The Greatest Love of All
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” – John 3:16 (NKJV)
When God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of mankind, He demonstrated that He is the greatest Lover of all time, for that agape love covered a multitude of sins.
Commentators present Mark 12:31 as evidence for the Bible’s support of self-love, declaring that we cannot love others if we do not love ourselves first. It must be noted that Jesus would not even mention loving your neighbor as yourself, if loving yourself in a healthy way was not possible or even part of the equation. Loving others is connected to loving yourself. When you love others without loving yourself, you will burn out. When you focus on yourself without loving others, you become selfish. The love must flow from God to self, to others.
Transcendent agape love is the highest and greatest love there is and cannot be compared to any other love. It is a sacrificial love that unites and heals. It is the love of God that we see through the cross of Jesus Christ. This love saves humanity in the face of sin and death. John 15:13 states, “Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends” (NASB).
The popular worldview of self-love means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others. The Greek word translated as ‘lover of self’ is “Phlautos” meaning selfish, fond of self, and too intent on one’s interest. While in 2 Timothy 3:2-4, we are warned of the last days when people will be “lovers of self” rather than “lovers of God.”
Any self-love that sprouts the fig leaves of self-exaltation, self-elevation, and self-focus is not love. This is an axe that disconnects the truth of God. If you have been consumed by self-love, deliverance is available; reach out to Jesus.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, Your Word in Psalm 51:17 (NLT) states, “The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit…”. I confess that I have strayed from Your presence and, over time, became selfish, self-centered, and self-focused, having little or no compassion or love for those around me. I have pushed people away. I repent Lord; forgive me. Send me Your agape love and deliver me, in Jesus’s name, Amen!
Read: Micah 6:8; Romans 5:8
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 15; Matthew 17:14-27; Matthew 18:1-9; Genesis 49; Genesis 50
