Fruit of the Spirit - LOVE

In my last blog post I talked about what is the fruit of the Spirit - the effects the Holy Spirit has on the life of a believer.

In Galatians chapter 5, we find a list of the attributes or characteristics of spiritual fruit that we are to produce which will lead others to Christ and strengthen our relationship with Him.

Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance . . . "

In verse 22, Paul starts with “LOVE”.  The Greek word that is translated here as love is agape.  This is a godly love.  

1 John 4:8 says that “God is love”.  And “love” in this verse is also translated from agape.

Agape is the love originating from God or Christ for humankind.  In the New Testament, it refers to the covenant love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God and it extends to the love of one's fellow man. 

Nothing can artificially manufacture the love of God in us. Love is a fruit of the Spirit; it grows in His presence.  As we allow Him to change us, we can love God and love others as we should.  "If we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:12).  

Agape love is not a sentimental, sweet, affectionate emotion.  It is a choice to put others first and to sacrifice ourselves on their behalf (John 15:13).  This kind of love can only come through God's power.

 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  

(1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, the King James Bible translates the word agape as charity.  That’s what godly love is; it’s giving of ourselves to other people (“All things to all men.”)  God uses the apostle Paul to show us different characteristics of agape love.  Through these characteristics we can see the other spiritual fruits show through.

The sacrificial choice to love is above honor and pride.  Agape love chooses to be kind and patient in the face of insult.  It is humble despite others' arrogance.  It doesn't worry about honor or revenge.  Because agape love is empowered by the Holy Spirit, it can ignore worldly values and focus on the hope that others will come to God as well.

Paul’s wisdom is evident in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 where he tells us about his strategy to win or “gain” people to Jesus.  Instead of comparing himself to others (as he warns against doing in 2 Corinthians 10:11-12) he becomes a servant to “all people" (1 Corinthians 9:19).

Paul goes on to say that “unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews” (vs 20); “To them that are without the law….that I might gain them that are without the law” (vs 21); “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (vs 22).

Paul then tells us in verse 23 the reason why he has become a servant to all people: “And I do this for the gospel’s sake.” 

One time at a PTA board meeting that I was in, the PTA president had brought in someone who taught different organizations how to work together as a team.  This lady brought a lesson on how we should treat other people….how they prefer to be treated.  She used some cool games and illustrations to help us conclude that everyone is different, and in order to bring out the best results in dealing with people we should understand and recognize those differences and treat them how they prefer.  

This is exactly what Paul is telling us to do in 1 Corinthians, chapter 9 by using his own life as an example.  He even did it without a power point presentation!  His wisdom and insight is enabled by the fruit of Love 💜

God is love, it is essential to His nature, and when we love - when we seek to benefit others with no regard for the cost to ourselves - we show that we know God.