Love At First Sight, Christians, & What Does the Bible Really Say?

Is love at first sight real? Is love at first sight biblical? Should Christians believe in love and first sight? Here are a few quick pointers when it comes to the concept of love at first sight.

Usually when someone refers to the idea of “love at first sight” they mean that at the moment they saw someone, they felt this person was going to be their spouse one day. People use this phrase when they want to drive home the point that there was instant chemistry, attraction, and a desire for a long-term relationship. Some would go as far to say that they knew this person was “the one” or their soul mate right at the moment they first met.

Humans use the word “love” in many ways. I would recommend reading C.S. Lewis’ book called The Four Loves for an in-depth look at the different types of love there actually are. In regards to our questions about love at first sight, Lewis would classify this type of experience as Eros love.

Eros love is what Lewis describes as “being in love” romantically. This is an erotic love. He distinguishes this, however, from just a ****ual experience which he refers to as Venus. Lewis states that Eros occurs when, for example, a man doesn’t just have a passion for a woman but he desires a specific woman romantically. This type of love is not wrong or sinful, but as Lewis points out it can be misused and idolized. It is not good or bad, rather it depends on how it is used and where it leads.

Eros, however, is very different than the highest form of love which Lewis discusses, which is Charity love or the love of God. Some have referred to this as Agape love which is a selfless love that does not change with the circumstances of life or actions of another person. It is based in the giver not in the receiver.

When the Bible talks about love, it almost always is referring to this Charity type of love, this Christian love, the love of God.

Two good examples involved Isaac and Rebekah and Jacob and Rachel. In Genesis 24:62-67 Rebekah and Isaac have great chemistry right from the start and their relationship leads to marriage. A very similar experience happens between Rachel and Jacob in Genesis 29:1-12. Their relationship too leads to marriage.

A classic bad example of how “love at first sight” can go wrong is David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. Another terrible example of how infatuation leads to sinful behavior is what happened between Amnon and Tamar in 2 Samuel 13. Amnon’s passion for Tamar grows out of control and he rapes her. It then states, “Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her” (2 Samuel 13:15).

Idols always eventually let us down. You can always know how much you idolized someone by how angry you get at them when they do not fill you like you thought they would.

For more on "Love at First Sight" click here, http://applygodsword.com/what-....does-the-bible-say-a

*FREE eBook: The Ultimate Guide to Christian Singleness: http://applygodsword.com/chris....tian-singleness-bibl

Paperback books and small group Bible studies by Mark Ballenger:

Intertwined: Our Happiness Is Tied to God’s Glory https://www.amazon.com/Intertw....ined-Happiness-Tied-

Redeemed Like David: How to Overcome Sexual Temptation https://www.amazon.com/Redeeme....d-Like-David-Overcom

*The Ultimate Guide to Christian Singleness https://www.amazon.com/Ultimat....e-Guide-Christian-Si

Never Quit: A 5 Week Small Group Bible Study on the Power of Prayer https://www.amazon.com/dp/1979772673/

Basic Transformation: A Small Group Bible Study on the Basics of Christianity and Transformation https://www.amazon.com/dp/197959063X/

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