Agape Love in the Bible and Everyday Life

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8 (NKJV).

Image: Alex Block via Unsplash

People often talk about "cultural context" when studying the Bible, suggesting that Scripture no longer applies today because the world has changed so much in the last 2,000 years. But is that really true?

While people may have walked more in biblical times than they do today, and donkeys were used rather than cars, human nature hasn't changed—not since Adam and Eve made their fateful choice in the Garden of Eden and sin entered the world (Romans 5:12).

Most importantly, God hasn't changed. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

What about love? Does love still hold true today, or has it become outdated?

Four Types of Love

To understand agape love in the Bible, we must first recognize the four most common types of love:

Familial Love (Storge): Love between family members—the warmth of gathering around mom's Thanksgiving turkey, perfectly whipped mashed potatoes, and all the trimmings shared with love.

Friendship Love (Philia): Strong love and respect between close friends. Consider the covenant friendship between David and Jonathan, where Jonathan gave David his robe, armor, sword, bow, and belt, even protecting him from King Saul's murderous intentions (1 Samuel 18).

Romantic Love (Eros): Strong physical attraction that's usually conditional—the passion of a first kiss, but also the destructive lust that led to King David's affair with Bathsheba and its devastating consequences (2 Samuel 11).

God's Love (Agape): The highest form of love that is unconditional and sacrificial.

These four types of love are culturally universal, independent of time, though they may be exercised to greater or lesser degrees by culture and the individual.

Agape Love in the Bible

Agape love—God's unconditional, sacrificial love—is harder to find in our daily experience, but Scripture provides powerful examples:

God's Love for the World

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

We should never take this example of agape love for granted. It's only because of God's love that we have hope of salvation and eternal life.

Jesus's Command to Love Enemies

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (Matthew 5:43-44).

If we didn't know the "rest of the story," as Paul Harvey used to say, we'd think, "Sure, that's easy to say, but who can do it?" But Jesus walked His talk all the way to Calvary, setting an example for us to follow.

Jesus Forgives His Executioners

"Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do'" (Luke 23:34).

Bloodied and battered, with spikes driven through His wrists and feet, suffering beyond comprehension, Jesus demonstrated the highest form of agape love.

Our sin was nailed to that cross through Him—we should have been there, but for the grace of God, we are spared.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

When a lawyer asked, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" and "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus told this powerful parable.

Picture the scene: a man beaten and left near death in a pool of blood. Two passersby see him but cross the street, knowing he's not "one of them." One person, despite cultural stigma, chooses to help, ensuring the man's safety and recovery.

Jesus asks which one was truly the man's "neighbor," then commands: "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:25-37).

Agape Love in Everyday Life

Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, observed: "An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior."

Consider how this applies to the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The priest and Levite both saw a man in an "abnormal situation." Helping should have been the normal reaction, but in their culture, the abnormal reaction was normal behavior.

Think of September 11, 2001. When hijacked airliners slammed into the World Trade Center towers, people running for their lives was normal behavior in an abnormal situation. But agape love was demonstrated by first responders who sacrificed themselves for others—giving their lives helping "neighbors," whether friends or strangers.

Some might say, "That's their job...that's what they do." But isn't that precisely what Jesus calls all of us to do? To make sacrificial, unconditional love our "job"—not because we feel like it, but because it's who we're called to be as followers of Christ.

Agape love in the Bible isn't just a beautiful concept—it's a practical calling that transforms how we respond to the "abnormal situations" in our everyday lives. When we love unconditionally, we reflect the very heart of God to a world that desperately needs His love.

Related Posts:

• 1 John 4:7 : Love Comes from God

• Introduction to Fruit of the Spirit Blog