Bite Me · Divine Character & Emotional Development
Module 1 · Lesson 1
Love: The Root of Everything
The Foundation Character Quality That Makes Everything Else Grow
🌱 Part 1 — Foundation Word
Introduction
Love isn’t optional. It’s not a nice personality trait to develop if you have time. Love is the root. Everything else grows from it.
It’s not an advanced spiritual quality for mature believers. It’s not something you add after you’ve mastered other areas.
📖 Scripture Foundation
“But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].”
Galatians 5:22–23 · AMPC
Notice the structure. Paul doesn’t write “fruits” (plural). He writes “fruit” (singular). One fruit with nine manifestations. And the first manifestation—the root from which all others grow—is love.
Without love, the rest doesn’t work. You can’t develop genuine patience without love. Kindness disconnected from love becomes manipulation. Self-control without love produces rigid legalism.
Love is the foundation. Love is the power source. Love is the root system that nourishes every other character quality.
This lesson establishes what biblical love actually is (and isn’t). We’ll study six Greek and Hebrew words revealing love’s nature. We’ll examine Scripture’s teaching on God’s love and our response. We’ll discover why everything in the Christian life hinges on this one quality.
You can’t grow fruit without roots. And love is the root of everything.
Section One: Word Study Foundations
📚 Word Study
1. Divine, Unconditional Love
agapē (ah-GAH-pay)
G26
From ἀγαπάω (agapaō) — affection, good will, love, benevolence. In the NT, the love of God for man and of man for God; the love of Christians for one another. Vine’s: “Christian love, whether exercised toward the brethren, or toward men generally, is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always run with the natural inclinations.”
NT Usage: Appears 116 times in 106 verses. Gospels: 7 times (primarily John). Pauline Epistles: 75 times. 1 John: 18 times. Key concentration: 1 Corinthians 13 (9 times), 1 John 4 (10 times).
Theological Significance: Agapē is THE distinctive Christian word for love. Unlike eros (desire-based love, not in NT) or phileō (affection-based friendship), agapē is will-based and action-based. This is why Jesus could command it. You can’t command an emotion. But you can command a choice.
🌱 Garden Growth
Love is the root system
of God’s garden.
Your spiritual root system works the same way. Love anchors you during trials. Love absorbs truth from God’s Word. Love stores strength for difficult seasons. No love = no roots. No roots = no fruit.
Personal Application: You’re not trying to get God to love you more. He already loves you perfectly. You’re not trying to manufacture love in yourself. He already deposited it in your spirit. Your job? Renew your mind to release what’s already there. Stop striving to create love. Start releasing love that’s already been given.
📚 Word Study
2. To Love (Verb)
agapaō (ah-gah-PAH-oh)
G25
To welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly. The verb form emphasizes love as ACTION and CHOICE, not merely feeling. This is critical for understanding Jesus’ commands: “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
NT Usage: Appears 142–147 times. John’s Gospel: 37 times. 1 John: 28 times.
Personal Application: When you don’t feel love toward someone, remember: agapaō is a verb. You can choose loving actions regardless of feelings. Feelings often follow actions. Act in love first. Emotions catch up later.
📚 Word Study
3. Friendship Love
phileō (fil-EH-oh)
G5368
To love, to approve of, to like, to treat affectionately or kindly, to welcome, befriend. Emphasizes affection-based love—friendship, fondness, emotional attachment. The word family from which we get “Philadelphia” (brotherly love) and “philosophy” (love of wisdom).
NT Usage: Appears 25 times in the NT, primarily in John’s Gospel (13 times).
Key Distinction: In John 21:15–17, Jesus asks Peter three times “Do you love (agapaō) me?” Peter responds “You know I love (phileō) you.” Jesus asks for committed, action-based love. Peter offers emotional affection. By the third time, Jesus meets Peter where he is.
Relational Application: Healthy relationships include both agapē and phileō. Agapē provides the foundation (commitment, sacrifice, choosing someone’s good). Phileō provides the enjoyment (affection, friendship, emotional connection). When phileō feelings diminish, agapē sustains the relationship until feelings return. Don’t expect to always feel affectionate. Do expect to always choose loving actions.
📚 Word Study
4. Hebrew: Love, Affection
ahavah (ah-ha-VAH)
H160
The Hebrew equivalent of Greek agapē—covenant love, loyal love, committed love. The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5) commands total commitment: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
OT Usage: Appears 40 times. Song of Solomon: 6 times. Proverbs: 5 times. Jeremiah: 3 times.
The Threefold Command (Deuteronomy 6:5): Heart (levav)—your spirit, your core identity. Soul (nephesh)—your mind, will, emotions. Strength (meod)—your physical resources, energy, capacity. Love isn’t partial. It engages your entire being—spirit, soul, and body.
📚 Word Study
5. Hebrew: Covenant Loyalty, Steadfast Love
chesed (KHEH-sed)
H2617
Goodness, kindness, faithfulness, loving-kindness, covenant loyalty. Perhaps the most important OT word for understanding God’s love. It’s not mere sentiment. It’s covenant loyalty—the steadfast, unwavering commitment God maintains toward His people even when they’re unfaithful.
OT Usage: Appears 248 times. Psalms: 127 times (more than half). Psalm 136 repeats 26 times: “His chesed endures forever.”
Hosea’s Living Picture: God commands Hosea to marry an unfaithful woman (Gomer) as a living picture of God’s chesed toward unfaithful Israel. Despite her repeated adultery, Hosea pursues, redeems, and restores her. That’s chesed.
❌ Old Paradigm
“If I mess up, God might stop loving me. I need to perform well enough to keep His approval.”
✅ New Paradigm
“God’s chesed is steadfast. His covenant loyalty doesn’t depend on my performance. He’s committed to me regardless of my failures.”
Rest in that. Stop trying to earn what’s already freely given.
📚 Word Study
6. Brotherly Love, Family Affection
philadelphia (fil-ad-el-FEE-ah)
G5360
From philos (friend) + adelphos (brother)—the specific kind of love that should exist within the family of God. 2 Peter 1:5–7 shows the progression: Philadelphia (family love for believers) leads to agapē (unconditional love for all).
NT Usage: Appears 6 times: Romans 12:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, Hebrews 13:1, 1 Peter 1:22, 2 Peter 1:7 (twice).
Relational Application: Philadelphia requires proximity. You can’t develop family affection with believers you never spend time with. Don’t try to develop spiritual maturity in isolation. You need the family. The family needs you.
Section Two: Cross-Reference Foundations
📖 Love’s Characteristics
“Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].”
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · AMPC
Paul lists 15 characteristics of agapē. Every one describes action or behavior, not feeling. Love is defined by observable behavior—you can measure it, choose it, and practice it.
Garden Growth: These 15 characteristics are like a soil test for your garden. Use 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 as a love test: Am I patient? Am I kind? Am I keeping records of wrongs? Test. Identify deficiencies. Amend accordingly.
📖 Love Never Fails
“Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy, it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.”
1 Corinthians 13:8 · AMPC
The Greek word for “fails” is piptō (πίπτω)—to fall, to collapse, to be brought to ruin. Paul declares: Love never collapses. Everything else has an expiration date. Love endures forever because God IS love.
📖 Abide in Love
“I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me]. If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live on in His love.”
John 15:9–13 · AMPC
“Abide” (menō, μένω) means to remain, to stay, to continue. Present imperative—ongoing action. Love isn’t a one-time experience. It’s an ongoing abiding. Your job? Stay connected. Receive what flows. Let it produce fruit naturally.
📖 God IS Love
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God. He who does not love has not become acquainted with God, for God is love.”
1 John 4:7–12 · AMPC
“God IS love”—not “God has love” or “God demonstrates love” but “God IS love.” Love is His essential nature. You’re not asking a harsh judge to show occasional kindness. You’re relating to a Father whose very essence is love.
📖 Love Poured Out
“God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. While we were yet in weakness [powerless to help ourselves], at the fitting time Christ died for the ungodly. But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:5–8 · AMPC
Perfect tense in Greek—completed action with ongoing results. God poured His love into you at salvation. It remains there now. “While we were still sinners”—God loved you BEFORE you got your act together.
Section Three: Garden Growth Parallels
The Three Stages Applied to Love
- Sprout Stage — Receiving God’s Love. At salvation, God’s love was deposited in your recreated spirit (Romans 5:5). You didn’t earn it, create it, or deserve it. Your first growth? Receiving what God already gave. Daily declaration: “God loves me unconditionally. His love doesn’t depend on my performance.”
- Maturing Stage — Walking in Love Daily. Choosing loving actions repeatedly until they become habitual (Ephesians 5:2). Morning preparation, conflict response guided by 1 Corinthians 13:4–7, daily forgiveness practice, weekly service opportunities. Don’t wait for loving feelings. Choose loving actions. Feelings follow.
- Reproduction Stage — Passing Love to Others. Mature love reproduces. You become a conduit passing God’s love to others (John 15:12). Intentional modeling, teaching, mentoring, creating love-saturated culture. One act of genuine love can impact generations.
Section Four: The Covenant Foundation
BEFORE Theology: Loved BEFORE Performance
Your love for God and others flows from one foundational truth: God loved you first. 1 John 4:19: “We love Him, because He first loved us.”
The BEFORE Sequence
- BEFORE you were born — God loved you
- BEFORE you believed — Christ died for you
- BEFORE you changed — The Holy Spirit convicted you
- BEFORE you deserved it — Grace was extended
- BEFORE you earned it — Forgiveness was offered
❌ Old Paradigm
“I’ll love people when they deserve it. I’ll forgive when they’ve earned it. I’ll be kind when they’re kind to me.”
✅ New Paradigm
“God loved me before I deserved it. I can love others before they deserve it. I can forgive before it’s earned. I can be kind without requiring reciprocation.”
Section Five: Practical Application
How Love Changes Everything
1. Approach to God: Old: “God will love me IF I’m good enough.” New: “God already loves me. His love doesn’t fluctuate based on my behavior.” This removes fear. 1 John 4:18—“Perfect love casts out fear.”
2. Relationships with Others: You’re not using relationships to fill your “love tank.” Your tank is already full from God. Now you can love without manipulation, without conditions, without scorekeeping.
3. Handling Conflict: 1 Corinthians 13:5—“Love takes no account of the evil done to it.” This doesn’t mean tolerating abuse. It means releasing the offense, choosing forgiveness, refusing to replay the hurt mentally.
4. Service and Sacrifice: Agapē doesn’t demand appreciation. Jesus washed Judas’ feet knowing Judas would betray Him hours later (John 13). Your service becomes authentic when you stop expecting return on investment.
5. Emotional Health: When your identity is rooted in God’s love, others’ opinions lose power. The only opinion that defines you is already settled. God loves you. Period.
🌱 Part 1 Summary
Without love, faith doesn’t work.
Without love, gifts mean nothing.
Love is the root of everything.
You already have God’s love deposited in your spirit (Romans 5:5). Now: receive what’s given, renew your mind, choose loving actions daily, pass that love to others.
💬 Part 2 — Minister’s Council Analysis
Wisdom From Those Who Walked in Love
Part 1 established the biblical foundation. Now we turn to the Dream Team—ministers who spent decades learning to walk in love. Their insights come from experience. Their wisdom comes from application.
Love as God’s Nature
💬 Andrew Wommack
“God’s love for you is not based on your performance. He loved you while you were yet a sinner. His love is unconditional, which means it doesn’t change based on what you do.”
Most emotional problems trace back to one root issue: believing God’s love is conditional. That’s exhausting. And it’s not true. God loved you while you were His enemy. His love isn’t based on what you do. It’s based on who He is.
💬 Andrew Wommack
“When you really understand how much God loves you, it will transform everything. You’ll approach Him differently, approach others differently, approach yourself differently.”
Love as the Power Charge for Faith
💬 Kenneth Copeland
“Love is the power charge for faith. You can have faith up to here, but if you don’t have love, it won’t work for you because faith worketh by love.”
Galatians 5:6 teaches: “Faith works by love.” Many people wonder why their faith doesn’t produce results. Check the love connection. Are you walking in love? Have you forgiven? Unforgiveness blocks love. Blocked love shuts down faith.
💬 Kenneth E. Hagin
“Faith won’t work in an unforgiving heart. You’ve got to have love or faith won’t work.”
💬 Kenneth Copeland
“The two most important decisions you will ever make are: what you do with Jesus and what you do with love. Everything else in your life hinges on those two decisions.”
Love as Action, Not Feeling
💬 Rick Renner
“In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul lists 15 characteristics of love. Every one of them is an action verb or describes a pattern of behavior. Love is not what you feel; it’s what you do.”
💬 Gloria Copeland
“In marriage, 1 Corinthians 13 is your operations manual. Go through those verses regularly and ask yourself: Am I being patient? Am I being kind? Am I keeping records of wrongs?”
💬 Rick Renner
“The Greek word for ‘fails’ in ‘love never fails’ is pipto. It means to fall, to collapse, to be brought to ruin. Paul is saying that love never collapses. It never caves in under pressure. It never gives up.”
Love Conquers Fear
💬 Kenneth Copeland
“Perfect love casts out fear. Fear is the reciprocal of faith. So if you’re full of fear, your love tank is on empty and your faith won’t work.”
1 John 4:18: “Perfect love casts out fear.” Fear grows in a love vacuum. Fill the vacuum with God’s love, and fear has nowhere to live.
💬 Gloria Copeland
“The fruit of the spirit is not fruits. It’s one fruit with nine manifestations. And the very first manifestation is love. Everything else flows from that.”
Love Transforms Relationships
💬 Gloria Copeland
“When things aren’t working in your life, check your love life. Are you walking in love? Are you forgiving? Love makes everything else work.”
💬 Andrew Wommack
“Religion says God will love you IF you do certain things. The Gospel says God loves you PERIOD. His love is not based on your behavior but on His nature—God IS love.”
💬 Rick Renner
“The word ‘love’ in Greek is agape. This was a word rarely used in classical Greek literature. It had no deep meaning to the Greeks. But the New Testament writers chose this obscure word and filled it with the deepest possible meaning—God’s unconditional love.”
Practical Love Disciplines
Morning, Midday, Evening
- Morning — Receive Before Giving. Meditate on God’s love (Romans 5:5, 8:35–39). Speak aloud: “God loves me unconditionally. Nothing can separate me from His love.” Ask: “Father, fill me with Your love today.”
- During the Day — Apply Love’s Definition. Before responding in conflict, ask: “What does love require here?” When irritated, check the list from 1 Corinthians 13. When hurt, remember: Love keeps no record of wrongs.
- Evening — Review and Adjust. Review: Where did I walk in love? Where did I fail? Release offenses: “I forgive [name] for [offense].” Plan tomorrow: “Tomorrow I will demonstrate love by [specific action].”
Victory Declaration
⭐ Speaking Love’s Reality
“God IS love. His essential nature is love. I was created by Love, for love, to walk in love. God loved me first. I didn’t earn His love. I can’t lose His love. Nothing separates me from His love. Romans 5:5 declares: God’s love has been poured out in my heart by the Holy Spirit. I already have divine love in me. I’m not trying to get it. I’m learning to release it. Love never fails. I never quit. I endure. I believe the best. I hope. I remain steadfast. I am a person who walks in love.”