Love is one of the highest qualities of Kingdom Life there is, but a quality in which most of us are deficient. When Jesus came into the world He brought a new kind of Love unlike any love the world had ever known. It's a selfless Love that reaches out to give, unconditionally, whether there be any return or not. It is a thing which can scarcely be taught; it must be worked into our lives by the great Source of Love Himself. It is the Love that existed in God toward the Lord Jesus that we are called upon to receive—and to give.

In Ephesians 3:14-19, Paul says, “I bow my knees unto the Father (in prayer), that you, being rooted and grounded in Love, might be able to lay hold on with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height (of Love), even to the point of knowing the Love of Christ, which is actually beyond knowing."

“Being rooted in love” gives us the astounding picture of a plant with roots drawing sustenance from the remarkably rich ground of agápe Love, the kind of love that was not known in the world till Jesus introduced it, bringing it from the heavenlies. “Grounded” gives us the picture of a building on so firm a foundation that not even “the perfect storm” can dismantle it or blow one part from its structure. The word “grounded” is from the same word Jesus used when He told of that house being founded on the rock. He said, And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock (for its foundation had been established upon the Rock”)—Matthew 7:25.

The Love on which the life of a saint is founded is more stable and lasting than that of any rock ever found originating in the world. Drawing a soul to know this as a certainty, of course, leaves much work for the intercessor.

The essence of what Paul was praying is: "I am praying that the roots with which you draw the substance of your everyday life, and the foundation which keeps you stable, might run deep into the Love of Christ." This kind of praying strikes to a point of need in just about everyone. It works toward opening a life to something that brings spiritual healing, emotional healing, mental healing, as well as physical healing.

That the prayer should concern "the Love of Christ" is significant. Generally we speak of the Love of God, but Paul saw Christ as The Greatest Expression of God's Love. In fact, it was the Father Himself Who first spoke with reference to this kind of love. In Matthew 3:17 He said, This is my beloved Son...-"the Son of My Love." The greatest expression of this kind of Love originated in God toward His Son. Then, Jesus became the expression of this kind of Love toward the world.

Paul knew Christ as the One Who died to accomplish our redemption as well as the One Who ever lives to release His life within us. In both there is an expression of love so vast it can never be fully known. But, it CAN be known as much as any person in the world ever needs to know it, because God’s Love expressed toward us in Christ exceeds our need as much as eternity exceeds a moment in time.

The English word, love is expressed at many turns of life, with many degrees of meaning running all the way from passion and lust to the emptying of one's self at the feet of the Lord. But the Greek language which was used in the original New Testament has several words to help express these differences. But, agápeis the word used most in the New Testament. Strangely enough, it hardly found use outside the New Testament, but there, it and its kindred words (agapáo, "to love," and agapatós"beloved") occur 320 times—51 times in I John alone!  

 

Agápe is the first word in the New Testament about love and Jesus was the first to give instruction regarding this new kind of love, in Matthew 5:44. What a significant passage this is! He joined this love with •blessing others, •doing good and •praying. Read this carefully and note how the recipients of each of these actions were non-deserving. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you—Matthew 5:44.

All four wonderful practices are directed toward those we're most inclined to not want to love or bless or pray for. It was a whole new order of life that Jesus introduced. Based on love, it was the life of God's Kingdom.

As the time of the end comes on, we will find it is the anti-Christ's intention to replace all agápe love with the éros type of love. He shall destroy (corrupt) the mighty and the holy people—Daniel 8:24—with the impartation of his own nature.

The word éros, the word from which we get our English word erotic, was used by the ancient Greeks, but it is not found at all in the New Testament. Éros held first place in the religion of the Greeks. In fact they exalted it to the point of making it a god. They sang glowing hymns to him about sensual joys. What they sought in éroswas intoxication. In it they found the fulfillment of their humanity. In their erotic worship they allowed their senses to go into a frenzy. To them, all the forces of heaven and earth ranked second compared with the one and only supreme power of éros.

In the agápekind of love, the Greeks found nothing of the power or magic of éros. Thus, they exalted éros far above agápe. Jesus did the opposite.

Now, éros, not agápe, provides the drive of secular humanism at work in the world today. It's not discernible as evil because it poses as love, placing man at the center of the universe. It reaches for our sensual desires and makes them "holy." It becomes the most contaminating element in the abomination of desolation that comes over into the holy place, of which Jesus spoke in Matthew 24:15. It's the power lying in the strong delusion that God sends upon those who embrace The Lie, and believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness.—II Thessalonians 2:10-12

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

As Paul ministered in both Ephesus and Corinth—two places where the early church took on growth—he confronted the philosophy that was behind the worship of Éros. The believers in Corinth found it difficult to break the tentacles of the pagan religion. Much in I Corinthians addresses this influence and thus becomes instruction for us in the last days as the same influence arises under different guises.

In the King James Version of I Corinthians 13 the word agápe is translated charity eight times. This is probably a good translation because it means the giving of something for which nothing will be received in return or  complete selflessness. Nothing is more vital for our lives as we move on toward the time of the end. Nothing works so powerfully toward emptying us of contamination and making us vessels for bearing Christ's life.

Jesus made an alarming statement in Matthew 24:10-12 regarding the dissolution of agápe in the last days. Note the points of this passage as they carry on from the sharp points of the preceding verses, which we have not placed here. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. This is all part of the final travail before the Parousía. The driving out of agápe love is the culminating point. All the steps of the last-day activities of the anti-Christ move toward this.

Many will be offended. This is from skandalízo, which means to be made to stumble or to have feelingsof repugnance and shock. It is designed to happen to believers.

Many shall betray one another. This is from paradídomi, which means to hand over or deliver up someone who at one time had been a trusting friend. It will become widespread, even among believers.

Many shall hate one another. This is from miséo, which means to regard another with ill will and abhorrence. This too will spread among those who had oncefollowed the Lord.

Many false prophets will come on the scene to deceivemany. This is from planáowhich means to seduce someone to wander about aimlessly.

Because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love (agápe) of many will wax cold. Iniquity is from the Greek he anomía. It means utter disregard for what is lawful. Specifically, it means disregard for the Law of God.The word anomía has a Definite Article with it making its meaning very definite and strong. It is "the iniquity," a turning from the Law of God so intense and pronouncedthat it becomes "the lawlessness." It will prevail in the time of the end, as disobedience to God becomes far more common than obedience.

What jolts us here is that it will reach into the ranks of believers and cause the love of many to wax cold meaning, "to go out like a fire." Whereas the love born of God burned hot and bright in lives, many, through the intensity of anti-Christ's aggression, will see that love diminish in them till it no longer exists. This will make way for the exaltation of éros. Seeing it as a logical and right thing to do, many who once embraced the love born of God will turn, only to embrace the love that exalts self and throws them into the camp of the enemy.

But, this need not be the case with us. Agápe love can develop its own defenses. It has a strong element of eternity in it. It carries with it a shield that, if we allow it, cannot be pierced by the enemy. In these days, leading up to the time of the end, this kind of love is finding opportunity to grow strong enough to continue through all the barrage of the attacks from the spirit of anti-Christ.