Expert: Rev. Stuart Woodward - 12/15/2006

Question
Hi, I've been asking about love.  Jesus said to love God, love your enemies, love yourself.  But how does one love God if one can not truly understand or know God?  Even love of self may require years of work.  Can you shed some light on this concept?

Answer
Hello Marc,
Thank you for question. In English our one word 'love' is used to describe many idfferent things. In other languages (for example the Greek of the New Testament) there are many different words. 'Eros' is the word for sexual love, 'philos' is the word for brotherly love. In the Greek in Luke 10:27 and elsewhere in the Gospels when love of God and neighbour are mentioned the root word is 'agape'. We have no direct English equivalent to this word but it is probably best expressed as wholehearted commitment. Paul uses the same word in his famous chapter in 1 Cot 13.
The bible tells us that God is love. He defines what real love is and also demonstrates His love to us in this; while we were still sinners Christ died for us. See Romans 5:8.
The idea that God might love us because we are so lovely is ridiculous. He loves us out of gracious choice, not our deserving. The Christian life begins when a person, in repentance, puts their trust in Jesus Christ and recieves that love deep into their being. It is our experience of God's love that enables us to love Him properly.
Although there will always be much about God we can't understand we can know Him as He revelas Himself to us. He has revealed Himself in Jesus and then experientialy in His Holy Spirit. It sounds arrogant of me to claim that I know God but I do. Of course I have to get to know Him better but this is true of any relationship. When I began to love my wife I knew her but now 33 years later I know her much better. I knew enough to love her.
I also believe that it is learning to love God that enables someone to love themselves. I know I am not that great a person at times. My old sinful nature rears its ugly head. It is not until I realise the depth of my need and then discover that the creator of the universe has chosen to love me anyway that the ability to love myself comes. I love myself because God loves me not because I am that intrinsically lovable. My value comes from His love. At this stage I need to remind us of the kind of love we are talking about - wholehearted commitment.
This secure platform of God's gracious love enables love of neighbour and even enemies to take root. If God can forgive me what right have I got to withold forgiveness from myself, my neighbour or even my enemy?
I hope my comments are of some help and pray God's blessing on your considerations.
Stuart Woodward