What an amazing truth that all of creation was created in love. Every life form from the animal kingdom to the crown of His creation, humanity, was created in love. We were created to love God, our Creator, and to love one another. This was the perfect world before Satan entered the scene and led humanity to sin against God, their Creator (Genesis 3:1-24). Can you only imagine what it was like to see the entire world loving one another with no hate or malice? Can you imagine the entire world, including the animal kingdom loving their Creator, God? When mankind turned away from God taking all of God’s creation with them they lost true agape love. What a horrible day that was for the entire world. Instantly, with the introduction of sin, we lost our capacity to love. We lost our ability to truly love others more than we love ourselves. God sent His only begotten Son to show us the Way back, but we hung Him on a Cross. That way given to us by Jesus is still valid. It’s still accessible to all those who step out in faith believing that all things can be made new again in love. In true agape love, we can touch heavenly bliss rising above all the hate and confusion in the fallen world.

In the beginning, this may seem like an insurmountable task overcoming the many years or decades of hurt, anger, resentment, and unforgiveness. In the beginning, it may seem impossible to love those who have hurt us or others that we have cherished. In the beginning, it may seem impossible to overcome our many years of suffering and fighting to supply our own needs or desires. However, this is not only possible, it becomes a reality through our transformation in Christ.  The lie of the devil has kept most of humanity locked in bondage to their old lives believing that there is no escape. This has been an accepted norm for many thousands of years popularized by modern psychology saying if you can’t escape then your only alternative is endless counseling and drug therapy to supposedly relieve you from your suffering of past experiences, and bad memories. Yet, there is a better way taught to us by our Lord, Jesus Christ. Through transformation in Christ where all things are made new, and old things have passed away, then we are no longer locked in the past (II Corinthians 5:17). This is how forgiveness works. Through faith, we believe that Christ has forgiven us of all our past, present, and future sins. We have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary making us into a brand-new creation.

In our daily prayer, we are reminded that God forgives us making us whiter than snow with no past failures to haunt us. Through love, God is recreating us, so that we will have the ability to love God and to love others. As forgiveness wipes away every sin in our lives, it also gives us the ability to forgive those who have sinned against us. Our sincere forgiveness depends on it, because the prayer continues, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). We are praying that God will forgive us in the same way that we forgive others. And how does God forgive us? He does so by removing the sin and never remembering it again, and that’s exactly how we must forgive others, by never remembering it again. Transformed believers in Christ have learned the secret of turning forgiveness into forgetfulness in three easy steps. Dear children this is essential because unforgiveness will not allow us to truly love others as we love ourselves. The three simple steps are don’t bring it up to the offending party, don’t bring it up to others to gain their sympathy, and don’t dwell on the trespass, which will all keep the trespass alive violating our commitment to forgive others as God forgives us. When we truly learn how to forgive others, then we will be in a position to learn how to love others as God loves. (Furthermore, it’s important to note that we can still forgive and forget the trespass even if we have reported it as a crime against us to the authorities.)

We have also been taught from the beginning the importance of supplying our own selfish needs first by doing whatever is necessary, even if it crosses the proverbial red line. We have learned about love from the world where it is always equated to fulfilling our needs first. We could easily parrot the four-letter word “love” to whoever met our wants and desires. And if they don’t meet our expectations then we can easily say, and most do, we no longer love you. True agape love, on the other hand, is giving to others without expecting anything in return. Moreover, it is not giving out of our excess but giving out of our poverty. Billionaires can brag all day long about giving a few thousand dollars out of their great wealth, but they don’t touch the garment of true agape, self-giving, love. Agape love, simply put, is loving others more than you love yourself. This love even surpasses the Golden Rule that says, “Do unto others, as you would have them to do unto you” (see Matthew 7:12). Jesus also said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And of course, that’s exactly what He did for us when He died on the Cross to forgive us of our sins that blocked our way to heaven. There is a lot more that can be said about agape, self-giving, love, but let me stress at this juncture that self-giving love is immediate, not when you have time or when it suits you. True love stops what you are doing and immediately addresses your brother’s concerns.

Dear children, that’s exactly how true love works. Remember, that it is God who really loves others through us. His love flows down to us and through us to others. And when we truly love our brothers, then that love from our brother flows back up to God in the perfect pyramid. It is God who orchestrates our many encounters during the day. He is the one that opens and closes doors. If God opens a door of encounter, then we are meant to immediately go through that open door and extend our love to others. Dear children, we miss out on so many blessings by bottling up God’s love and refusing to encounter others. I am so sad to see that happening more often in our day. People have become so consumed with technology that it not only takes precedence in their lives, but it controls them and robs them of their many blessings. I know all this agape love will take a completely different mindset, but we can start today by letting down all of our guards, putting a smile on our faces, and seeing how we can honestly extend our self-giving love to others. Don’t be afraid when people start to open up and share their problems or concerns but relish the opportunity to bring them before God in silent prayer seeking His direction on how to respond. Let me stress that listening, really listening to others, is essential in extending our love to others. Oh, what joy it is to witness God loving others through us breaking down barriers, overcoming obstacles, and ministering to the hearts of others through self-giving love.

However, in this fallen world that’s getting more evil every day, don’t be discouraged if some doors remain closed for many reasons, from being controlled by evil to being controlled by technology. That should not keep us from smiling, perhaps waving, and especially saying a silent prayer for them. Finally, true agape love will never follow the world in bashing others, ruthless gossiping, or finding fault with others. This is a very dangerous time for true believers in Christ. Almost every news article, social media feed, and streaming video will witness the world bashing the other political side. We cannot and must not join them in their hateful rhetoric bashing the other side or finding fault in everything they say or everything they have said in the past. That kind of malicious behavior proves that both sides are cut from the same cloth. We must use the adage, “If we don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” On the other hand, if we are carried away with their hateful rhetoric, then it will stunt our spiritual growth and rob us of the many blessings that come from truly loving one another more than we love ourselves. Won’t you allow God today to love others through you? The more you give to others, then the more you will get from God. Simply put we cannot out-love God. Let’s make the perfect triangle of love.

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