Third Awakening Fellowship Church
Freedom † Liberty † Empowerment
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:14
Welcome!
- Simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3)
- Comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:13)
- Asking Questions Allows God To make the Answer personally Ours.
- All uses of the [ ] are my inserting for clarity and are not actual Scripture!
Agape Love
Author: Rev. Dr. Rhéma El Yérak, Sr.
Agape Love is God’s Love flowing through Believers into others. Agape Love for the Believer is that Sweet Presence God that we pass on to others.
Four Greek Words in the New Testament translated as “love”.
There are four Greek words translated into English as “love” in the New Testament. It is important to know which “love” is being referred to understand the passage.
- Agápe (ἀγάπη : agápē): Agape Love is unique ONLY to God!
- Éros (ἔρως : érōs): Sexual love
- Philia (φιλία : philía); Brotherly love (Philadelphia, PA)
- Storge (στοργή : storgē): Familial love (between family members)
Agape Love:
Agape Love is unique ONLY to God!
Relationships and Agape Love
Who here wants their relationships that glow with God’s Love?
If you want that Happy, Godly, Successful relationship with: God, your Spouse, your Family, Neighbors, coworkers, and the random person on the street, then you must surrender to God’s Agape Love!
Charity
Who here can define “charity”?
Can you find it here?
If I speak human or angelic tongues[a] but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 CSB‑BT)
The word “charity” has been bastardized by society and unfortunately also the Church. The word “charity” is exclusive to the King James Bible. All other translations pervert it to simply “love”. This means that sexual Eros love is equivalent to Agape Love.
Real Agape Love
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal [meaningless words]. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-2)
All that we do means nothing, unless we do it in God’s Agape Love!
Let’s continue…
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth [promotes] not itself, is not puffed up [pride: in saying “look what I did”], Doth not behave itself unseemly [shamefully],seeketh not her own [exclusive clicks, and not using charity to witness to the world], is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things,believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1 Corinthians 13:8-13)
That’s a long list of impossible qualifications for any Believer to live up to. And that is exactly the point. Nothing works without God’s Agape Love! We can only operate in Agape Love as we surrender to the indwelling Holy Spirit and let God flow through us. In our as yet unredeemed flesh, our nature is exactly opposite of God’s Agape Love. Here’s what Paul tells us:
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (Colossians 3:12-14)
When we live out God’s Charity, we put aside all human inclinations for revenge, unforgiveness, and anger.
Faith Revolves Around Agape Love
Everything we are as Christians revolves around God’s Agape Love! Agape is literally the selfless Love that is the essence of Who God is. This is the Agape Love of God that we have flowing in, on, and through us as Believers! Agape Love flows in direct proportion to our obedience to God. This is the only way by which we can show true Godly Love to others! God’s Agape Love is the “Heart” of all of a Believer’s Faith in his Faith Cycles. Literally God’s Agape Love holds our Faith together!
Agape Love empowers the Believer with “Faith unfeigned”.[1] Faith unfeigned is Faith “unrestrained” by our human faults, weaknesses, or sinful nature.[2] Our Faith unrestrained is empowered by God’s unrestrained Agape Love! Selfless Agape Love overcomes our selfish human nature.
God calls us as Believers to simple Faith Acts… Faith Acts that are contrary to our fallen human nature.[3] We supernaturally respond with God’s Agape Love in doing things such as being a friend to the friendless, and loving the unlovable.[4] This is a difficult calling as these people are the people that no one wants to be around… and usually for understandable reasons. However, these are also the ones who respond in large part to the invitation of Christ and His Salvation. Remember, Faith is simple… but Faith is never easy!
The Holy Spirit Is Our Provider Of Agape Love
Hope resides in the heart of the Born‑Again Believer. The Holy Spirit actually [Act‑ually] provokes the Believer to do Good works of Faith by the uncontainable Agape Love of God. Agape Love is the fundamental Force of Hope.[5]
The heart is the Believer’s seat of emotions and Hope lives in the Believer’s emotions. The Believer’s heart is also the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit Who spurs Hope through our emotions. The Holy Spirit is our Provider of Agape Love around which all our Faith and Faith Cycles revolve.
In our Faith Cycles God considers Agape Love the most important part of a Christian’s Walk.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity [God’s Agape Love], these three; but the greatest of these is charity [God’s Agape Love]. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
The Cycle of Faith revolves around God’s Agape Love flowing in, on, and through us as Born‑Again Believers! Let God change you… and you will change the world!
Agape Love is the Absolute, Central Element of a Successful Marriage
The number one reason that most relationships and marriages fail… they lack the one ingredient absolutelynecessary to all successful marriages… Agape Love! This is also why so many courting and dating relationships fail, even early on. When a couple is first together they fake real Agape Love. Yes, you read that right, they fake Agape Love!
The other person’s quirks, faults, and unruly past are overlooked in the cloud of a new relationship. (love goggles!) But the sheen quickly fades as we live out the real day‑to‑day life of a relationship. Unless we establish and maintain our relationship in and on Agape Love, it will fail. In this Godless relationship we are ALWAYS more concerned with ourselves than with our spouse. Always. Our love becomes based in Eros (sexual) love. Even great sex can never sustain a lasting marriage!
In the beginning it is easy to be mostly selfless to our partner, but as we are more bothered and agitated at their “bad habits”, at least as we come to perceive them, the relationship becomes unsustainable.
Agape Love looks beyond these problems in always serving and never looking for repayment. Most people have been led to believe that a marriage is a 50/50 proposition. Which of course actually means that 50% of all marriages end in divorce! Marriage is a 100/100 percent communion. This communion is based in God’s Agape Love. It is not a contract, proposition, nor a commitment to another person. Agape Love in a marriage is a 100% surrender to God in allowing His Agape Love to flow through us to our spouse. This is regardless of any return response from them. We can never give Agape Love with the expectation of getting Agape Love back! That’s the worlds perverted love, not God’s selfless Love.
Here is a perfect example of Agape from the lips of Jesus:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
God loved the world regardless of the world loving Him back. That’s Agape Love! Sacrifice without expectation of reward. Agape Love is completely selfless. That is, Agape Love is given to others without any regard for anything in return. Just like God, we put out God’s Agape Love, but we cannot make others accept, appreciate, or return it.
Sex in an Agape Love Marriage:
Yes, we are going there. Godly Sex (Eros love) in an Agape driven marriage is “given” in selfless Love. Sex is then “given” regardless of marital strains. If your marriage is strained, try “giving” Agape sex without any regard for what you may, or may not, get out of it. Sex can be a bridge back to reconciliation.
Remember, the Bible tells us:
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. (Ephesians 5:31)
The “two shall be one flesh” is the sex act that unites a marriage from two selfish individuals, into “one flesh” in the unity of Agape Love. This Unity is the foundation of an Agape Love marriage. The word “love” here in verse 28 to follow is from the Greek (ἀγαπᾶν : agapō) and is a form of Agape Love specific to marriage.
To illustrate Paul continues:
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: (Ephesians 5:28-29)
We cannot truly hate our own flesh. We should treat our spouses as if they are every part ourselves. Because the Bible tells us we are one flesh. So, treat your spouse how you want to be treated! (Regardless of how they treat you!) When we truly realize this. Agape Love becomes first nature for us in our marriage! Your Marriage will be transformed one act of Agape Love at a time!
Spouses are usually on different spiritual levels. Agape Love helps husbands and wives to bridge the gap of differences in literally taking our eyes and focus off those differences. When we are not focused on other’s differences, we can be the servant that God intended every wife and husband to be. Agape Love in marriage is where we find joy, harmony, and unity in Christ by the innerworkings of the Holy Spirit!
Friendship in Marriage
There are other components that naturally evolve from Agape Love. Here Paul says of the wife to be “Friends” (Philo love) with your husband:
That they may teach the young women… to love their husbands (Titus 2:4)
If you do not feel that you are best friends with your spouse, then you are not living from God’s Agape Love. A Friend is someone who never betrays you and is always there for you (Charity never faileth). This is in good times and bad (Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.). If a spouse is having to constantly worry about the other spouse leaving because of many possible future events, including sickness and financial problems, then there will be no Agape Love in that marriage. Marriage is not what you can get out of it… but what you can put into it!
Agape Love can be as simple as giving your spouse the best steak on the grill, the last bite of desert, their choice in a movie, (reasonable 😊) control of the thermostat, choice of vacation destination, to name a few. Agape Love also means to forgive, even in some cases their egregious faults against us. All this can be done without resentment and bitterness when we act in Agape Love.
We allow the Holy Spirit to guide us on how to show Agape Love from moment to moment. There may be times where it is Agape Love to say “no” to an ungodly situation or where you absolutely feel God leading in a different direction. Agape Love finds God’s will for every situation as we remove our selfish desires.
The more you act in Agape Love in your marriage, the more your spouse will do the same. Leading by example. Many of us were never taught Agape Love, so the concept is foreign to us. Like my beautiful wife reminds me, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” But it is our responsibility as adults to figure it out in God’s Word. No Believer is perfect, but we strive for more perfection each day to be more like Christ.
If you introduce Agape Love into the marriage relationship by example, then your spouse will see the Love of God that you freely give them, which they see is undeserved, and they can learn to do the same. Sometimes even in our marriage we need to humble ourselves and be the representation of Christ in living Agape Love. This is how we get an amazing Godly Marriage where all are fulfilled and happy.
We can apply these principles to all of our relationships.
Love the Unlovable
Be a Friend to the Friendless
Author: Rev. Dr. Rhema El Yerak, Sr.
Transforming Saints into God’s Arrows (2 Kings 13:14-17)
Copyright © 2021 Third Awakening Foundation
[1] Now the end of the commandment is charity [God’s Agape Love] out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: (1 Timothy 1:5).
[2] Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22).
[3] My little children, let us not love [Agape] in word, neither in tongue; but in deed [Faith Action] and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him (1 John 3:18-19).
[4] Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love [Agape], and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; (1 Thessalonians 1:3).
[5] And hope maketh not ashamed (to Act in Faith); because the [Agape] love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5).