The Four Faces of Love
Introduction:
Valentine - an amatory or sentimental card, token or gift sent by one person to another on St. Valentine’s Day; a sweetheart chosen on St. Valentine’s Day; the object of one’s affection.
St. Valentine - Valentinus -- Christian martyr, c270 A.D. --
"Valentine was the name of a young man who lived in Rome during reign of Claudius II when Christians were being persecuted. Although he was not a Christian, he helped them, but he was caught and put into prison. In prison he became a believer in Jesus. Because of this, Valentinus was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs, stoned and finally beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269. After his death, this gate was known as Porta Valentini.
While he was in prison he sent messages to his friends saying "Remember your Valentine!" and "I love you." -- Adapted from tract -- Faith Prayer & Tract League
I. The Face of Natural Affection. - Storge
"Affection of kindred especially of parents for children and children for parents."
1. Used only twice in the New Testament in negative form: w/o natural affection, astorgos
"And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. -- Romans 1:28-32
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. -- 2 Timothy 3:1-5
2. Natural Affection
One of my children was having one of those days when the person that they loved had abandoned them or made them unhappy.
She said, "Nobody, loves me!"
I said, "I love you!"
The reply, "You have to love me!
Why do I have to love you?
You’re my dad.
3. Without Natural Affection
We were having a kids promotion for McDonald’s at the Cross Keys Shopping Center McDonald’s store in Missouri. A lady came in with a child and I gave the child the token gift and then asked the lady - Do you have kids at home? Her reply, "Yes, unfortunately." When I pursued her answer and said certainly not she replied, "No, really I think that it is unfortunate. "
II. The Face of Friendship -- Philos -
"expectation of mutual sharing and receiving benefit from each other."
1. The Bear & The Travelers - Aesop
Two travelers were on the road together, when a bear suddenly appeared on the scene. Before he observed them, one made for a tree at the side of the road, and climbed up into the branches and hid there. The other was not so nimble as his companion; and, as he could not escape, he threw himself on the ground and pretended to be dead.. The bear came up and sniffed all around him, but he kept perfectly still and held his breath; for they say that a bear will not touch a dead body. The bear took him for a corpse, and went away.
When the coast was clear, the traveler in the tree came down, and asked the other what it was the bear had whispered to him when he put his mouth to his ear. The other replied," He told me never again travel with a friend who deserts you at the first sign of danger." Misfortune tests the sincerity of friendship.
-- The Book of Virtues by Wm. J. Bennett
2. English equivalent is probably the word like.
Why do we like people? We have something in common and help meet each others needs. You have a gift or skill that complements mine that makes life more enjoyable.
III. The Face of Lust - Eros
- Base motive is possession of object loved, body mind and spirit, based primarily in one’s feelings and the gratification of the senses.
1. Never Used in the New Testament
2. Masterpiece Theatre’s Clarissa - virtuous women finally compromised by one man’s constant pursuit of an unholy alliance and when not getting permission forced his attentions upon her and then casts her aside no longer interested.
3. Catch words: I need. I want. Don’t you love me? If you did, you would ...
4. "In love" or "in Lust" + which is it?
IV. The Face of God - Agape "not based in emotions but in the will, gives without expecting anything in return."
1. Gladys G. -- need for kidney
Today she is either the oldest living person who has received a kidney transplant. Why? Because her brother loved her enough to risk giving her one of his.
2. Young woman, Lynn L. needed a kidney to live.
A young man named Eric at Minnesota Bible College, hearing of her need, offered to give her one of his. Not a relative, not a close friend, but one who cared about another person enough to give up something precious.
3. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." -- NAU Romans 5:1-11
4. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." -- John 3:16;
Conclusion:
St. Valentine demonstrated the highest form of love when he died for his friends. This is the kind of love that Valentine’s Day is really about.
The Bible Says: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13) God showed us this love by coming in Christ to die for our sins. God is love and the source of true love.
Jesus loved us enough to die for us and St. Valentine loved God enough to die for God’s Truth. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day then to commit or recommit our lives to Christ.
Sometimes it is dangerous to stand up against injustice, hatred, and prejudice. Sometimes it is difficult to oppose the world’s view of things to proclaim the truth of God’s Love. But that is what Valentine did!
The Bible says that this is love that a person lay down their life for their friends.
We all want to hear that phrase; I love you. It simply means that someone thinks you are of value.
I am here to tell you that you are loved. God loves you and wants you to be His . The love that God gives us is not like the world’s love. The World’s love is as sturdy as the paper from which most Valentine cards are made. God’s Love is not a cheap imitation. It is the real thing. It is an all giving love that was and is willing to suffer and die for our deliverance.
"We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. -- 1 John 4:16-19
Will you be God’s Valentine? It is your choice. Say yes and return in kind the love that God first gave you. And when you do, remember the first Valentine and the way he gave everything, including his life, to the God he loved.
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "’YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, ’YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’
When we give our lives to God we demonstrate it by our love for others. According to tradition Valentinus gave up his life because he was willing to help others. How does your love for God reflect itself in those you meet every day?
What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day then to commit or recommit our lives to serve each other?
" If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear. Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little! But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear. It’s like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now. There are three things that will endure-- faith, hope, and love-- and the greatest of these is love.
-- NAB -- I Corinthians 13:1-13
