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Tag Archives: agape love

Your New Look

19 Jan
Your New Look

We’re going through Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In my last post, we saw that we needed to clothe ourselves in the new man. In today’s, I want to show what these new “clothes” look like. But it will take me a couple of posts to get there.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12 NIV

But, before he shows us what these clothes look like, Paul tells us who we are. That’s important, because it explains who these clothes are fitted to. Paul explains three aspects of who we are in Christ.

First, he calls us God’s chosen people. I think that too often we overlook what this means. This says that I’m God’s special selection.

Sometimes, the problem is our church language. We say, “I accepted Christ.” or “When did you accept Christ?” While there’s nothing wrong with saying these things, there’s a chance that we miss the point.

Yes, I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. But, at the same time, He accepted – selected – me for His own, treasured possession. Never lose sight of that. God wants you to be a part of His family.

Next, he says that we’re holy. We need to constantly be reminded of this. Holiness has a two-part meaning with us. At the start, it means that God has set us apart for His use. He has taken me out of the world and placed me in His kingdom.

My purpose has been transformed. I used to live for myself. Now, I’m set apart for the Lord’s will to be accomplished in me.

Then there’s the second part of this holiness. God took me out of the world, but some of that junk is still clinging to me. So, the Holy Spirit has an ongoing work of cleaning me to make me ready to fulfill the purpose for which God has chosen me.

So, I am holy, but I’m also being made holy. You will find both of those descriptions throughout Scripture. It’s up to us to participate with this process.

Finally, we’re called dearly loved. God loves us. We say that all the time, but do we really understand it?

This word for love is the Greek word, agape. I’ve talked about it before, but it bears repeating. This type of love has no emotion associated with it. It’s not about God feeling good about us.

This is a choice that God made. If you look at the Scriptures that use this word, you come to a conclusion. This type of love is a choice that’s made to actively participate in someone’s life for their good.

When I bowed my knee to Christ, God took it upon Himself to begin actively participating in my life. Whether I see it or not, God is working things out for my good.

From my perspective, I question it sometimes. Of course, I don’t see the whole picture the way the Lord does. However, when I look back, I can only say that God is faithful. His way is the best way.

This is who we are in Christ. It’s a work God has done and is doing in us. That’s the only reason I can fit in His new clothes for me. In my next post I’ll begin talking about these clothes in detail.

Question: How do you see yourself in Christ?

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on January 19, 2024 in Encouragement, Power of God, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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How Do You Smell?

26 May
How Do You Smell?

Paul continues to show us the way we need to live as a part of the body of Christ. As we start chapter 5, we see one of the most important aspects of this journey.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV

This has got to be one of the most incredible commands in all of Scripture. It’s so simple to read, yet the implications are enormous.

“Be imitators of God”. The Greek word for imitator is the word from which we get the English words, mime, and mimic. That doesn’t imply that we’re almost like Him. It means that our goal is to look, speak and act exactly like the Lord.

I know it would be easy to ignore this verse. We might say that Paul got a little carried away as he was writing. However, that’s not the case. Jesus Christ, Himself told us almost the same thing.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48 NIV

Of course, this doesn’t mean perfect in the sense of never making a mistake. That word literally means to be mature and of full age. It’s telling us that we need to grow up and live at a spiritually mature level.

This is an important concept for us to understand. Many people enjoy living at a level well below what they should have grown into. Even in the natural, there are adults who still want to act like adolescents.

The fact is that God wants us to grow up into our full level of maturity. That’s what brings glory to His name. When that world sees an example of who the Lord is, it makes them want to move closer to Christ.

That brings us to the second part of the above verse from Ephesians. We need to truly learn to live a life of love. That’s the agape-love of Christ. It’s the choice to participate in a positive way in someone else’s life.

And that brings us to the biggest problem with this type of lifestyle. To truly love in this way involves sacrifice.

I have my own agenda. There are things that I want to do, see, and accomplish. I don’t want to put my plans on hold in order to be a blessing to someone else.

But that’s why Paul used two different words for the sacrifice that’s required of us. He said that we need to be willing to be an offering and a sacrifice.

The word, offering, deals with the presentation of a gift. In this context it’s all about availability. Am I willing to be available to God for the benefit of others?

There are many who won’t even go that far. They basically put God on hold until a more convenient time arises. In most cases, it’s never convenient to obey the Lord.

But even so, the presentation is not enough. There are many who say, “I’m there for you.” or “I’ve got your back.” But then, when you need them, they’re not around, or too busy to help.

The next word, sacrifice, deals with that aspect. It means the actual sacrificial animal itself. It’s the putting aside of myself to take on the responsibility of helping the other person. It goes beyond words and loves through actions.

According to the above verse, that becomes a sweet-smelling perfume to God’s senses. Of course, that begs the question, what does it smell like when we ignore this command of the Lord?

Our goal should be a sweet-smelling body. We put on deodorant, perfumes, and fragrances all the time with our physical bodies. It’s time that we make the church of Jesus Christ a sweet-smelling place.

Question: When have you needed to put aside your plans for someone else’s needs.

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 26, 2023 in Fellowship, Ministry, Relationships, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Pleasing God 101

27 Feb
Pleasing God 101

We’re continuing our walk through the Book of Ephesians. The emphasis is on our corporate walk as believers. Paul now focuses on the defining characteristic of the church in Ephesus.

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

Ephesians 1:15-17 NIV

There are some things that need to be reinforced as we read this letter. Too often we miss important truths because we don’t know the purpose of the Holy Spirit in His revelation of Scripture.

This book was not written to baby Christians. At this point in the development of the church, the Holy Spirit is getting to some deeper issues. With the Scriptural foundation laid down in the book of Romans and the infancy of the Corinthian church behind us, this letter assumes a more mature walk.

Paul is writing to a church that’s walking in faith and exhibiting a true love for the saints. This is what pleasing the Lord is all about.

That’s because faith and love are the two non-negotiable attributes in the kingdom of God. Why would I say that? It’s clear from God’s Word.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 NIV

Faith is more than just a head knowledge that God exists. You not only believe that He’s real, but that His way is the best way.

Of course, if you truly believe that God’s will is the right way to go, then you’ll seek it out. More than that, once you know His will, you’ll follow it wholeheartedly. That’s the only proof of a true faith in God.

That being said, faith alone is not enough.

…if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:2b NIV

This verse is talking about the agape-love needed in our Christian walk. This kind of love is not based in emotions. It has nothing to do with how you feel about someone.

This kind of love is a choice. It’s a commitment to treat people the way you would treat a friend. That’s the case whether you like them (emotionally) or not AND whether they’re present or not.

That means we don’t just treat them good while they’re standing in front of us. We don’t backbite and slander once they leave the room.

True love is a choice to walk with others in a way that positively affects their lives. It’s treating others the way we want to be treated.

Like I said, these are the two non-negotiable attributes. If you want to please God, you can’t just walk in one of these. You must have both faith and love operating in harmony.

It’s important to know that Paul was writing to a church that was showing the life of Christ in this way. Too often we want to “claim” every verse and promise we read in the Bible. Unfortunately, unless we’ve matured to a certain level, some Scriptures just don’t apply to us.

We’ll do well to remember this as we move forward in this book. Paul is writing to a church that’s beyond the baby stage of their Christian experience.

Paul was so impressed by their lifestyle that it became a part of his prayer life. Whenever he thought about the Ephesian church, he thanked God for the example of their faith and love.

That gives me something to think about. How do people see my life? Do they thank God for what they see in me? Or are they praying for God to change me and cause me to grow up? That’s a sobering thought.

We should all strive to be an example of godliness to those who are looking up to us. Allow God to have His way in bringing these qualities out in your life.

Question: To what extent does your life exhibit the faith and love that pleases God?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 27, 2023 in Faith, Relationships, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Love Defined

10 Jul

In my last post, we saw that ministry without love, no matter how powerful, is not up to God’s standards.  Love must play a major role in all that we do.

But do we really understand what love is?  People have so many ideas.  Let’s see what God has to say.

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
1 Corinthians 13:4-6

Think about what this verse says – patient, kind, not rude, and not easily angered.  Are there any times during which we have a better chance of doing this – times when it feels more natural?

Of course, it’s when we’re around people that we like; when we’re with our friends.  I was first able to grasp this concept while reading the book “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis.

Remember, this type of love carries with it no emotional attachment.  It’s purely based on decision and will.  True love cannot be based on emotion, it must be my choice.

I find that it’s easiest for me to treat people I like in this way.  Sometimes I choose to treat them correctly even if I don’t feel like it, simply because I like them.  This brings us to the definition of love that I first heard from C.S. Lewis.

The way of love is to treat people as if you like them – whether you do or not.  Also, I would add, whether you know them or not and whether you’re in their presence or not.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I Corinthians 13:7

This is the atmosphere that should surround a ministry of excellence.  When you’re ministering to people, all these aspects should be evident in your work.  Too often, we’re guilty of loving our ministry more than the people we’re called to perfect.  This verse tells us that we’re to always protect, trust in, hope for and persevere for THE PEOPLE.

The ministry is a good thing.  But it’s still a thing.  Things can never be more important than people.  Excellence will never develop in an atmosphere where you love what you’re doing to the extent that you don’t care for the people.

You’re not their Lord, Jesus is.  Your ministry is never more important than God’s plan for their individual lives.  If you’re walking in excellence, in the way of love, you’ll be able to balance the two.

Love for people must start with your family.  Too many Christians think that it’s noble to give up their family for “God’s work.”

I even heard a guest minister once prove how devoted he was to the ministry by saying that his children were not walking with the Lord.  It was a sacrifice he had to make for the ministry.  I never let him preach at our church again.  God has never accepted child sacrifice.  The Bible is clear that ministry begins at home.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13

It’s clear from the life of Christ (and we probably don’t want to hear it) that the way of love sees everyone as our friends.  Jesus even laid down His life for those who were His sworn enemies.

If so, then He included the whole race of mankind into His list of “friends.”  We cannot use this verse for an excuse not to love.  Christ’s example stops us from doing this.

He laid down His life for the Pharisee and the Atheist, as well as the disciples.  When you walk in the love of Christ, you exhibit the same evidence of love that He did.

Question: What is the evidence of the love that can be seen in your life and ministry?

© 2019 Nick Zaccardi

<Note – This post was an excerpt from my book, Breaking Free from the Pack – How to Develop a Spirit of Excellence available on Amazon>

 
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Posted by on July 10, 2019 in Ministry, Relationships, Spirit of Excellence, Spiritual Walk

 

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Growing Love

21 Jun

We all know that we’re supposed to love one another. The question is; how do we get to that point? Paul talks about it in his first letter to the Thessalonian church.

Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.
1 Thessalonians 4:9-10

Above all else, we should be cultivating our love-walk. Without love, our faith is worthless.

In this passage, Paul talks about two different kinds of love. The first is the Greek word philadelphia, which refers to a brotherly or family type love. The other is agape; this is a choice to love someone, with or without the emotion.

I’ve heard people teach about them in the past. But it’s the relationship between the two that’s the important thing.

Paul starts by saying that he doesn’t need to talk to them about brotherly love. Of course not. That’s something that grows naturally out of a sense of family.

It’s that close feeling we get from spending time with others. The more time spent together, the closer the bond. It’s not just about family. It can be developed in the workplace, school, and most importantly, in the church.

I’ve heard people complain that they feel closer to their work friends than they do to the church. These are the people who usually arrive late and leave right after the “amen”. How could you possibly feel close without spending time with others?

Feeling close to a church family is up to you, not the church. The more time you spend, the closer you’ll feel. Yes, there’ll be some bumps and bruises along the way, but none of us are perfect. We need to be increasing our brotherly love for other believers.

The reason it’s so important is that God uses this to teach us the next level – agape-love. This is the choice to love – to treat someone as a friend – whether you feel like it or not. Love also treats them this way whether they’re present or not.

We need to understand the progression from brotherly love to agape-love. This is very important in our spiritual growth. The apostle Peter talked about this in his epistle.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
2 Peter 1:5-7

It’s only when we truly love others that we’ve entered the mature spiritual walk. The road to culivating this love leads us through brotherly love. The only way this is formed is by time spent with other believers.

Allow God to work out His love-plan in your life. Be a close, functioning part of a local church. In this way you’ll be able to increase more and more in your love for others.

Question: How have you learned about God’s love by being part of a church?

© Nick Zaccardi 2017

 
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Posted by on June 21, 2017 in Fellowship, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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