"Agape Doctrine"

"Living in today's
Epiphany of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ" © 2008


"The Agape Doctrine" Series...Part One


I must be true to my feelings and how I define “Love” between the two covenants of the Bible. I will use this title to describe my thoughts;

“Sacrificial love and Gracious love” © Ybarra-2008.

From the beginning of creation in Genesis Chapter 1, “In the beginning God created the heaven's and earth.” For God to stop and consider and begin pro-creation in verse one, "Love" had had to be a main factor in the development of what was to become God’s greatest contribution to “His” family on earth.

“Eros” comes from God and it enhances romance. I can only come to a conclusion that God was, is and will always be a romantic when it comes to loving His church, the body of Christ. God’s “Eros” would not be fulfilling unto himself! God had to send his only begotten son to go from “Eros” to “Agape” (the unconditional love). This would set the stage and would exemplify God’s nature and loving kindness.

After so much of this love and hate relationship between Jews and Gentiles with God himself; how would the Creator connect with the people so that they could see and know that “He” has loved them first!

“Sacrificial Love” Gods way!

Here is a synopsis of “Sacrificial love to Gracious Love”...

I also see that God was insatiable with the first generation he created. He destroyed them with the flood, sparing only Noah and his family. Did God find himself discontent with his own creation and out the window went “Eros, Phileo, Storgos and even Agape? Why would He destroy that which He loved so much after over many years of existence?

Genesis Chapter 6:12 confirms “for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. God was not satisfied and would repro-create once again through Noah and his family.

This time it would be different! God states that He would establish his covenant with Noah and with every living creature.
God would make a covenant to a more mutual satisfaction. The bow (rainbow) would be the reminder of this covenant, so that we may be mindful of a promise with faith and thankfulness.
What comes to mind was when God instructed the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and place the blood on the door post so that the angel of death would over look God’s family.

This is “Sacrificial love”. When Abraham was instructed to take his beloved son to be the actual burnt offering at Moriah it is then, the angel of the Lord calls out his name to stop the sacrificial love offering. After over four hundred and thirty years of captivity,

Deuteronomy 4:37 states: Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength…

God brought the Israelites out of Egypt because they prayed for this, but Egypt was not out of them. Sleeping and eating with the enemy would have caused God to consider the exodus. Here again we see God’s ability to love, to forgive, from “Eros, Phileo, and Storgos; to the great promise land”.

“Gracious Love” is Jesus!

The epiphany of God’s manifestation of unconditional love to humanity, is Jesus! He is the Alpha and the Omega!

If “AHAB” is the word for “love” in the Old Testament, then truly the father’s heart is revealed through his son at Mount Calvary.

I want to reflect what I stated previously from God’s “Eros” way of romancing the idea of pro-creation and free will under the “Sacrificial love” Old Testament covenant to “Gracious Love” the unconditional, non-artificial New Testament covenant, the sacrificial ultimate gift of God, that God the father would be fulfilled completely from “Eros” to “Agape” by giving of His son “Jesus Christ”.

It has been eminent that God has not been one to be left out in the cold when it comes to his relationship with his people. This was well established that there would be no other gods before him! He commands respect, to be feared (in a loving way), to be loved, to be romanced (respectfully).
The book of Deuteronomy has a chain of love events.
From “to love the Lord your God and to serve him; the Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him;
To the New Testament “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose Romans 8:28.

Dr. Pearson, you broke it down for us about Eros, Phileo, and Strogos; in my cogent way of finding depth on this subject; I know now that God the father had had to experienced a spiritual romancing feeling to pro-create, destroy it and begin a new covenant with a second generation.

I love how you chose the Merriam-Webster Online definition of Agape: unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as the fatherly concern of God for humankind, a person’s adoration of God.

This is who God is! This is who Jesus Christ is! This is “Gracious Love”! Gods word and promises would not be destroyed, but his son Jesus Christ would only come to fulfilled them through unconditional "Agape".

How could I not see it more clearly! Why hasn’t Agape been more eminent in my life! Am I afraid of reciprocation? Am I afraid what I can be through Agape?

Amen!
Quote from "The Agape Doctrine" Book/Dr. Rodney Pearson © 2008-

Agape Doctrine Studied at Gateway International Bible Institute,

Bible/King James Version © 1988,
Gil Ybarra Article © 2008,

Merriam-Webster Online definitions ©.
To read " Previous Articles by Rev. Gil Ybarra",

please go to "Older Post" at the bottom of this article.

Thank You !

Rev. Gil Ybarra

email contact: firerainrhema@msn.com