Matthew 22:37

To illustrate this, a man of letters and of the law once asked our Christ:

Read Matthew 22:34-40
The people in Jesus’ time, as we are now, interested into “getting to the bottom line.” “What’s life all about?” “What’s really important?” Jesus’ answer for them, and for us today, is the same: the entire point of humankind’s existence comes down to loving: loving God…loving others….loving ourselves. Even before the moment of our conception, and even well, well before that, God loved you.

Read Ephesians 1:3-6
Psalm 139:14-17 describes how Almighty God carefully fashioned us, nerve by nerve, cell by cell…an unique divine handiwork: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

God’s goal for your life and mine is that we come to know him personally, through His Son, Jesus Christ, whereby we can reverently worship Him, praise and serve Him, honoring the lover our souls with our words and life. You see, God is complete, lacking nothing, yet He choose to create us to be His companions, that we can receive divine affection, as we freely and lovingly return His affection with our grateful devotion to Him.

This kind of love is called agape, a term, absolutely distinct from all other words, when used in describing human relationships. The Bible speaks of eros, as the condition of love finely expressed in the Book of Song of Solomon, and phileos, typified in the Old Testament by unbreakable friendship between David and King Saul’s Son, Jonathan. (I Samuel 13:2-31:2) Also Matthew 22:39, “…..thyself.”

Agape love is God’s love, all of these: unfathomable, consuming, perfect, and unconditional, completely unselfish, forgiving and wholly dedicated to another’s welfare. On our own, we cannot either experience nor generate agape love–it only comes from our Creator Heavenly Father. Even if you attempt to think of the most generous and benevolent act a human being can possibly perform, even that does not compare with the absolutely magnitude of God’s eternal, unshakable love for us!

God’s agape love for us never ends. It isn’t changeable in any way. Jeremiah 31:3 says “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.” Our affections change, depending fleeting emotions, health, or many other factors. Yet Jesus Christ, the Lord of our lives and the absolutely source of our salvation, is the same, according to Hebrews 13:8, “yesterday, today and forever!”