It is no coincidence that Paul puts “love” first in the fruit of the Spirit. The Greek word for love in this instance is agape.

It is the highest form of the different kinds of love expressed by distinct Greek words, including eros (romantic love), philia (friendship love) and storge (familial love).

• Agape is the kind of love God has for his creation. It is pure, selfless and self-sacrificing. It seeks the best for others — even enemies — at all times, at all costs. A beautiful description of agape love is found in the Bible verses of

1 Corinthians 13, a well-known passage of Scripture.

God showed his agape love for us in sacrificing his only Son to save us from our sinful nature.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)