Greater Love Hath No Man

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13, KJV)

No word in human history has captivated humanity as the four-lettered word “love.” And that is for a reason. We are created for relationships, with God and with each other. Love is at the core of God’s relationship with us, and He has commanded love to be at the center of our relationship with each other. Love comes in different shades, as evidenced by the distinct though related words used in the Greek to describe it. However, the most significant expression of love is what is called agape, or the God-kind of love.

The love that has filled out society is what the Greek calls eros. It is essentially romantic love. The sad reality is that sin has so much corrupted romantic love that it has almost lost every “loveness” and has become lust. Lust is fundamentally different from love in that it does not seek the good of the other person but self-gratification. Selfishness is at the center of lust, which is the direct opposite of what real love is. Ever seen a man burning with lust for a woman and thinking it is love whereas what he wants is sex to satisfy his sinful desires? This is the majority of what has filled the world in the name of love.

Jesus said, “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”. True love is measured by the sacrifice you can make for the wellbeing of the other. Jesus sacrificed His life for humanity. He says there is no greater love than this because the most valuable thing a man has is his life.

Jesus has come to demonstrate the love of God to us. If God can send His Son to die for us, there is indeed nothing else more precious that He has. You are the Beloved of God. The love of God heals, refreshes and restores and vitalizes the human soul in a way that none other can even come close. There are millions in a world looking for true love. Well, they soon realize that there are more people to show them lust to gratify themselves than true love. God is love and is the Source of real love for the human heart. When His love fills our hearts, then we truly enjoy true romantic love with our spouses, phileo love in the family, brother love for each other, etc.! Knowing and believing you are loved, and that passionately by the Lord, is a glorious place for any human soul to dwell in!

MEDITATE

How did the Lord demonstrate His love for us?

APPLY THE WORD

If God gave Jesus for our sins, then He will not withhold anything from you. The greatest thing He could do to demonstrate His love was giving Jesus. There is nothing He has then that is of more value. You have to receive His love in your heart. Know and believe His love for you, because that love only affects those who know and believe it.