Summary:

God wants us to live a life of love—His agape love. Agapé love is supernatural, unconditional, limitless, one-sided and doesn’t require love in return. It seeks the advantage, pleasure and
well-being of others and doesn’t regard itself. However, most people
love others according to human emotional love, which is selfish. It only
loves the lovely, has limits and is based on conditions. It is based on
feelings, and asks the question, "What about me?".

1. Walking in love is not an option.
   1. Loving God and others is a commandment (Matthew 22:34-40).
   2. When you keep the law of love, you fulfill all of the laws written in the Bible.
   3. Every Believer is capable of walking in God’s love (Romans 5:5).
      1. The day you accept Jesus as Lord of your life, the Holy Spirit pours the love of God into your heart.
   4. God’s love takes the attention off of “self” and places it on someone else (1 Corinthians 10:24, AMP).
   5. God wants you to look out for the interest of others (Philippians 2:4).
   6. All of your God-given rights are based on agapé love.
      1. God’s promises will not manifest if your actions are based in selfishness.
         
         
2. Walking in human emotional love will lead to separation from God.
   1. Human emotional love is only concerned about “self,” and seeks its own advantage, pleasure and well-being without regard for others (Matthew
      25:43).
   2. Failure to show compassion to others, only demonstrates your selfishness (1 John 3:17).
      1. Christianity can only be demonstrated by agapé love (John 13:34-35).
   3. Lucifer was an anointed cherub and clothed in perfect beauty (Ezekiel 28:11-17).
      1. He became prideful and took his focus off of God and placed it on himself.
      2. Lucifer wasn’t created for himself, rather God created him for the benefit of others.
      3. Whenever your focus is on yourself rather than on others, you have the foundation necessary to produce iniquity and sin.
      4. As a result of Lucifer’s pride, God kicked him out of heaven.
   4. The foundation of all sin is selfishness.
      1. The way out of selfishness is to walk in agapé.
   5. God commanded Adam not to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16-17).
   6. Satan deliberately planned Adam’s fall. He wanted him to be kicked out of the garden just as he had been kicked out of heaven.
      1. Satan showed up with a new thought that contradicted what God had spoken (Genesis 3:1-10, 12, 17).
      2. He seduced Eve out of love and into selfishness.
      3. The devil applied pressure on her emotions to move her away from what God had commanded.
      4. Every temptation is an attempt to take you out of the love of God.
      5. You cannot violate a commandment of God unless selfishness is present.
   7. When Adam and Eve sinned, the first thing they noticed was that they were naked, and then used fig leaves to cover (hide) themselves.
      1. Every animal has a natural coat of protection. Our coat of protection is the presence of God.
      2. When we are moved away from His presence, we are vulnerable to sin. After we’ve sinned, we try to cover ourselves.
      3. Selfishness is concerned about covering itself in order to preserve itself.
      4. Fear is born out of selfishness.
      5. Anger is the expression of fear.
   8. Adam and Eve hid from the presence of God.
   9. Adam blamed Eve rather than accepting his responsibility for the sin (v. 12).
      1. Had Adam simply repented for his disobedience, sin would not have entered the earth.
      2. Because of his sin, God issued the curse.
   10. Instead of obeying God’s voice, Adam obeyed the voice of his wife (v.17).
       1. When doubt and unbelief cause you to become fearful regarding what God has already said to you, ask yourself, “Who have I been talking to?”

Scripture References:

• Matthew 22:34-40
• Romans 5:5
• 1 Corinthians 10:24, (AMP)
• Philippians 2:4
• Matthew 25:43
• 1 John 3:17
• John 13:34-35
• Ezekiel 28:11-17
• Genesis 2:16-17
• Genesis 3:1-10, 12, 17