Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

The Greek word for love here is agapao. It is a call for us to love God. It is a verb. Verbs are action words. The word itself cannot be separated from how it acts. The corresponding actions are not distinguished by the act but by the author of the act.

How can we distinguish one expression of love from another? Psychology Today calls out seven different names for love. Each one is distinguishable in use because the author of the act is human. Those expressions are conditioned upon human interaction. Nothing listed entails acts towards God.

Matthew 22:37 calls for us to act in a manner towards God that expresses our love for God in three areas of life. The heart, mind and soul are asked to act in a manner which reflects an all-in condition. Nothing is to be withheld.

The human condition has expressed itself in a manner that tells us that we are not experienced in giving our all. We begin life as selfish babies incapable of caring for ourselves. We grow up with desires that drive our actions in seeking self-satisfaction. We are taught to compete, to succeed, to advance and the driving force behind most of those action is based on our desires.

“The Spirit of revelation has used it (agape) to express ideas previously unknown, inquiry into its use, whether in Greek literature or in the Septuagint, throws but little light upon its distinctive meaning in the NT.” Vine’s quote

Now that we have the indwelling Holy Spirit some expressions of love are acts performed by the Holy Spirit. Which ones are authored by us? How can we comprehend that agape love?