LOVE: FRUIT
OF THE SPIRIT
Gal 5:22-23 But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The Spirit’s fruit of love is rooted in
God’s nature. God’s love is defined by the Greek word agape, which means
“unconditional, sacrificial love that seeks God’s best for others.”
The natural flow of the fruit of the Spirit
is God, self, and others. In order for the fruit of love to work in us
correctly, we must have a clear understanding of God’s unearned,
and unmerited love for us.
We are not the source of God’s agape love,
nor is His source limited. God’s Spirit produces an
endless and limitless fruit of love. The more we love,
the more God’s love flows in and through us by the power of His Spirit.
1.
GOD IS LOVE:
I
I
2.
GOD DOES NOT TURN HIS LOVE OFF AND ON:
Jeremiah
31:3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying:
"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
3.
GOD (OR LOVE) IS DEDICATED, ATTACHED TO, AND HAS A DEEP AFFECTION FOR
EVERY PERSON, WITHOUT REGARD TO WHO THEY ARE, OR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.
4.
GOD LOVES US BEFORE WE LOVE HIM:
I John
4:10 In this is love, not that we loved
God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
5. EVEN
IF I AM AN ENEMY TO GOD, HE LOVES ME:
Romans
5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of
His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
In order for the fruit of love to function
in our lives we must first understand God’s love for us personally.
1. As important as
understanding the God of Love, is appropriating His
love personally.
I John
5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the
Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot [God the Father]
also loves him who is begotten of Him [God the Son (Jesus)].
2.
Our love for God is based on His
love for us.
I
I
Galatians
2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
It is only after we have understanding of
the everlasting love of God for all people, and learn that His love applies to
us personally, that we can actually love others.
1.
God loves us with an
eternal, everlasting, never failing love.
Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that
neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things
present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
Only
when we are born again and the Holy Spirit takes up residency in our hearts,
can we operate in God’s love through us to Him, to ourselves or to others.
1. When we love others
it is only due to the fact we possess the love of god personally.
Jude 1:21 keep your self in the love of
God, looking for the mercy of our
1 Thessalonians 4:9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to
you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
I
Conclusion: we must first know and
understand God’s eternal love, appropriate it for ourselves and then exhibit
that love to others.
This is not a human effort, but the
divine power of God working through us. This is the fruit of the Spirit in us.
God bless you,
