risk-taking behavior.
Finally…
The power of love is amazing. It can be the glue that holds a family together, or it could mean everything to someone who has been rejected by everyone else.
Christ-like Love is what you give freely and without expecting anything in return. Agape love means unconditional acceptance and commitment to one another through thick and thin, even when things get difficult or painful.
This type of love will always prevail because it’s purer than any other kind of love we know about – this type of love never fails! It is purely driven in our hearts by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Also Read:
- 20 Prayers for My Wife to Love Me Again
- Does God answer prayers about relationships?
- 13 Bible Verses to reassure that God is always with You
- 80 Prayers for My Wife to love me again