What is Agape Love?

1 Corinthians 13:4–8

"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. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away."

When we love others we abhor the thought that we might have harmed them even in the slightest.

Ephesians 5:25–27

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."

Ephesians 4:1–3

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Song of Solomon 8:6-7

"6 Put me like a seal over your heart,

Like a seal on your arm.

For love is as strong as death,

Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;

Its flames are flames of fire,

The flame of the Lord.

7 Many waters cannot quench love,

Nor will rivers flood over it;

If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,

It would be utterly despised.”

Love is the first commandment and the first fruit of the Spirit of God.

Matthew 22:36-40

"36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

38 This is the great and foremost commandment.

39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Fruit of the Holy Spirit in every believer is as follows;

Galatians 5:22-23

"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law."

Love is the very first fruit and the two greatest commandments. When we have to love someone through discipline or chastisement we do it with heaviness of heart and a desire to help them make the right choice. There is no love in bludgeoning someone merely to demonstrate superiority or force another person to think the way we do. Nothing in love is about ourselves, its about helping others learn the path and obedience to Christ.

Just as all that Christ did on this earth when He was here was for mankind and not Himself, we too must diminish our own desires and fleshly nature to walk as Christ walked and to love as He loved.

1 John 2:4-6 "The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:

6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."