If you are prone to blush with romance, blushers, be warned; the heart of our discussion can be sultry. As we continue The Breastplate of Righteousness, a mini-series in our Wonderfully Weird Armor of God series, I introduce the third aspect of God’s Love, known as romance or, as the Greeks say, “eros” love. When truly understood, this side of God’s love fulfills The Great Commandment spontaneously and effortlessly.
“Eros,” or romantic love, blushes some people because of its secular or practical meaning. It means expressing a physical love or the feelings of a desire or passion shared between people. It’s a love and passion God gave to humanity to understand His love's fullness. This type of love in our relationships defines us in the faith more than anything else. Relationships, not rules, say more about who we are and communicate who we belong to. First and foremost, we belong to God and function by his design to be in accord with other people respectfully and honorably (Genesis 1 & 2).
God loves us with a Romantic or Eros love, which defines who we are to every fiber of our being. God describes us as his masterpieces. Recall the Bible’s words, “For we are God’s masterpiece…” (Ephesians 2:10a). Physically, God knows his people to the number of hairs on our heads. He knows when we lie down to sleep and when we rise. He knows the number of beats our hearts will have and the number of days we have on this earth. He is familiar with every pleasure of every single one of us (Luke 12:7). That kind of love is passionate and romantic all at the same time. And, when we think about it, isn’t this what we are all desiring and searching for with other human beings, but with one big WORD managing our desires, urges, and pleasures. . . RESPONSIBILITY (Genesis 9:7)?
Romantic or eros kind of love between people requires personal responsibility to function appropriately in God’s arrangement of love. Many Christians believe this type of love is inherently wrong, which it is not (Song of Soloman). It is a gift of God to be shared by people, with the physical act of love only offered through the marriage of man and woman. The love between a husband and a wife should be, among other things, eros or erotic type of love. Why? To enjoy God’s gift to express their love for one another, strengthen their bond, and ensure the continuation of the human race (Genesis 1:28).
When Eros's type of love is in proper form, it is beautiful. When not, it’s the ugliest and most painful sin within relationships—morally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually (Romans 6:23). To avoid the world's sins, let’s fall in love with God’s wisdom of romantic love to enjoy the thrills of the gift of its frills. When understood appropriately, it allows the other aspects of God’s Love – affection and friendship – to be protected by The Breastplate of Righteousness. The protection that ensures hearts aren't broken, and relationships remain alive and well in God’s pure Love. A Love we will explore in our next Wonderfully Weird Armor Series devotion – The Breastplate of Righteousness: Charity (Agape) Love.
With Love,