Galatians 5:2-3 The Fruit of the Spirit Is Love
Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The hallmark of a growing Christian is growing in love, biblical love! It is attested by unfeigned, sacrificial love for our brethren. Our Lord Jesus said this, John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” The Apostle Peter says the same in 1 Peter 1:22 “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” The Apostle John says the same in 1 John 4:12 “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” Finally the Apostle Paul says, 1 Thessalonians 4:9 “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”
Biblical love is the most lacking element in this world today and throughout human history. In fact, Jesus revealed to us this truth before His ascension in Matthew 24:12 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” This is the first occurrence of the word “agape” in the NT. The truth is also that we cannot produce such love by ourselves. It is the work of the Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer that produces such love – it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Our love is never “agape” love. God does not want us to produce our own concoction of love. This pure love is first shed abroad in the heart of every believer by the Holy Spirit – “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5). This “love” is like an injection given that goes directly to the blood stream producing its effect. We have to acknowledge the divine nature of this love and the divine source of this love. We have to cultivate the conducive environment to bear fruit. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit as the Apostle Paul shows us in Galatians 5:22. Such a love we shall see motivates a person into such action that he is willing to do for that person in the light of eternity no matter what the price may or cost be to himself, that is God’s love. This is what we desperately need. How can we be effective fathers and mothers without divine love! Amen.