Читать книгу Greater Intimacy With Our Creator - Robert Sr. Eldredge Sr. - Страница 10

We know that LOVE is the key to having a greater degree of intimacy with our Creator, but exactly what is love?

The New Testament uses two Greek words to describe love. The word “philanthropia” describes a brotherly or friendship kind of love, but the word “agape” describes the pure unselfish kind of love that our Creator has for us. This is also the same kind of love that he wants to receive from us!

The English language uses the word “love” to describe many different forms of love, including sexual love. But the everlasting godly kind of love is non-sexual. We know this to be true because “in the resurrection, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage.” (Matthew 22:30)

This pure unselfish “agape” kind of love is even translated in the King James Version as "charity” because of its kind and benevolent nature. The apostle Paul gave the following definition of this kind of love in a letter to the Corinthian church.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, it always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV)

So how do we get this kind of love?

The short answer is that “God is love,” so we get it from him. Our own imperfect human love is “made perfect” when we spend time in his presence and dwell in his perfect love.

“God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:16-17)

The long answer is that we all have free will, and that there are many obstacles that can keep us from fully abiding in his perfect love.

One of the major obstacles is unforgiveness, which is really a lack of love for others. This is a very serious obstacle to intimacy because Jesus said that if we do not forgive others, then neither will his heavenly Father forgive us! (Matthew 6:15)