“I love you!”   I don’t care who you are or where you live on planet earth, all of humankind have a common basic need, to be loved.  God is the author of love - “For God so loved the world!”  The Bible is God’s love letter to humankind.  With love comes the responsibility to love others.  Jesus Himself said, “ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)   Love is not just a feeling or emotion but also an act of the will.  Because of our fallen nature we have distorted and abused God’s greatest gift - to love and be loved.   There are four types of love found in the Bible communicated through four Greek words: Eros, Storge, Philia, and Agape.  Of the four, eros is probably the most corrupted and familiar today.  This type of love describes romantic or sexual love.  One can easily see the connection between eros and our modern word “erotic.”  Although humankind has corrupted and distorted this type of love, God has blessed and ordained this expression of love, but with certain boundaries - marriage.  Jesus said, “for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (cf. Matthew 19: 4-6)   The Bible says, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled.” (cf. Hebrews 13:4)        God has clearly blessed this expression of love (romantic, sexual) in His word, but within the boundaries of marriage between a man and a women.  God knows what is best for us despite our feelings, temptations or emotions - He created us!   Yes, God is a God of love, but He is also a God of Judgement.  The Bible goes on to say in Hebrews 13:4, “…but fornicators and adultery God will judge.”   God clearly, will and has, judged eros love outside the boundaries of marriage as defined by His word, not culture.  Here is the good news (the “gospel”) - “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

“As far as the east is from the west, so far He removed our transgressions from us.” (cf. Psalm 103: 12)

God says, “I love you”,  and have created you to love and be loved.

In His Service.

Pastor Rodney