Life #13 - Two Ways to Love

The Bible records two ways to love.

First is to philĕō—to “love” from the feelings—owing to favorable inclinations. Since most of us easily philĕō, have “tender affection” for anyone or anything that we like, let’s move on.

Second is to agapaō—to “love” from the will—especially when disinclined to do so. To agapaō is difficult because it requires that we love against the current of our intense dislikes, thoughts, and feelings for those whom we have absolutely no philĕō.

That’s because when we love from our will, we love from the mind that is not yet renewed, so it’s going to be difficult to agapaō those we don’t like. Our minds remember how badly “they” treated us, so we pursue emotional supports from others. These social-emotional benefits will gratify us temporarily, but the cost to our freedom is great because our actions show we are held captive by our mind’s mental-emotional pull!

Instead, let’s use every negative situation to work for us:

• Love is patient. (Where are we most impatient?)
• Love is kind. (Are we making cruel remarks about someone behind their backs?)
• Love keeps no record of wrongs. (In families especially, how long is our list?)
• Love always perseveres. (Giving up on ourselves already?)

When we agapaō God, our neighbor, ourselves, our enemies, and the household of believers, then we’ve fulfilled the two great commandments (Matthew 22:37-40).

By the way, agapē-love, not philĕō-love, is required to enter into life (Matthew 19:16, 17).

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; Greek definition from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: love-philĕō - #5368; love- agapaō - #25; More agapē-love guidelines can be found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV; Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981); excerpts from our book to be released next year.  

Life #12 - Do You Measure Up?

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To maintain all that we inherit from Jesus, even his zōē-life, we are exhorted to conform to his image (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). His image is that of a full-stature Son—not an infant, a child, or a teenager. When we come “to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”, then we know that the church has grown up “in all things into Him” (Ephesians 4:13, 15).

To be a “perfect” human being is to be tĕlĕiŏs (tel’-i-os), complete in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc; of full age. Even the apostle Paul labored to present us “perfect”, tĕlĕiŏs, complete—and only “in Christ Jesus” can that ever be our reality (Colossians 1:28).

Jesus is the one who “…abolished death and brought life and immortality [incorruption] to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10), so the difficult way which leads to life is to arrive at Christ’s fullness.

·         God planned for it (Romans 8:29).

·         Jesus made it possible, “Follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

·         The Holy Spirit does transforming work in us (2 Corinthians 3:18).

·         We do our part by works of faith as the Spirit and Scripture give guidance.

The way to life is difficult and the Lord admits that few will find it. However, the full statured Christ in us will not fail. If we’re up for the challenge.

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; Greek definition from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible – perfect #5046; This blog addresses Life #4 – To Live is Christ, item1; excerpts from our book to be released next year.

Life #11 - Qualities of Life and Incorruption



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Life and incorruption belong to Christians who follow Jesus (John 8:12; Matthew 16:24). If that is true, then our lives should display recognizable qualities evidencing life and incorruption. The obvious ones are righteousness and holiness.

Righteousness contains a life promise upon whose path even death cannot step foot:

• "In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death" (Proverbs 12:28).

Our faith in Christ determines all that we could never be in ourselves (Vine). So, since Jesus met all of God's requirements, the outworking of our inward salvation is to grow up into him because only in him might we become the righteousness of God (Ephesians 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Holiness is a quality that manifests because of a behavior built on incorruption:

• "...but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15, 16).

Holiness is part of God's divine nature. If we are partakers of that nature, then we have already escaped the corruption that is in this world due to lust (2 Peter 1:4).

Since righteousness is life's path, and holiness negates corruption, let us remove the "old man" which grows corrupt, and put on the new "which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24).

If our life currently displays righteousness and holiness, then we have successfully put on the "new" human being that God created. Congratulations!

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981); this blog addresses Life #4 - To Live is Christ, item 2; excerpts from our book to be released next year.