Agape is what the church of Jesus needs. When it drives a man, sacrificing anything to God becomes easier.
Luke 22:56-60
Peter’s love for Jesus was friendship— Philia; that is why when the time came for him to pay the price, he denied Jesus because Agape was not present and Philia had come to an end.
Jesus asked Simon Peter three times in John 21:15-17 if he loved (Agape) Him, and the last two answers were Agape. It was upon the declaration of Agape that now Jesus told him:
Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” John 21:18
Agape will make you go places you do not want to and make sacrifices you would not have made. There are things you would never do and prices you will never pay unless Agape is what drives you.
When a man collapses and the time comes for them to stand, you will understand what had been driving them: either Philia or Agape.
Revelation 2:1-4…. [4] Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
The church of Ephesus was doing well according to the eyes of men, but to God, they had dropped so badly. When man fell in Genesis 3, he lost the definition of love and reduced it to something other than the first love (Agape — the love of God).
When you gave your life to Jesus, the old man was taken away and what was left behind was a mind that needed to be renewed. If that mind isn’t renewed, you’ll continue to live according to the old ways although you have the new man inside you.
It is for that reason that Paul begs us in Romans 12:1-2 to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and renew our mind with God’s Word in response to God’s mercy having come to the understanding that He loves us too much. The best we can do in response to His love is to live for Him. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
Why should you live a holy life?
1. Because you love God
John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Walking in a life of holiness and purity goes beyond wilful determination but becomes of love when you understand how much Jesus loves you.
If you love Him, you will keep His commandments: love God, love your neighbour. It is love that governs God’s Kingdom.
Romans 5:5 …because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us
The Holy Spirit has shed Agape in our hearts but the challenge we have as Christians is not allowing our souls to be dominated by what God has placed in our spirits; we have not presented our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God as our reasonable (sensible) service with renewed minds.
God already sorted the spirit man but for the soul to cooperate with the spirit, we have to study the Word to renew our minds and transform our thinking to be able to change the way we walk, and as for the bodies, It is our responsibility to daily present them as a living sacrifice.
2. Because Holiness is your nature.
The nature you received is the nature of God. Therefore, living outside holiness (living in sin) is strange for a believer because it is not part of your nature. Holy and Righteous living is our true nature: manifesting what is inside us and proving our love for Jesus Christ. We must pursue love because it controls everything.
We need Agape back in our hearts to control our lives. The struggles we are going through are because we are functioning with a corrupted love— Philia, Eros, etc. which has limitations but Agape never fails and never gets exhausted.
Further Study
John 3:16
Ephesians 3:17-20
STAY BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED, WE LOVE YOU.
PASTOR BEN OCHOLA.