Philadelphia In Marriage - By P Ezekiel Atang

 

Hebrews‬ ‭13:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
“Let brotherly love continue.”

Marriage is the only place where all kinds of love are possible and permitted. As many may already know, there are all kinds of love out there, namely: phileo, agape, eros and philadelphia. - 

The Phileo kind of love is that which exists between friends; it is to be fond of someone, it is to love to hang around someone, with or without anything emotional. -

The Eros kind of love is otherwise known as erotic love, the kind that involves the expression of physical intimacy. This is the kind of love that ought to exist only in marriage, between husbands and wives. 

Then, there is the Agape love, which is the unconditional love that only God gives. It is the kind of love that is born into the heart of a believer upon salvation. 

This is the kind of love talked about in Ephesians 5:22; it is the kind of love that a husband is meant to show to his wife.
 

Then, there is the philadelphia kind of love. This is the love that exists between brothers and sisters. It is called "brotherly love". 

While phileo can be caused by some kind of interest or common traits, as is common among friends, and Agape is caused by the fact that we got saved and then God's love was born in our hearts; however, things could still go wrong. Not to talk of the Eros kind of love that does not waste any time to die off in many marriages. 

Friends can break up so hard and so brutally; the jealousy amongst them could go off hand and things can get bloody. Agape could die due to backsliding and sin in a person's life. 

Agape is only sponsored by the Spirit of God in a man’s life. But philadelphia is the last kind of love to give up or die, because it is not caused by anything external or superficial, but it is caused by blood. 

That is why the book of Proverbs 17:17 says " a friend loves at all times, but a brother is born for adversity".
 

The reason for this is very simple, a brother may not be very visible at all times, but soon as adversity strikes then you see the brothers and sisters rise. 

That is the time when friends may not be so visible anymore, not because they may not want to be there; just that some things are meant for family only. 

Marriage goes through all kinds of turns every now and then, and very unexpected ones for that matter. That is where philadelphia comes in. 

There are times in marriage where you have to cease from phileo and put on the brother/sister hat. 

Our text says brotherly loves continues; even when all the others fail. You can't abandon your brother, you can't abuse your brother or sister, neither will you become violent towards your brother or sister; talk more of killing them. 

When your spouse fails or falls, that is when to become a brother or sister in the Lord. When your spouse gets into serious trouble and everyone runs away, that is when to practice philadelphia (brotherly love). 

That is not when to look for love, romance, affection or submission, no! That is when to arise to what you are born for; which is adversity. This would make our marriages last longer and become sweeter and better.
 

Grace to practice philadelphia in your marriage in Jesus Name.

Assignment
i. Go through today's message again.
ii. Seek to correct yourself in the way you relate with your spouse in tough times.
iii. Declare that your spouse is your brother or sister amongst other beautiful names you may have for them.

Prayer
-Lord make me a sister/ brother to my spouse in Jesus Name.
-Lord teach me to rise up to any adversity that may arise in my spouses’ life from today in Jesus Name.

Nugget
Philadelphia is the last kind of love to give up or die, because it is caused by blood.

June 16, 2017