The Lord’s Prayer contains the idea of asking God daily for heavenly blessings to meet our needs. In the original, it is expressed as a communal prayer, in the plural, for all of us. And this is the model the Lord set forth for what every person needs each day.
One might ask, “Why is there no request for agape love in it?” After all, if without it I am nothing and everything else profits me nothing, then perhaps it should also be included in the list of requests.
I think that perhaps only in our school is there such a persistent assertion that love must be asked for and pleaded for, and that this is vitally important for each of us. As we have examined Holy Scripture in this light, we have become convinced that it confirms this idea. Yet this truth does not lie on the surface and is not visible to those who study the Bible superficially or pay no attention to the importance of love in their lives.
The Lord knows that many hearts will not respond to this call, will let this message pass by unheeded, and will build their faith solely on belief in Jesus and obedience to His commandments. But Jesus desires a relationship.
It is not for us to decide the eternal destiny of these people. God also has a plan for the salvation of these souls who are dear to Him but simply did not see what has been revealed to us.
If possessing agape love in all its fullness were the sole condition of salvation, the Lord would have made this known more specifically and would not have hidden its meaning in symbols. Perhaps He would have placed love on the first or second step of development and spiritual growth instead of assigning it a place at the very highest stage of faith, which not everyone reaches even during an entire lifetime with God.
But God does not think as I do, and His plans are higher than mine. As I observe what is taking place among God’s people—the variety of growth and spiritual ministry carried out by the church—I can only say, “Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty!” How good it is that I am not the one saving people, but the One Who never makes a mistake.
There is, however, this principle: the Lord holds a person accountable according to how much light he was given and what opportunities were provided to him. When I understand what God is offering me and how He reveals Himself through this gift, yet pretend that I do not understand and choose something else, there is a strong possibility that I will lose something very important and precious that I will never again be able to obtain. There are many examples in the Bible of people who were offered great privileges by God but chose something else: the rich young ruler, Judas Iscariot, Pontius Pilate, King Herod, and others. For some reason, the Lord did not plead with them to accept special blessings; He silently watched their choice and never offered them anything again.
When I understand that there is a special kind of love and that there are people who study it, ask for it, and receive it, God begins to open these doors for me as well and clearly show me all the possibilities and prospects of this supernatural gift. Then I am faced with a conscious choice. When I understand what love is, how near it is, and how accessible it is, I am expected to express my decision about what I want to do with it: yes or no.
The advantage of possessing love in these last days will play a key role in many matters connected with the closing events of world history, the sealing of God’s people, and the proclamation of the warning message. If the importance of possessing this power of love is indicated in prophecy, then it is worth devoting time and special attention to it so that we do not miss something very, very important.
I choose love. I ask God for this power and pray for this gift from Heaven. And the Lord begins to act. I grow and see how God’s grace changes my thoughts and feelings. I confidently begin to plan my life in love and dream about how I will love everyone and how wonderful it will be. Considering myself a victor now, I boldly go into battle, even forgetting to pray for God’s help, because there is a whole ocean within me. I rush into battle and receive serious wounds, or I simply cannot withstand the onslaught and behave according to my old habits.
During trials, however, I see the opposite picture: not everything is as simple as I thought, and I am somehow empty.
The fact that I received the gift of love and accepted it into my heart does not mean that it is now mine for life and that I will never lose it, so that at any moment I can take it down from the shelf and use it as needed. In some respects, this is how things work: if I have learned to drive a car, I will not forget how. But I will not be entrusted with the steering wheel if I break the rules, run people over, or drive while intoxicated.
God desires to give me everything, with Himself in addition, but He values Himself very highly and cannot place this Treasure into the hands of someone who does not understand with Whom he is dealing. Love is not a car, a toy, or even some kind of weapon. It is the Lord Himself within me, changing my way of thinking and directing my feelings. He desires to bring all of this into complete harmony with His plans and waits for my interest and thirst.
Thirst is expressed in my prayers. It cannot remain silent, for it will die if it does not plead and receive. God desires to see me as a spiritual beggar—not only for the needs of the community, but also for me personally. He does not endow a group of people with one identical gift of love. Instead, He works with each of His children individually and uses a special approach with each one.
A request for love is always appropriate, but without an inner thirst, I will not receive that special power which knows no defeat. It is possible to ask for love as an addition to other gifts and talents, but that will be very different from the extraordinary love obtained through earnest pleading—if you will pardon the expression. You yourselves will see the difference when you begin to receive it.
There is a concern that in favorable times, a person does not feel any particular need to plead earnestly for something. But I am writing so that this knowledge may help us look within ourselves and allow God to bring about this change.
Thirst for love is also God’s gift, and it is worth praying for this as well.
As I observe people and their response to the subject of God’s agape love, I notice frightening things: indifference, busyness, lack of time, failure to understand what is being discussed, smirks, anger, insults, excuses, and self-justification. And these are not inhuman people from the world, but those whom the Lord has prepared to receive even more.
God will not give His love as though He were doing us a favor—as if to say, “At last you have asked.” This is not a commodity He scatters about at bargain prices. It carries a very high price, and the requirements for the buyer are very high. Sometimes prayer alone is not enough; sincere tears or my entire broken heart may be needed—a heart that knows no other way out and can no longer live without love. I cannot produce this within myself. The fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit is needed so that, together with Him, I may plead for and receive that great and inaccessible thing which I do not yet know.
Yet, for all the seriousness of this lesson, I want to add that not everything is as difficult as I describe it. Even if this is not yet within me, I should not give up and go away empty-handed. Love will gently fill every heart that wants to possess it but does not yet thirst for it. Thirst comes from God, and the time will come when everyone will have it—but then it will be too late.
Homework 240
In the light of our lesson, please read Hebrews 3:7–8; Revelation 3:22; Ephesians 3:16–21; Luke 11:13; Hosea 6:1–3; Jeremiah 33:3, 6; 32:40–42; 29:11–13; Hebrews 4:16; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6–7; Matthew 5:3; Isaiah 55:1, 6–11; Psalm 42:1–2; Hosea 11:2–4; and Amos 8:11–12. What did you understand from this lesson? Have you heard God’s call to enter the path of love? If so, what have you decided? What do you expect from God when you ask Him for special love? How do you envision God’s love? Why should we not neglect God’s grace when He calls us to certain actions and decisions? Do you believe that through persistence you can receive from God everything He has promised and desires to give? What should I do if I do not see thirst in my prayers, yet understand intellectually that I should ask for love? Will God entrust Himself and His power into the hands of frivolous people? Why is it so important to possess agape love in the last days?