I believe John 3:16 is the heart of the Christian message. It is the most beautiful summary of what Christians believe. Martin Luther, the Magisterial Reformer, calls this verse “the gospel in miniature.” The core idea expressed in John 3:16 is God’s boundless love:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

The Greatest Love

Love is arguably the most discussed topic in the entire world. It’s the theme of many songs and poems and engages a lot of discussions. Two complete strangers meet and unexpectedly fall in love; parents love their children; siblings express love toward one another and neighbours love each other. Human beings, indeed, have the capacity to love one another. Scripture commands it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:25-30).

However, every form of human love pales in comparison to God’s love. God’s love surpasses all human love, making it the greatest love of all. Human love is fleeting and conditional; God’s love is everlasting: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jeremiah 31:3). One of the strangest occurrences in a marriage takes place when two people who previously loved one another so much become the worst of enemies. Unfortunately, we hear of such stories quite often.

Isaiah 49:15 reminds us that even mothers can forget their babies. This is evident in stories we hear of abandoned infants found in places like forests or dump sites.

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).

Such is the fleeting nature of human love, yet God’s love for us is so great that he will never forget us.

The opening words of John 3:16 introduces us to what can be considered “The Definition of Love”: “For God so loved…” The love of God is a deep subject we cannot exhaust. It is vast. It has breadth, it has height, and it has depth. And it surpasses all knowledge (Ephesians 3:18-19). The apostle John describes love as the very essence of God. Love is God’s nature. “God is love” (1 John 4:16).

There is a common practice of discussing the subject of love under four Greek words: Agape, Philia, Eros and Storge. But the New Testament, in reality, only uses two of these words (Agape and Philia) to describe love. In its strictest sense, Agape describes God’s love, and Philia describes brotherly love—love shared among one another. Agape is God’s unconditional love. It is not earned, neither can it be bought. It is unconditional.

The Greatest Enemies

Now love must be expressed. We don’t only talk about it, but we show it. And love has an object. Often, we love people who love us back. It’s human nature to be nice to only those who are nice to us. But God’s love is unlike ours. The Bible teaches that God first loved us (1 John 4:19). In fact, the ones God loved are rebels who have trampled His law. His enemies (Romans 5:10).

If you have come to faith in Christ Jesus, I pray you appreciate the depth of the love of God that has been lavished on you. “In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:4-5). Our salvation was bought and purchased long before we were born. It has nothing to do with your deeds —good or bad (Romans 9:11). Notice how God’s love is captured in the past tense, “For God so loved the world”. This means God’s love was displayed long before we were born. There is nothing in us that merits God’s love. Yet he loved us all the same.

Notice that ‘the world’ is not here referring to the trees, vegetation or the natural environment. Though there is a sense in which God loves the natural world and will redeem it one day (Psalm 19:1), the world in view here is the inhabitants. It is sinful humanity. And this world is a world of darkness, evil and wickedness. Jesus put it this way:

“And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19-20).

This is a clear picture of the world. Sinners hate the light and love darkness, and they do wicked things.

In John 3:16, an analogy is drawn from verses 14-15 of this chapter. It recalls an incident in Numbers 21:4-9, where the Israelites rejected God. They murmured and complained. In judgement, God sent serpents among them. The snakes bit them, and some died.

The reality is that all human beings have rejected God and been bitten by sin. Who is without sin? Apart from Jesus, who lived a sinless life, the word of God knows no such person. In fact, real human experience tells us there is nobody in existence who has never sinned. All humans have rebelled against God. We were conceived in sin. We were born into sin. Sin is our very nature. We live our lives in sin. And this sin has affected our whole lives. In theology, this is called Total Depravity. It means our whole nature has been affected by sin due to the fall of Adam in Eden. (Romans 3:23).

The Greatest Sacrifice

Herein is the love of God displayed; it is shown to the “vilest offender”. What is your sin? Perhaps, you are among those who think their sin is so great it cannot be forgiven. No, God’s love is greater than any sin, no matter how grave. God’s love is the greatest because he loved the unlovable: Sinners, liars, fornicators, idolaters, complainers, the ungrateful and wicked, murderers, drug peddlers, thieves, the sexually immoral, hypocrites – think about all these and more. God showed his love to such.

How did he do it? He provided The Greatest Sacrifice in human history: “that he gave his only Son.” When the Bible says God gave his only Son, it conveys the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus for the sins of his people. The narrative of the Bible is one of a Holy God on a mission to rescue sinners. God gave his son to pay for our sins in order to bring reconciliation between God and humanity.

Love gives: therefore, God gave us a great sacrifice to pay for the sins of his greatest enemies, sinners. It is only by understanding God’s attitude towards our sins that we can truly comprehend the nature of our rebellion.: “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” (Psalm 7:11 KJV).

Love is not cheap talk. Love is expressed. God didn’t just talk about his love. His love moved him to act. Love is shown by what we do for one another and how we care for one another. Imagine someone saying they love you. But they don’t show it, and they don’t care about your well-being; they only keep talking about it. They show nothing to prove they love you. Would you believe they do?

The Greatest Promise

God, the Greatest Lover, showed his love by giving us his Greatest Sacrifice, Jesus Christ. In the love of God, there is forgiveness of sin and pardon from sin. There is reconciliation with God. In Jesus Christ, God has made to sinners The Greatest Promise. The promise of eternal life: “that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” In Jesus Christ, God is merciful towards sinners. They are pardoned for their sins.

In his first advent, that is his first coming, he came to offer salvation to sinners. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). Mark Johnston notes,

The primary purpose of Christ’s coming in the incarnation was to bring redemption to a fallen race. Though it is true that Jesus, at the end of the age, will be the Judge of all the world…yet the main purpose of his coming was to be the supreme expression of God’s saving grace…Here is the gospel in all its simplicity —the good news that there is forgiveness from God for all who put their faith in his Son. There is nothing a person can hear more precious than this.

Dear friends, God has given us his Son, Jesus, that whoever believes in him will not perish. “Whoever believes.” This is the free and universal offer of the gospel. This is the gospel offered far and wide. The door is open for people of all races, backgrounds, gender, ethnicity, colour etc. There is no Greek, no Jew, no Gentile, no male or female. No American, European, or African. The offer is open to all: Sinners are everywhere called to repentance.  

The Greatest Danger

When the Scripture says, “that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”, it also means that whoever doesn’t believe will perish. If one doesn’t believe this Greatest promise, The Greatest Danger awaits them. They will perish. They will die in their sins and be condemned to eternal damnation.

In John 3:18 we are told that “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” If you don’t believe in God’s sacrifice for your sins, you are condemned already. I doubt anyone will reject a precious gift from someone who loves them. But that is what those who do not believe are doing – they are rejecting God’s love.

If you haven’t yet contemplated the depth of God’s love for his greatest enemies—a  love that was demonstrated through the greatest sacrifice in human history and is accompanied by the greatest promise ever made—then I implore you to do so. Failing to recognize the magnitude of God’s love could lead to the greatest danger of all: the risk of eternal damnation. Take a moment to reflect on the sacrifice that God made on our behalf and allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the immense love that he has for all of us, even when we were his enemies.

Notes

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For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,” (Ephesians 1:15-16).

If you are asked to name two attributes that best describe a Christian, what would it be? What is it that you would hold up as the convincing proofs that one has truly being born again? For Paul, the two things that testifies to a true change of life as a result of the new birth are one’s

1) Saving Faith
2) Love For The Brethren

In many of his epistles written to Saints in different places during the first century, the universal characteristics Paul mentioned, as testament to new life  in Christ were these two (cf. Colossians 1:3-4, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, Philemon 1:5-7). From the repeated mention of these two attributes, faith and love, we see they are a vital test of true conversion.

Saving Faith

No one can be saved without saving faith in Christ. A Christian is one who has confessed faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour. To confess Jesus as Lord is to publicly affirm as true what Scripture has revealed about Christ and  all that is true about His person – His incarnation, His deity, His life of perfect obedience to God, His death and resurrection. In the first century church and throughout Christian history, confessing Jesus Christ as Lord was not to be taken lightly because it came with dire consequences such as persecution.

Much as the outward expression of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ  was a solemn act, borne from a heart-felt belief and trust in Christ, with possible grave consequences, we see the in the New Testament that the early Church was careful to prove one’s confession, before admitting them into the Christian Church. A case in point is that of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch.

In Acts 8, the Spirit of the Lord led Philip to meet this court official of the Queen of Ethiopia, returning from Jerusalem and he expounded to him the prophecies concerning Christ to in response to which he offered himself for baptism. Instead of rushing to baptise him, which then would have signified a public proclamation of his faith, and conversion to Christianity, Philip hesitated; enquiring to be sure that the eunuch knew what he was doing. “And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:37). In Matthew 16:22-24, Jesus taught on the cost of discipleship; what it means to follow Him. Faith in Christ is not a decision to be taken in haste. It comes with a cost.

True faith in Christ is not a matter to be glossed over. Faith in the Lord Jesus is a testament to true conversion. It is of foremost importance. The question that needs to be answered by all is this – do you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord?

Love For The Brethren

When a baby is born, its first cry is a sign of life. It is a proof of life. Like the new-born, so is the Christian. The new (spiritual) life of a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ needs to be expressed. This expression of the new life of the believer can be looked at as “The Tests of Life”, as Rev Robert Law rightly puts it.

God is love. He doesn’t only love, He is love. That is His nature. And He calls His children to imitate Him by walking in love: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2).

Our Lord demonstrated His love for us by condescending even  to the point of washing His disciples feet. He did this as an example for us to follow (see John 13:1-15). But His love did not stop there; He went all the way to the cross, dying a sinner’s death. A death He didn’t deserve, but died out of love. This was God’s love in action and we are to demonstrate this same love (1John 4:7-9). We love because we have first been loved by Him. John further tells us love is the proof we have passed from darkness to light:

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (1 John 2:9-11).

Love is a proof that we have passed from darkness into Light, as God is Light. To John, not to love the brethren is synonymous to hatred. And the absence of love, according to this passage simply means we are still in darkness. Darkness here connotes a life of ignorance; ignorance of the life of God, for God is light. Love however is a proof we have passed from death to life (1 John 3:14)

John intimates that our love is proof of passage from darkness to light. Here he takes the argument further by saying, our love is the evidence that we have the new life of God. This means, love is the proof of our sonship; the fact that we have the life of God in us. Whosoever does not love his brother is not of God.

Another compelling reason love is a litmus test for new life is our membership of the body of Christ. The new testament gives us an analogy of  the Church as a body. In Romans 6, a believer is united with Christ by the Holy Spirit at regeneration and becomes one with the Lord. (see also 1Cor. 12:13). As members of one body therefore, there is an intrinsic, organic and vital unity which exists amongst us, just like the parts of the physical body are intrinsically and organically joined to one another and share the same life. To love one another must therefore be natural with us because we have what it takes by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are members of one another, if we are truly joined to Christ and therefore members of the invisible body of Christ.

Finally, Christ Himself said:

“…just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34b-35).

Do you have the life of Christ? These two must be evident: faith in Christ Jesus and love for the brethren. They are a vital test of life!

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The topic was: “are all religions the same?” As usual my Hindu friends were of the view that all religions are the same, and were trying hard to convince me of their reasons. According to them we all worship the same god, the only difference is that we have different names and approach him differently.

What surprised me wasn’t the genuine belief of my Hindu friends, but that of my supposed Christian counterpart. In his words “all religions are the same, it’s all about loving your neighbor as yourself”. According to him “we need to keep an open mind about some of these things, since we are not sure whether they are right or we are right. We need to be open in order to increase our chances on the last day”

The view of this “Christian brother” sums up the spirit of the age. We live in a time where any claims of exclusivity is viewed as intolerant and arrogant. There is an enormous pressure to conform to what the world considers to be tolerant and unifying. There should be no claims of exclusivity or rightness, everything is relative and should depend on what each person deems to be right we are told.

It is in the midst of these pressures, Christ calls on his followers to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). The message these disciples were to carry was “[Jesus] I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Elsewhere in the book of John, John the Baptist in giving his testimony about Christ said “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

From these texts, Jesus doesn’t leave the issue of God open-ended. Far from Christians being bigots, it was Jesus Christ Himself who made the most exclusive and audacious claims about His identity and the way to find reconciliation and forgiveness with a holy God. Therefore you cannot claim to be on the side of Christ without affirming these exclusive claims. In a world where “tolerance” and “love” are in demand, such exclusive claims are not going to win any genuine Christian brownie points, but we must decide on whose side we are on.

Is it Unloving to be Exclusive?

Love is a very evasive term in a fallen world like ours; it means different things to different people. In the sight of the world, love is not confrontational, it doesn’t criticize, it must always say yes, and it is reciprocal. In the world’s definition of love it will be unloving to run and snatch my son out of the middle of the road, so long as he is happy playing there even if there is an approaching vehicle at the speed of 140 km/h. And that is where the world gets it wrong — by defining love in the context of what makes the other person happy or feel “loved”.

In our fallen state we are totally depraved and do not appreciate what is loving from God’s perspective. Love, like any good trait must be understood from the context of God, because God is the meaning of Love.

The question then is, is it unloving to tell people that Jesus is the only way to find forgiveness with a holy God? It is, if it wasn’t true. But if it is true, it is the most loving thing to do. Just a few days ago Christians all over the world celebrated Easter to commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ in triumph over sin and death. Man in rebellion had rejected God, and was therefore under God’s righteous judgement. But in His mercy and love God, the one who had been wronged gave His only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

God in His love did not sweep our sin under the carpet and assume nothing had happened. The rebellion had happened and the punishment for this treason was death (both physical and spiritual). Love didn’t mean God would turn a blind eye to our sin, it meant giving up His dear Son to die in the place of sinners so that he might be both the just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26). Love is not blind to wrong, love is not playing dumb that nothing had happened, and obviously love is not pretending that we are all the same.

If it is true(and it is) that we have all sinned against God and are under his righteous and just condemnation, our greatest need as humans is forgiveness from him. The question is, how do we secure this forgiveness? As Christians we believe there is no way we could ever do enough good deeds to make up for the wrongs we have done and continue to do. Besides, God’s standards are so high and perfect that no matter how long and hard we try, we cannot measure up.

The only way is to accept the perfection offered freely by Christ.
Love, is pointing people the right way where they can find forgiveness and peace with a holy God. Love, is telling people that there is an impending danger and they need to take cover in Jesus Christ. What is unloving is agreeing that we are all the same, when we are actually not. That is deception. The most loving thing to do is let people know that there are differences, but they have a choice which comes with consequences.

Make A Choice

Like my “supposed Christian” friend, most of us often go along with the flow and affirm the lie that all religions lead to God, either because we are afraid of ridicule or the desire to increase our chances on the last day in case others are right and we are wrong. Whatever beliefs we hold, by Jesus’ own words, He is the only way to the Father:

No one comes to the Father except through me. ~ Jesus Christ

I am trying to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make the choice: Either this man was and is the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.~ C.S. Lewis

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Most Christians would not like to talk about it.  However, in an age of information where every imaginable information is available at the click of a button, you might have come into contact with pornography in one shape or form in your life.  The truth is that nudity is no longer a hushed subject in today’s society. Men and women, young and old alike are constantly inundated with nudity in the print and electronic media.

Recently, I had a Bible study with some Christian friends on Ephesians 5:3-4, during which I shared my testimony of how the Lord delivered me from what could have easily become an addiction to pornography. What humbled me was the fact that a number of them afterwards admitted how they too had experienced the enthralling captivity of pornography, or knew other Christians who had or were still indulging in it.The question that begs answering is, what does the Bible say about Pornography? Do we have Biblical grounds to call it sin? In this article I present 6 Biblical reasons why I believe pornography is a ‘no’ for Christians.

To start with, I invite you to review with me the verse we discussed.  Paul there says “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”(Ephesians 5:3-5).

Simply put, all who practice the above will not make it to heaven.

We may ask, what does sexual impurity mean in this text?
In answer I will say sexual impurity or immorality is anything that goes against the God – ordained and prescribed use of sex and sexuality as described in the Bible. By saying in the text above that those who do these will not inherit the kingdom of God, Paul means that those who practice these things as a lifestyle (not the believer who falls into sin for example; but those who live in sin) are destined for hell. 1Corinthians 6:9-10, a parallel to this verse carries this same meaning.

If you or someone you know is caught up in addiction to pornography, here are six things I trust will encourage you to deal with this sinful behaviour:

1 Pornography Is Not God Glorifying

Pornography does not lead to the giving of thanks. We are called upon to avoid filthiness and in contrast, give thanks! (Ephesians 5:4b). Another way to put this, is to say that whatever does not lead to the giving of thanks to God, is out of place for the believer. Colossians 3:17 also affirms that whatever we do should lead to the giving of thanks, and to the Glory of God. I’m yet to meet anyone who after watching pornography can straightaway give thanks to God for watching it. Nor can we watch a pornographic movie in Church on Sunday. That’s because we know it’s not glorifying to God and out of place. We are called upon to think on things that are true, honourable, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent, worthy of praise – Philippians 4:8. I doubt any one will say pornography has any of these holy attributes.

2 Pornography Is Sexual Sin

Engaging in pornography is committing sexual sin. Even if a married couple engage in it together, they are violating the first sacred rule of marriage, which is that the marriage bed is holy and honourable and undefiled (Hebrews 13:4); and private – something that God ordained to be shared between only two people, and not a spectator sport to be watched by the whole world.  If these things are true (and they are), then it means that our viewing of Pornography is an express statement of our acceptance, and endorsement, and promotion of a sinful lifestyle. We should not join in celebrating sin.  It is sinful to partake in sin. Ephesians 5:11 says to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather to expose them.

3 Pornography Is Defilement Of The Body

Paul admonishes us to not take our bodies (which are members of the Body of Christ) and join them to a prostitute (1Cor. 6:15-16). He explains that if we did this, we’ll be one flesh with them.  If looking at a woman with lust is adultery according to Jesus, then watching pornography is adultery for the married and fornication for the unmarried. Jesus calls us to purge out our eyes instead of committing adultery. Jesus died to purify us (Titus 2:14). He died to save us from sin, adultery included. Why would we want to play with it? Choosing to endorse and enjoy impurity is akin to crucifying Christ yet again. 2Corinthians 7:1 says to cleanse ourselves from every defilement.  Pornography does not advance our holiness. It defiles the mind and takes away from our spirituality and holiness.

4  Pornography Revels In Works Of Darkness

Someone has noted in a song that when you’re watching a sexually explicit movie, it’s actually the movie that is watching you! It’s like you’re held in prison – you hide what you’re doing and you’re constantly looking over your shoulder. Jesus said in John3:19-21 that the reason we prefer darkness to light is because we know what we’re doing is evil. Watching nudity in secret suggests that we know it is something that doesn’t belong to the light.

5 Pornography Celebrates Immodesty

1Timothy 2:9 admonishes Christian women to adorn themselves in respectable apparel; in modesty and self-control. Watching pornography directly endorses women who do the exact opposite and bare their bodies on screen and promote the height of immodesty. It contradicts our beliefs as Christians, and amounts to hypocrisy.

6 Pornography Degrades Human Dignity

Pornography is unloving to women (and I believe to men – for women who indulge in it as well). Pornography invites a third party; a competitor into a marriage. Pornography uses women as sex objects. It is a devilish ploy to turn many a man’s thoughts and desire away from their wives.

Pornography reduces women to sex toys. Addicts see women as objects to satisfy their sexual desires only; however there is more to intimacy between man and wife than just sex. The Biblical teaching is that a wife is a help ‘meet’ for the husband; not a sex partner only. Pornography also promotes unholy sexual practices, such as lesbianism, homosexuality and sex orgies. Pornography promotes lust. Lust gives birth to sin. (James 1:14-15) Romans 14:23 says whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

It is important to note that all the aforementioned hold for all forms of nudity in movies, electronic and print media.

Need I say more?

Just going through these points sends a shiver of holy trepidation and trembling down my spine, to think that indulging in pornography as children of God means our promoting everything that assaults the holiness of God. And I trust that every child of God will come to the realization that pornography is a tool of the devil that is aimed at defiling something holy and honourable and sacred, that God created to be enjoyed only in the sacredness of the marriage covenant.

I pray that each of us will, with the power of the Holy Spirit, vow from today to never condone sexual immorality in any shape or form. Amen.

Recommended Reading:

How can I overcome an addiction to internet porn?

Can I break pornography addiction?

No Such Thing As Free Porn

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Flowers, candy, red hearts and romance. That’s what Valentine’s day is all about, right? Well, maybe not. The origin of this holiday for the expression of love really isn’t romantic at all — at least not in the traditional sense.¹ 

Unfortunately, yes, “flowers, candy, red hearts and romance” is what has become associated with Valentine’s Day, a day supposedly set aside to celebrate Love. Love, without doubt, is the most spoken of subject in the world. Indeed, there is nothing wrong about that. God made it so. That we love one another. We are not islands. We are interdependent. “Everyone needs somebody” is a popular saying and it is true. We all need relationships and friendship. We are interconnected. We are to be each others keeper. We are to bear the burdens of one another:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1Corinthians 13:4-7).

Acknowledging the place of love in our human interactions is a necessary ingredient for peaceful and harmonious living.

However, despite its universality, love can be abused. Human love has its limitations. It can and does fail based on how well we perform according to someone else’s subjective standards. When we make fallible, imperfect humans, the source from which we derive all our emotional well being; then we are unhealthy, vulnerable and heading towards an emotional disaster.

Now, love in its Greek origin carries a number of meanings.

EROS:  Intimate, sensual and erotic.
STORGE: Natural affection; love usually shared among family members.
PHILIA: Affection shared purely by friends and can generally be described as platonic.
AGAPE : Unconditional Love.

You will observe immediately that, much of what we refer to as love during this celebration is sadly one sided; Eros,  Romance, Feelings and Sensual. In a society fixated with eros, where we draw our cues of love from music, soap operas, and novels, God’s perfect, unconditional love can easily be lost on us. This is an age of sentiments and we can easily confuse God’s love with how good or bad we feel. In the process, we end up defining God’s love by our  feelings.

But God’s love is unconditional, it is perfect. God, the Bible tells us is love. Love is not a characteristic of God. God Himself is love. God’s love is Agape love; selfless and unconditional. It is the highest form of love. Agape love is the kind of love God manifested towards us when Jesus left all of His glory, took upon Him the form of man and died the death of wretched sinners (though He was sinless) to reconcile humanity to God (Philippians 2:6-9, 2 Corinthians 5:21 ).

It was love that sent Him to the cross.

Do you need love desperately? Where are you seeking for it? No human, no sexual experience, no entertainment, no drug, no alcoholic beverage, no emotional high, no peer or family provide all of your love needs. If you are a believer, you don’t have to strive for acceptance, you are already accepted in Christ (Ephesians 1:6, Jeremiah 31:3, 2Thessalonians 2:16 , 1John 3:1 ). God’s love is everlasting and nothing can separate us from that love (Romans 8:35 ). You can’t do more or less to be loved by God. You are already loved. Is that a licence to live our lives anyhow? No. However, living on this side of eternity in a fallen human body, we will still battle with sin and if we ever lose a battle against sin, we must never despair that God will take His love away from us. (1John 1:8-9).

Now, if you are not a Christian the love of God will make no sense to you. The vacuum and emptiness in your heart you seek to fill with other things can only be filled by God’s love. That vacuum is a symptom of a root problem of sin and separation from God. All humanity is condemned under sin (Romans 8:23 ) and until we bring the burden of our sins to Christ, we still stand guilty before God. Repent from your sins and surrender your life to Christ. Be reconciled to Him and let Him give you the love you so desire.

1: www1.cbn.com/st-valentine-real-story

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