The fruit of the Spirit is love...
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The fruit of the Spirit is… note it is not the fruits of the Spirit. This is the characteristics of the Spirit. It is not the root of the Spirit; because, Jesus is the root of the fruit of the Spirit. To bear the fruit of the Spirit one must abide in Christ. If you want apples you go to the apple tree. Jesus is the cornerstone we the branches must abide in Him. There will be a natural overflow, by abiding in Christ we will bear the fruit of the Spirit. It includes all the characteristics, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.
Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
We are called to walk in the Spirit. We who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh. There is not in the Spirit and in the flesh at the same time. Those who belong to Jesus have died to sin once and for all, in the same way Christ did. We must reckon ourselves to be dead indeed to sin and alive unto God.
LOVE:
G 26. agape, ag-ah'-pay; from G25; love, i.e. affection or benevolence; spec. (plur.) a love-feast:--(feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love
John 15:9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
Philemon 1:6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
A principle of grace is to acknowledge every good thing which is in you in Christ. God has put the Spirit in our hearts where by we might cry out Abba Father. We need to declare all that Christ has done; Christ in me the hope of glory! This is the way to make the sharing of our faith effective. It is not what we have done for Christ; it is what Christ has done for us!
1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us. We are called to stop and consider, meditate on the manner of love the Father has bestowed on us. He has had a love feast and poured the benefits of the feast upon His children. What a God that calls us His own. What love that we should be called the children of God. This is the Father’s heart toward us! Awesome He is indeed.
1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 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.
God is love; God is agape. It is a perfect love driven by affection and benevolence. It is a love that is proactive. For God so loved the world that He gave… Verse 10 is so clear, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation, the substitute atoning sacrifice, for our sins. Man cannot love God or his fellow man with the God affection until there has been a revelation of the love of God for that man.
1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.
To know and believe the love God has for us is the beginning of our abundant life. We have been called to abide in His love. The enemy of our soul is always busy trying to get us off point. It amazes me how many believers are not sure of the love the Father has for them. To know and believe the love of God toward us is to be perfected in love. Many have not understood and tried to walk outside of divine order by putting the emphasizes on their love toward God. Don’t dismiss verse 10 …”not that we loved God, but that He loved us”… This revelation of perfect love empowers us to have no fear but indeed to have boldness on the day of judgment. Far too many Christian live without the boldness the love of God calls us to. There is no fear in love, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. Yes, the fruit of the Spirit is love; we love Him because He first loved us.
1 Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13 is the great love chapter. It is sandwiched in between Paul teaching that the gifts of the Spirit should be in operation in the church. Greater than the Spiritual gifts being in operation is love in operation in the church. If we can speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, it is like being the sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. If every Spiritual gift was in operation and faith was so strong that every mountain was removed, without love it is empty and useless. God’s kind of love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up. Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil. Love never rejoices in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, love believes all things, hopes all things, endure all things. Love never fails.
John 21:14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. 15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (God love me) Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You (I brotherly love you)." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you (God love me) love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You (I brotherly love you)." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (brotherly love Me) Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love (brotherly love You) You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.
This is an amazing encounter between Peter and Jesus. Peter had denied Jesus three times just before Jesus was nailed to the cross. Jesus had called Peter to feed and take care of the lambs that would come to Jesus. Jesus was busy restoring Peter trying to bring him up to the agape love as opposed to the brother love that Peter could confess. Peter had blown it and indeed blown it big; however God did not change His mind for the destiny and purpose that He had for Peter. Instead, Jesus was restoring saying what I have called you to do Peter, do. Jesus was calling Peter from the brotherly love to the higher agape love; so Jesus is calling us all!
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