Photo by Photo by Megan Bell

Love confuses people, especially us English speakers. It could almost fit into George Orwell’s newspeak, where certain words take other words under their wings, thus eliminating the meaning and emotion behind those words. For example, in newspeak, a central symbol in Orwell’s book, 1984, old words like freedom, liberty, equality and others fall under the single newspeak word crimethink, causing them to lose all meaning. This should scare us, considering 1984 centers around a horribly depressing future, and I am applying this analogy to the most basic and human of emotions. I would be terrified, too, if I didn’t know the Creator of that love.

I think ancient Greek better categorizes love in a way modern English can’t. The Greek loves basically boil down to four distinct types. Phileo portrays a brotherly love, a companionable love stemming from the action of the other person. Phileo revolves around us, not just me. Eros refers to an erotic love, a passion that takes over the mind and controls the person’s actions. Being self-centered, Eros bases itself on self satisfaction. It’s all about me. Storge represents a natural relationship of affection and/or responsibility, like a parent and a child, or a husband and a wife in a good marriage. Life pretty much revolves around you since my purpose stems from your existence.

But I really want to talk about Agape love, God’s love. This love directly represents his nature. It is not based at all in the actions of the loved but based completely on the actions of the lover. Let me explain. God’s infinite love, His very nature, who He is, has nothing to do with anything that we do. The Bible, God’s Word, the single source of truth in the universe, says in Romans 3:23 that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are all sinners — you, me, every human that has ever existed. Because God’s justice is perfect, the sin we were born with will keep us from being with him when we die. We will go to Hell, eternity without God, in eternal suffering. Thank you, Jesus, that your love does not hinge on how we act because if it did we would have no hope.  

And where does this hope come from? What about the other just-as-important aspect of Agape love? It requires action. Our hope comes from the fact that God’s infinite love requires the revelation of His love in an infinite way. God’s infinite love is proved in the cross of Jesus Christ.

Now some of you just turned me off, maybe some even left the page. But if you’re still here and you firmly believe Jesus was just another person in history or just a good teacher, I am here to testify through the Spirit that he put in me that you are wrong. There have been hundreds of religious figures throughout history who have said things, done things and tried to make way for humans to act their way to God. You know what? Every single one of them died. That’s the difference. Because of God’s Agape love, He came to us and He is alive! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was both fully, completely and totally God, and fully, completely, totally man. Like 200%. He, who was with the Father from the beginning, whose hands formed the universe, who has treasured you and me since before time began, who has been worshiped by 10,000 times 10,000 angels since the beginning of time, came to this dark, evil, sinful earth. He came to us, because He knew we couldn’t get to Him.

Jesus lived on this earth for 33 years, and he did what no other human has ever done:

He lived a perfect life. He was tempted in every way you and I were and are, except He never gave in, never sinned. He was a teacher, a radical, a rebel in the purest sense of the word. And yet this man, the Son of God, was hated by the religious leaders of the day because he spoke truth, not what made Him (or them) rich or powerful or liked. Jesus chose instead to spend His time with sinners, healing, teaching, and loving all.

God is just: it’s a part of His nature. So when we sin, it requires payment. Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Our sin against a just God means that we will spend forever paying for our sins, eternally separated from the creator of the universe, in Hell. God does not want this for anyone, and He so desperately loves us and wants to be with us that He provides the payment that we could never pay.

He sent Jesus to come and die, the spotless lamb of God, His son, to bring us into a relationship with Him. Jesus lived a perfect life, never sinned and gave up his life for us. He was hung on a Roman cross, a tortuous, shameful death that was reserved for only the most despicable of criminals. God poured His justice for our sins on His perfect son, and Jesus died in our place. Don’s miss this: God died. Jesus lived the life we could never live and died the death we should have died because of love. Agape love.

Now this sounds like it should be the end of the story. Like a bunch of other people in history, a pretty influential dude died. But that’s where the miraculous power of God is revealed, and this single fact sets Jesus apart, validating His claims and fulfilling His promises: Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, resurrected from the dead! God raised Jesus from the dead, forever conquering death, Hell, and the grave, destroying its power over all those who believe in and follow Him. Jesus was seen by over 500 people, and after 40 days, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God Almighty!

That, my friends, is love. “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Jesus is standing, calling, waiting for you to stop resisting, stop trying to get “there” and to place your faith and trust in the only God who can save.

In June of 2011, I was given a choice. Keep trying, keep attempting to live this life for myself, trying to act and do to earn love, or I could surrender and lay down everything: My life, my goals, my dreams, my hopes, because all of those things are nothing compared to the unfathomable grace and love that Jesus, my savior, king and best friend has for me. I chose Jesus, and though it cost me everything, I will follow Him. And why not? While I was still a sinner, despite my complete lack of faith, my Jesus gave all He had for me. That’s my God.

So what about you? Do you desperately want to know that kind of Love, that has no motives or agendas? Christ is calling, and He created you to be in a perfect relationship with Him. He’s begging for your heart, your life, your all. What will your answer be?