The fruit of the Spirit is love.
OCTOBER 3, 2007 (WEDNESDAY) – Yesterday I introduced a series of blogs on “The Fruit of the Spirit” given us in Galatians 5:22-23. Today we look at the first word in that awesome list: “Love.”
The fruit of the Spirit is love.
Last Sunday I preached on “The Love Chapter,” First Corinthians 13. The Apostle Paul’s conclusion in that chapter is that nothing is greater than love.
There are several words for “love” in Greek, the language used in writing the New Testament. The Greek word in 1 Corinthians 13, and here in Galatians 5, is, “agape” (pronounced “ah-gah-pey,” accent on second syllable). Agape love puts its emphasis on the object of the love; it represents a voluntary act for the benefit of the person loved. For instance, John 3:16, using the word, “agape,” proclaims, “God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son..” His love for us was so great that He thought only of us and not of Himself. That’s agape love, the kind of love God wants us to have for others.
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In the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey plans to leave Bedford Falls to pursue his personal dreams, but the needs of his fellow townsfolk are greater than his dreams, and he ends up living in that town his entire life, because he loves those people, even though he never really thought of his feelings that way. That’s real love. It thinks not of its own needs, or even of its own feelings, but the needs and feelings of others. View image
Agape love is an act of the will, and not of the emotions. It is a deliberate deed, done for the benefit of someone else, someone you love. It is connected with duty, loyalty and sacrificial service rather than romantic love or fraternal friendship. The Greeks had words for those types of love also. Each kind of love is beautiful, but agape differs by being totally selfless. We will experience all the various types of love as we live out our lives, and we will know the difference between them.
Jesus taught us about this kind of love by telling us a story about a man who discovered a fellow who had been robbed and beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. Religious people passed by, pretending they didn’t see him, but this man, “The Good Samaritan,” stopped and helped. He rescued the man from death, provided medical aid, and paid for his care, promising to pay even more when he returned from his business trip. This was someone the Samaritan did not know, and for whom he had no special feelings, but in whose interest he willingly performed generous acts. That’s love.
The Holy Spirit produces Love. If you want to be a more loving person, surrender yourself to the Holy Spirit who lives within you. At the moment you accepted Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit began to live within you. Do not make Him sad; let Him have His way and make you into a more loving person.
The fruit of the Spirit is love.