Love Goes A.P.E. – Part 3: Eros

Eros, or romantic, sexual love is the third stage of love. Out of eros came the cosmos (1 Timothy 2:14). The lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life are the entire world (1 John 2:16). In eros one cares for the self more than (or even at the expense of) others. It is largely based upon physical attractiveness and desire which ironically make it the easiest type of love to understand and yet the hardest type of love to maintain.

Eros – so beautiful yet so frail – is the weakest link (1 Peter 3:7). Eros grasps for the other person seeking to bond that person to the self. We cannot love the cosmos and have the love of the Father (1 John 2:15). Indeed, there is a soul bonding that occurs each time erotic love is engaged in which is why it is best preserved within the covenant relationship of marriage between husband and wife (Genesis 2:24).
Eros was not evident until God created the woman and presented her to the man for his companionship and pleasure (Genesis 2:18, 21-22). A sexual/romantic relationship thrives on the pleasure of the individuals (Genesis 2:25). When the relationship is no longer as pleasurable as it initially was (Genesis 3:7-8), it begins to fade unless the individuals move into the next stage of love (Genesis 3:16-19, 23-24).