The mark of true, born-again Christians is love.  But why do unloving Christians sometimes “bite and devour one another”? (Gal. 5:15).  Because of this evil in all of us called “the flesh”, that “lusts against the Spirit”.  But the Spirit lusts back!  Indeed, the Spirit lusts against the flesh.

So we want to be on the Spirit´s side, don´t we?  But that is not a strenuous holiness campaign by our own efforts. It is to choose Christ and His ability and act on it which is what the Bible calls to “walk in the Spirit” and to be “led by the Spirit”.  That is never done apart from Christ!

The mark of a true child of God is love, but it´s a different kind of love than you find in the world.  “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”  (Rom. 5:5).  The world and the natural man, not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is a stranger to that love.

As you know there are two words in Greek for love.  One is “philanthropia”, the mere human love.  The world is familiar with that all right.  The other word  is “agape” which is the divine love.  This love is known experimentally by a child of God only, born by His Spirit.

Now, I may become friendly with a lovable Christian.  He or she may be so lovable, charming, irresistible, cheerful, having such a ready, contagious laughter, that I can´t help loving that dear person.  Is my love towards her/him “agape” or just “philanthropia”?  It will soon show.

A bother may suddenly be between us, I may be treated unjust.  What kind of love will prevail?  Hopefully “Agape”,  that doesn´t “seek its own” and “endures all things” without  brooding over all the wrong done to me?  The “agape” of Christ will prevail even if you´re being trampled on.

“Agape” has Calvary as its true source, reproduced in our lives as followers of Christ.  It´s already shed in our hearts and wants to be turned loose by the glorified Christ Himself.

June 1, 2014 - jn