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WALK IN LOVE
September 23, 2025And walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Ephesians 5:2
Without a doubt, one of the most important responsibilities you and I have in our earthly life is to walk in love.
1. WHAT IS LOVE? The Greek language has four main words for love: eros (intimacy between husband and wife), storge (family affection), philia (friendship, brotherly love), and agape – the unconditional love God shows us. Agape is a fruit of the recreated human spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
2. LOVE IS IN YOUR DNA. When you become a Christian, your new spiritual DNA is embedded with this agape love. But it must be nurtured, because we may still have well-formed habits that are contrary to it. In the book of Galatians, Paul contrasted the deeds of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit, reminding the Galatians that they are different from who they used to be (Galatians 5). They were struggling with leaning back into Jewish law and getting mixed up about the grace of God, so Paul reminded them that this fruit – including love – is not something accomplished in their own power.
3. LOVE VALUES EVERYBODY. Agape love reminds us that we are of value, that our neighbor is of value, and even that our enemy is of value. This has helped me when I get irked by people or am mistreated. I see people in power – whether in nations, states, or cities – whose agendas differ from Scripture. But just as in the Bible when Daniel was under Nebuchadnezzar, Joseph under Pharaoh, or Paul under Caesar, it has never been easy for the people of God in this world. Yet we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). There is power in the love walk – we do have the authority to bless those who curse us and to pray for those who despitefully use us (Luke 6:28). Love never fails!
DEFINITION: a·ga·pe, noun
Agape is characterized by its selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional nature. Agape is considered the highest form of love, reflecting the love of God for humanity and the love that believers are called to exhibit towards God and one another.
SAY THIS OUT LOUD:
I walk in love as Christ has loved me (Ephesians 5:2). I am patient. I am kind and not jealous. I do not brag and am not arrogant. I do not act unbecomingly, do not seek my own, am not provoked, and I do not take into account a wrong suffered. I do not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoice with the truth. I bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
Copyright © 2025 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. “Agape, N.” Bible Hub Topical, Bible Hub, 2025, https://biblehub.com/topical/a/agape.htm.
