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The Fruit of the Spirit - Love
The Fruit of the Spirit - Love
By Derek Long
Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” The fruit produced by following the Spirit partly consists of love. Love is a concept widely discussed in the world around us but sometimes poorly understood. If a person is being guided by the Spirit, they will be a person filled with true, genuine love.
Many passages throughout the Bible stress the importance of love. Love is the basis of the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:34-40). Loving God and loving our neighbor are foundational principles to living a life which is pleasing to God. Love is essential to knowing God. 1 John 4:7-8 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Love is to be a distinguishing characteristic of the followers of Christ. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). 1 Corinthians 16:14 plainly states, “Let all that you do be done with love.” One chapter which stresses the importance of love throughout is 1 Corinthians 13. The chapter begins by showing us how no matter what we do in service to God or what gifts one may possess if they lack love it profits them nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 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. 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.” It is tempting to think we can make up for a lack of love by doing some great act, by having impressive knowledge, etc. However, without love we may end up misusing or failing to utilize our knowledge, gifts, etc. to their fullest. 1 Corinthians 8:1 reminds us of how “knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” Knowledge without love can be misused but knowledge coupled with love will be used in a proper manner.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 lists for us various qualities true love produces in an individual. It says, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” Let’s examine how the Spirit seeks to produce love by producing these qualities in our lives.
• “Love does not envy.” God’s word warns us “envy is
rottenness to the bones” (Proverbs 14:30). God’s word does not simply warn us about the dangers of envy but teaches us
instead to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Envy is to be replaced with true and genuine concern and sympathy for others.
• “Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up.” Love and arrogance do not go together. True love keeps us from being puffed up against each other. Love instead does nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit (Philippians 2:3-4).
• Love “is not provoked.” Love does not have a short fuse and is not quickly angered. God’s word teaches us to avoid the wrath of man because it does not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:19-20).
• Love “does not rejoice in iniquity.” God’s word teaches us to “Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). Love does not rejoice when people sin because it recognizes the harm caused by sin. Love instead rejoices when people do the truth.
God’s word teaches us how to properly love God and love each other. Those who allow their lives to be guided by the Spirit end up bearing the fruit of love in their lives. Are you filled with love? If not, you are failing to allow the Spirit to direct your life. We need to search God’s word and learn to develop this essential quality if we are to be pleasing to God.
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