Agape Love: The Foundation of Christian Life

 

Summary

In our exploration of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, we delve into the profound and transformative power of agape love. This love, which is a gift from the Holy Spirit, is foundational to the Christian life. It inclines our hearts towards honoring God, trusting His Word, and acknowledging His sovereignty. As we continue to examine the indicators of agape's presence in our lives, we see that it moves us towards justice and mercy for our neighbors, quenching our natural tendencies towards jealousy, slander, and gossip. Love is not destructive; it builds up and edifies.

Agape love also leads us to contentment, a state of being that is not passive or apathetic but is rooted in the understanding that our ultimate employer is God. This perspective allows us to perform our duties not for human approval but as a joyful offering to God. In this way, love helps us withstand the trials of our vocational duties, bringing us to a place of spiritual liberty even in the midst of challenges.

Furthermore, love restrains the destructive power of bitterness, envy, and malice. Jonathan Edwards reminds us that these are the antithesis of Christianity, and we must guard against them vigilantly. Love encourages us to practice the "judgment of charity," granting others the benefit of the doubt and avoiding worst-case analysis of their motives. This practice fosters a spirit of charity and amiability, essential for nurturing love towards our neighbors.

In our interactions, we are constantly evaluating others, often hiding our true thoughts and feelings. The Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you," calls us to extend love and charity to others as we desire for ourselves. By practicing best-case analysis, we err on the side of charity, strengthening love and nourishing the other fruits of the Spirit.

Key Takeaways:

- Agape love inclines us towards justice and mercy, countering our natural tendencies towards jealousy and slander. It empowers us to glorify God by loving Him and our neighbors with intensity and passion. [02:59]

- Contentment, as a fruit of love, is not passive but rooted in the understanding that our work is unto the Lord. This perspective brings spiritual liberty and allows us to withstand vocational trials. [06:47]

- Love restrains bitterness and malice, which are contrary to the essence of Christianity. We must guard against these destructive forces to maintain a spirit of love. [11:13]

- The "judgment of charity" involves granting others the benefit of the doubt, avoiding worst-case analysis of their motives. This practice fosters a spirit of charity and amiability. [18:15]

- Practicing best-case analysis in our interactions strengthens love and nourishes the other fruits of the Spirit. It involves erring on the side of charity and avoiding harsh judgments of others' motives. [26:16]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:35] - Introduction to Agape Love
- [01:08] - Prayer for Understanding
- [01:34] - Indicators of Love's Presence
- [02:16] - Love and Justice
- [03:35] - Love vs. Slander and Gossip
- [05:26] - Contentment Through Love
- [06:47] - Vocational Contentment
- [08:51] - Love and Spiritual Liberty
- [09:33] - Restraining Bitterness
- [11:13] - Guarding Against Malice
- [14:15] - Practicing the Judgment of Charity
- [18:15] - Best-Case vs. Worst-Case Analysis
- [22:00] - Avoiding Destructive Judgments
- [26:16] - Strengthening Love Through Charity

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Transformative Power of Agape Love

Bible Reading:

1. Matthew 22:37-39 - "Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"
2. Philippians 4:11-13 - "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
3. Hebrews 12:15 - "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."

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Observation Questions:

1. According to the sermon, how does agape love influence our natural tendencies towards jealousy, slander, and gossip? [03:35]
2. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between love and contentment in our vocational duties? [06:47]
3. How does the sermon describe the role of love in restraining bitterness and malice? [11:13]
4. What is meant by the "judgment of charity" as discussed in the sermon? [18:15]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the concept of agape love as described in the sermon align with the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself? [02:59]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that contentment is a fruit of love, and how does this relate to the idea of working as unto the Lord? [08:07]
3. Why does the sermon emphasize the importance of guarding against bitterness and malice, and how does this relate to the essence of Christianity? [11:13]
4. How can practicing the "judgment of charity" change the way we interact with others, according to the sermon? [18:15]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a recent situation where you felt jealous or inclined to gossip. How might agape love have changed your response in that situation? [03:35]
2. Consider your current job or role. How can you shift your perspective to see your work as a joyful offering to God rather than seeking human approval? [08:07]
3. Identify a person or situation in your life where you feel bitterness or resentment. What steps can you take to replace those feelings with love and forgiveness? [11:13]
4. Think of a recent interaction where you assumed the worst about someone's motives. How could you have applied the "judgment of charity" instead? [18:15]
5. How can you practice best-case analysis in your daily interactions to strengthen love and nourish the other fruits of the Spirit? [26:16]
6. Reflect on a time when you felt discontent. How can understanding that your ultimate employer is God help you find contentment in your current circumstances? [06:47]
7. What practical steps can you take this week to ensure that bitterness does not take root in your heart? [11:48]

Devotional

Day 1: Agape Love as a Catalyst for Justice and Mercy
Agape love, a profound gift from the Holy Spirit, transforms our hearts to align with God's justice and mercy. This love is not merely an emotion but a powerful force that compels us to act justly and show mercy to our neighbors. It counters our natural inclinations towards jealousy, slander, and gossip, replacing them with a desire to uplift and edify others. By embracing agape love, we honor God and reflect His character in our interactions, glorifying Him through our passionate love for Him and our neighbors. [02:59]

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart." (Zechariah 7:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience God's justice and mercy through you today? How can you actively demonstrate agape love to them?


Day 2: Contentment as a Fruit of Love
Contentment, born from agape love, is not a passive state but a dynamic understanding that our ultimate service is to God. This perspective liberates us from seeking human approval and allows us to perform our duties joyfully as offerings to God. In this way, love empowers us to endure vocational challenges, bringing us spiritual freedom even amidst trials. By recognizing God as our ultimate employer, we find peace and purpose in our work, knowing that our efforts are for His glory. [06:47]

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you shift your perspective to see your daily work as an offering to God rather than a task for human approval?


Day 3: Guarding Against Bitterness and Malice
Agape love restrains the destructive forces of bitterness, envy, and malice, which are contrary to the essence of Christianity. These negative emotions can erode our spiritual health and relationships if left unchecked. By cultivating love, we guard our hearts against these destructive tendencies, maintaining a spirit of love and peace. Jonathan Edwards reminds us that these emotions are the antithesis of Christianity, urging us to remain vigilant in our efforts to embody love in all our interactions. [11:13]

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32, ESV)

Reflection: Is there any bitterness or malice in your heart that needs to be addressed? How can you replace these feelings with love and forgiveness today?


Day 4: Practicing the Judgment of Charity
The "judgment of charity" involves granting others the benefit of the doubt and avoiding worst-case analysis of their motives. This practice fosters a spirit of charity and amiability, essential for nurturing love towards our neighbors. By choosing to see the best in others, we create an environment of trust and understanding, strengthening our relationships and reflecting God's love. This approach encourages us to err on the side of charity, promoting peace and unity within our communities. [18:15]

"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." (John 7:24, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent interaction where you assumed the worst about someone's motives. How can you apply the judgment of charity to that situation and extend grace instead?


Day 5: Strengthening Love Through Best-Case Analysis
Practicing best-case analysis in our interactions strengthens love and nourishes the other fruits of the Spirit. By erring on the side of charity and avoiding harsh judgments of others' motives, we cultivate an environment where love can flourish. This approach not only benefits our relationships but also deepens our spiritual growth, as we learn to see others through the lens of God's love. By choosing to focus on the positive, we create a ripple effect of love and kindness in our communities. [26:16]

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8, ESV)

Reflection: How can you intentionally practice best-case analysis in your interactions today? What impact do you think this will have on your relationships and spiritual growth?

Quotes

"We're looking now at the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian, and in our last session we looked at the -- we began to consider that foundational power and principal gift and fruit by which all of the Christian life is empowered, and that is the indwelling presence of agape, which accompanies the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit." [00:00:06]

"Father, we know that we have the capacity to love as we do only because You have first loved us and because You have shed abroad in our hearts the love that is born of Thy Holy Spirit. Give us a deeper understanding and appreciation for the concept of love that is that most precious gift to Your people." [00:00:51]

"So, let's move on from there to the fourth indicator of the presence of agape, and that is that love, as a gift and as a fruit inclines the heart to desire justice toward our neighbors. You see what love is doing here is that it is empowering us and changing us to make us want to embrace the very heart of our destiny to glorify God by keeping the great commandment to love God with all of our heart -- see how love is interjected there in the great commandment -- with all of our mind and all of our soul and all of our strength -- that is an intensity and a passion of love -- and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves." [00:02:17]

"And so if love is present, what love does within us is to move us in the direction not to condemn our neighbors or to defraud our neighbors or to cheat our neighbors, but to have a sensitive concern that justice be done, and not only justice but a justice that is tempered with mercy. It minimizes and quenches the heart's natural, fallen, and corrupt tendency towards fraud and jealousy and slander and gossip." [00:03:09]

"Love edifies. Love builds up. It is not destructive towards one's neighbor. The fifth indicator -- and this is an interesting one, coming from Jonathan Edwards -- that love disposes us toward contentment in whatever situation we find ourselves, not in some kind of passive acquiescent, stoic imperturbability -- you know -- not an apathy." [00:05:17]

"There's a difference between apathy and contentment, but, as the Apostle Paul in his own maturity and his own growth in the Spirit said, 'I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.' How difficult that is to achieve in this world because as Blaise Pascal said, 'The great paradox of man, the thing that makes man the creature of the highest grandeur and at the same time the lowest misery, is that we can always contemplate a better life than we presently are able to enjoy.'" [00:05:56]

"But the Spirit of God, when He indwells you in the power of love, disposes your soul toward a state of contentment -- and this is particularly true vocationally, as we begin to understand what a vocation is -- a calling -- and that our principle employer is God Himself. How many times does the New Testament enjoin us that 'Whatever we do, do,' you know, 'with all of our might, and do it as unto the Lord'; and what is contrasted with that?" [00:07:02]

"There's nobody that has that 100 percent, but what love does is it moves you and inclines you to see your very labor as unto the Lord, and that brings contentment that, makes it possible for a Christian to withstand the trials and the tribulation that so often attend your vocational duties. That's why Paul could say, you know, 'Slaves, obey your masters' -- not because he was endorsing slavery, but he was saying, 'Whatever place you find yourself in, you do your work unto Christ because who, who is regenerate, would refuse to be a slave to Christ?'" [00:08:28]

"Alright, the next point that I want to mention in passing is that the presence of love restrains the power, the disease, the infection that perhaps is one of the most of all destructive powers to human personality. I'm speaking of bitterness, and it's this point that, rather than summarize Edwards' insights, I would like to take you to the text of Edwards himself." [00:09:33]

"This is something I rarely do in lecture, to take time out to read passages from books because I know that that tends to be very boring or distracting and difficult to follow when somebody's sitting in a classroom. I promise it'll be brief, and I ask you this time that, you know, to concentrate just for a minute and to drink the bitter medicine if you have to." [00:10:06]

"Now, one other way in practical terms that I like to define what the judgment of charity -- the practice of love in human relationships is -- is the difference between what we call 'best-case analysis' and 'worst-case analysis.' When an event takes place, when a deed is done, a word is spoken, we know that God is concerned not only with the external action that is taken place, but God also reads the heart, and God is very much concerned about motive, about the intention of the heart." [00:19:47]

"Now, I grant that there are people in this world who lie in bed at night thinking up all the more devious ways by which they can torment you or me, but even in a society of reprobate, unregenerate pagans, people with that kind of malicious forethought and devious intent -- thanks be to the common grace and restraining power of God -- are in a minority, and a very small minority. It's very unlikely when somebody hurts you that they meant to hurt you as badly as they did." [00:22:03]

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Transcript
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