by Ann Nurse

Created on: September 23, 2011   Last Updated: March 05, 2012

Love has its' origin in God. God is love. God introduced Himself to mankind as-Love. Probably the most quoted scripture is the following:

John 3:16

“For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

God sent His only Son into the world to show just how much He (God)) loved His creation. He loved us so much, He sacrificed His Son to redeem His creation and bring them back into relationship with their Creator. God's love is the highest kind of love. It is called (Agape) love; this unique love is pure unconditional love from God. This is vertical love; love between God and man. Now, this Agape love is evident in us when we love our brother. This is perfect love. This love is expressed in The Word of God in the following passage of Scripture:

I John 4:16

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us, God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God is him.”

God shares (Agape) love with us when we love Him in return; this makes the vertical connection. We love our brother as we do our self, we make the horizontal connection and complete The Cross.

This is love that God spreads abroad in our hearts when we are born into His family. Without a doubt, it is the highest kind of love that we are able to experience.

Eros or romantic love is love between a man and a woman; it is sexual in nature. Thousand upon thousands of songs have been written about this type of love. Many Greek tragedies, novels, and movies revolve around this type of love. There have been great romantic loves in our lives or at dreamed about. This type love is not always reciprocated. You may love someone that does not love you back. This is horizontal love between man and man. This is dramatically different from Agape love. Emotions in involved in this type of love, sometimes without reason.

Philia love is love between friends and Philadelphia is named after this type of love. Saul's son Jonathan loved David, the King. A great story of friendship and the nobility of having a friend and kindred spirit is powerful to the imagination. This is philia love. Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. One of the great treasures of life and living is to have a true philia relationship with another person. There is feelings and emotions involved in this type of love.

Storge love is the love we have within our family. The natural bond between a mother and her child or the bond of siblings. This is a “flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone” type of love. A mother's love is a powerful love. She protects her children and unselfishly gives of herself at any cost. It is love that can be counted upon, even if the child is guilty- a mother will seek to be there for her child, when others give up on them. It is most similar to Agape love.

Real love does not seek personal gain. The Bible tells us that the love of God passes all understanding. We are not able to understand how God “so loved” us that He gave His only Son for us. It is difficult for mankind to comprehend this type of love, but it happened. Jesus Christ is our supreme example.

Real love is not puffed up; does not envy; is not selfish; and does not act unseemly.

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