GOD IS AGAPE (LOVE)

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True God, Lord and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS AND EVER SHALL BE.

GOD IS AGAPE (LOVE)

“HE WHO DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT
KNOW GOD, FOR GOD IS AGAPE (LOVE)
[1 John 4:8].

“God is agape” is not a definition of who God is, but rather a description or His relationship to us as our heavenly Father and Creator. As the “only begotten Son” (v. 9) sacrificially gave Himself “that we might live through Him” (v. 9), so we are to give yourselves to Him and to “one another” (v. 11). “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves God is born of God and knows God” [1 John 4:7]. As Orthodox Christians we constantly say Christ Who is God, Who is Agape. He is agape, He gives agape, He gives us the ability to love. We learn how to love from Him for He is the par excellence example of agape.

How do we know we are acting with agape? Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 gives specific characteristics of genuine agape: (1) “suffers long”, is patient, it is “kind”, gentle, especially with those who hurt (Ephesians 4:32); “it does not envy”, is not jealous of what others have; it “does not parade itself”, put itself on display (John 3:30), it is “not puffed up”, arrogant, proud (Galatians 6:3), it not act “rudely”, mean-spiritedly, insulting others; it “does not seek its own” way act pushy; it “is not provoked” or angered; it “thinks no evil” does not keep score of others (Mark 3:5) it “rejoices in the truth” is joyful when righteousness prevails (2 John 4); it “bears all things”, handles the burdensome; it “believes all things” trusts in God no matter what; it “hopes all things”, keeps looking up, does not despair (Philippians 3:13); it “endures all things” “put up with everything”; it “never fails”. THE ONLY THING AGAPE CANNOT DO IS FAIL GOD IS ETERNAL, COMPLETE AND FULFILLING.

Saint Symeon the Theologian states:
O Holy Love (i,e, the Holy Spirit of God), he who knows you not has never
tasted the sweetness of Thy mercies which only living experience can give us.
But he who has known Thee, or who has been known by Thee, can never have
even the smallest doubt. for Thou are the fulfillment of the law, Thou who fills,
burns, inflames, embraces my heart with a measureless love. Thou are the
Teacher of the Prophets, the offspring of the Apostles, the strength of the Martyrs,
the inspiration of the Fathers and masters, the perfecting of all the Saints. Only
Thou, O Love, prepare even me for the true service of God. (Homily 53).

No human being is capable to comprehend the enormity of Divine agape for it is unfathomable and a great mystery. Everything that the Almighty God does has its root on Divine agape. Divine agape in the purest form of love. Man’s love, however, is corrupt. and impure, self-centered, conditional, selfish, dishonest, limited and perverted. Truly mankind has absolutely no understanding of what genuine agape is. We witness Divine Agape on Christ’s supreme Sacrifice on the Cross. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” [John 15:13]. Indeed, God does love us unconditionally, no matter what our response. But His unconditional love does us no good unless we keep His Divine Commandments and abide in His agape. We show our love for God by obeying Him.

The Orthodox Christian invites God’s agape to dwell in his/her heart. The Holy Apostle Paul says, “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the INNER MAN, THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS THROUGH FAITH, THAT YOU, BEING ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE, MAY BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND WITH ALL THE SAINTS WHAT IS THE WIDTH AND LENGTH AND DEPTH AND HEIGHT –TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST WHICH PASSES KNOWLEDGE, THAT YOU MAY BE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD” [Ephesians 3:16-19].

Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ is teaching His disciples their agape ought to be so strong that they would be willing to sacrifice, to die, for one another. The agape of Christ which “surpasses knowledge” means that it is so vast, so great, so overwhelming and so Divine that is outside of human knowledge. The only way it can be grasped is spiritually, through the Spirit of Christ which is the Spirit of God, which indwells the true believer. “And He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures” [Luke 24:45]. Understanding is not merely intellectual, but a full experiential, spiritual understanding. To comprehend and receive the spiritual value of Holy Scripture is a gift of the Risen Lord through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit.

God’s Divine agape if implemented by man would transform us and the world if mankind would be willing to surrender to it. Why would anyone be afraid to trust God’s love for us? What more proof do we need than Jesus’ coming into the world, to take the form of a man (incarnation), to bring forgiveness, healing, to walk among us, to free humanity from sin and death, to die on the Cross to save us and to reconcile us on to Himself and to grant Eternal Life in His Everlasting Kingdom? If mankind would willingly accept fully His Divine Agape to take hold of the world, there would be no evil, no hatred, no malice, no corruption,, no wars, no murder, no infirmities, no despair, no sin, no lawlessness, no unhappiness, and therefore, the world would become a Heavenly Kingdom. Christ, our Lord, God and Savior would dwell in our hearts and we would always be in His presence.

There is no time to lose for the Kingdom of God is near. We see clearly that mankind. if continued in this disastrous path, will lead to the annihilation of its existence. Without God there is no peace! There is no love, no hope, no SALVATION! There are dark powers throughout the world that seek to subjugate and enslave humanity. These dark powers believe themselves to be gods and who arrogantly and openly say that they are superior to others and that the world and all of humanity belongs to them. They feel that they are not accountable to anyone for foolishly they have convinced themselves that there is no God. They definitely are the manifestation of the Artichrist. The Holy Apostle John writes, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now MANY ANTICHRISTS HAVE COME BY WHICH WE KNOW THAT IS THE LAST HOUR” [Matthew 20:6].

“The last hour” is the era of the New Covenant, the ELEVENTH HOUR.” THE DECEPTIONS ARE AT HAND ARE IN VIEW, rather than a specific prediction of the end of the world. “MANY ANTICHRISTS” ARE THE HERETICS, THROUGH WHOM THE Antichrist of the end of the end time (see 2 Thessalonians 2] is dong his spadework. The heretics are his evil instruments who have surrendered their souls to him. These are the DARK POWERS IN THE WORLD!

Christians must always remain vigilant and alert and possess the gift of discernment to know right from wrong, goodness from evil. To practice UNCEASING PRAYER and worship. Be humble and obedient to our Lord, God and Jesus Christ and only listen to Him, to His Divine Gospel, to the teachings of Our Holy Orthodox Church. Have compassion and love to your fellow man, to your neighbor. Tun away from sin and evil and instead strive for righteousness.

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. Amen.

___________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George