Funmi Komolafe
Beloved, last week, people of the world would mark what they call Valentine’s Day on the 14th of February.
Either you are a part of it or not, the question that a Christian should ask himself or herself is what is true love?
The Holy Bible tells us about Agape Love. Agape Love is described as “ a selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial love that is a choice, not based on attraction or obligation”.
To a Christian, this is said to be the highest form of love.
John 3 vs. 16 &17 (KJV) tells how God demonstrated Agape love to mankind. It states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved”.
Beloved, God sent us JESUS despite all the sins that man has committed.
Man has killed, raped, stolen, served idols, kidnapped, betrayed fellow human beings and committed all sorts of sins, yet God showed mercy by sending us his son to save us from eternal condemnation.
The Almighty God knew that man would need to express his love to another human being hence he created woman out of man.
Genesis 2 vs. 18: “ And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him”.
Verse 23 of the same chapter gives an account of what Adam said when he saw the woman.
And Adam said , This now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Thus putting in place the marriage institution with some expectations as expressed in verse 24: “ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall become one flesh”.
Brethren, God did not give any condition for a man to love his wife or for a wife to love her husband.
This tells us that the first essence of marriage is companionship. Love without conditions.
Child bearing is not the first reason for marriage. God expects us to express true and unconditional love to each other in marriage as Christ did for us.
Having children is an additional blessing on marriage
Genesis 4 vs. 1&2 “ And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground”.
Note that Eve said, she had “ gotten a man from the LORD”. This is the first confirmation that only God gives children and they are to be conceived in a marriage not outside marriage with so-called Side Chicks as we hear now.
Psalm 127 vs. 3 &4: “ Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are the children of the youth”.
Beloved, if you truly love your spouse with agape love, you would not go out with a side -chick or side- cock to mark Valentine’s Day.
Those who take such steps unwittingly enter into evil covenant that may bring, sickness, retrogression or even untimely death to their lives.
Such a person, may also never testify to the goodness that God has planned for him or her because he or she has by his or her own action, blocked an expected miracle.
With true love, you would not betray your spouse by consenting to ill advise to have children outside your matrimonial home just because you have been married for some years without biological children.
Christ is love and true expression of love is in Christ.
How do you express your love for God?. It is simply by obeying his commandments. When we obey his commandments, we are showing love to God and other human beings.
The Holy Bible defines love in 1st Corinthians 13 vs. 4-7 ( NIV) : “ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
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.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres”.
Verse 8 sums it up, “Love never fails”.
Beloved, examine yourself, if you are impatient, proud, self-seeking, easily angered, if you keep record of wrongs, then there is no love for anyone in your heart.
A man or a woman who has a confidant outside marriage is not a true lover of the spouse.
The moment a partner begins to cheat on the spouse because, child bearing is delayed, love is lost.
Many are guilty of this, not necessarily because they do not love the spouse but because they aren’t strong enough to resist family pressure. When such a person gives in to such pressure, you can be sure love has flown out of that marriage.
Beloved, I may not know how long you have been waiting to have biological children but it is better you hold on to love as defined by God and see the LORD come through for you.
For a couple that remains together in marriage holding on to God, there is hope that great children would come into that home by the power of the Almighty God.
This week, we are likely to find many of our youths out there, going to catch fun to mark Valentine’s Day. Often times, what they engage in are not an expression of true love. .
Or how do we explain, a man who killed his girl friend, butchered her and cut off her head?
May God deliver our youths from unfriendly friends in Jesus name.
Rather than move out to places unknown to parents and guardians, it is better to express love in a manner that God would bless us in return.
As Christians, we should show love to the poor, orphans and widows. These are people that are unable to reward us materially but God that has seen us express unconditional love will definitely reward us beyond our expectation in Jesus name.
Beloved, have you even asked yourself why Red is the color used to mark Lover’s Day?
Has it ever occurred to you that red is the color of human blood.
It is the color that symbolizes the Blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary.
Revelations 12 vs. 11: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death”.
Barrenness, loneliness, poverty, retrogression, etc are all manifestations of the work of the devil.
The Blood of Jesus has redeemed us from all.
Galatians 3 vs. 13&14: ( KJV) : “ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”.
Therefore, we are overcomers and testifiers only if you express your love in Christ by giving your life to Him and keeping the commandments of God.
Deuteronomy 28 vs. 1-6 (NIV): If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands that I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.
The fruit of the womb will be blessed, and crops of your land and the young of your livestock – the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
Your basket and our kneading trough will be blessed.
You will be blessed why you come in and blessed when you go out”.
Brethren all our heart’s desires can be met with our love for Christ.
The love of Christ is able to wipe away all tears and may the LORD do so for you this season in Jesus name.
Go ahead and express your love in Christ for others and see what God would do for you.
With your love for Christ, you will experience true love.
Glory be to JESUS.
