Love
Fruits of Spirit Overview:
The apostle Paul likely planted the churches in Galatia and had a deep love and care for the people he had nurtured to faith there. The whole purpose of Paul’s letter to the Galatians is to remind them of the true gospel and walk in it. There was a sect of so-called Jewish converts to Christianity that were ‘perverting’ the gospel to make it a works-based religion instead of a faith-based relationship. These people are referred to as Judaizers. The term derives from a verb that Paul used in Galatians 2:14, (Ἰουδαΐζειν, if you really want to see the original Greek), which interestingly occurs one place in the New Testament. Galatians chapter 5 is the climax of the argument that Paul is making against the Judaizers, who in Paul’s mind, have made a mockery of the message of Jesus. In the defense of the simple gospel, he comes to outline the basic fruits of what the law and flesh bring, compared to what grace and the Holy Spirit bring about in our lives. There are 15 fruits of the flesh mentioned, followed by 9 fruits of the Spirit. The flesh obviously is more complicated than following the Spirit. The religious do’s and don’ts were confusing the Church in Galatia, particularly in the custom of circumcision. Part of the purpose of the fruits of the Spirit is to clearly define what life in God looks like. It’s important to note that both of these lists of fruits, fleshly and spiritual, are not exhaustive; that is, not all sinful produce is listed there in Galatians 5, and neither are all the good things that God produces. It is rather a basic set of godly characteristics for Christians to strive for. God doesn’t mince words, and these nine fruits were ordained for a reason. As I go through this series defining and applying each fruit mentioned in Galatians 5, I want to come to a full understanding of what our lives should actually produce as we follow Jesus.
2 questions we want to answer for each fruit:
What is it? And how do we produce it?
Fruit #1 - Love
What is love?
Our definition of any term is vitally important. It is especially important when God commands us to do or be a particular thing.
How are we going to strive to produce the fruit of love when we don’t have a working definition of what it actually is?
We're commanded to love by Jesus himself. He says this in John 15.
v12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
There are a few principles in that statement
Loving each other is not optional for the Christian, it is a command.
Jesus is the embodiment of love, (1 John 4:8) “as I have loved you”. You’ll notice a theme that God is the embodiment of all the fruit of the Spirit.
We're commanded to display it with action not just through a feeling, just as Christ did on the cross (Romans 5:8). So simply knowing what love is, is not enough. We must display it
Loving others identifies us with Christ.
As we can already see, love is pretty dang important in the life of a Christian. If I had to come up with my own definition derived from the Scriptures, I would say it's this — love is a God-given emotional attachment rooted in sacrifice and compassion, and action always follows it.
There are different forms and levels of love. We can love our favorite cup, our car, we love our pets, we love our friends, we love our extended family, our parents, we love our spouses, we love our children, we love God.
-All of these have varying degrees, and you show love in different ways to each.
-The more that you love someone or something, the more you display it. But you ALWAYS show it somehow.
-love also has boundaries, the stronger your love, the tighter those boundaries get.
Different words used in original languages
The two main Greek root words are philia and agape. While I’m sure you’ve heard or read about the different words for love, the two were used relatively interchangeably, and it does not significantly change the meaning of any texts that they are used in in the New Testament. Love is our English translation, and it is an accurate and comparable word to the original Greek word agape, which is used in Galatians 5:22. Agape is used far more often to describe love in the New Testament.
The specific type of love that we want to focus on, and what I’m referring to in this teaching, is that of loving human beings and of loving God.
-So now that we have a working definition of love, let’s take a look at the detailed description of love that Paul gives in 1 Corinthians 13.
How do we produce the fruit of love?
In the first letter to the Corinthian Church, Paul is instructing the body of believers in Corinthians to operate like a body, and that each part does their intended work, which is fulfilling and beautiful. Yet "the most excellent way" (12:31), or the highest priority should be, and is.. love.
1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
-This is a poetic way of saying, It doesn't matter what you do for God if you're not rooted in love.
-He then describes what love is and what it looks like, and what it doesn't look like.
-As you read through this list, I want you to evaluate how well you personally love others. Sound good?
1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails…
Love is …
Patient
Long-suffering, endures a lot of junk, loving others is often a marathon.
Kind
Love's not just nice, but genuinely kind, thoughtful, considerate from the heart.
Not envious
Love's not always looking for the next best thing or what others have, love is content.
Not boastful/proud
Love doesn't just to boost your ego, it is humble.
Not dishonoring
Love doesn't neglect or cast other people down, it doesn't posture yourself as superior. Love is respectful.
Not self-seeking
Love doesn't only look out for yourself. It looks out for the interest of others. (Phil 2:4)
Not easily angered
Love is calm in the face of adversity. It is slow to anger. (James 1:19)
Not keeping record of wrongs
This is where it can get tough. Love forgives and forgets, because God does.
It's a choice that we are commanded to make. Holding on to bitterness and grudges is not an option.
Not delighting in evil
Love doesn't celebrate evil, love brings the darkness to light.
Rejoices in truth
Instead of celebrating lies, love gets pumped on the truth.
Protects
Boundaries are a God thing. You protect those you love, and love makes you fight for the ones close to you.
Continually trusts
With deep intimacy should come deep trust. Trust can be broken, but it can be restored with love.
Continually hopes
Love gives you something to look forward to, you believe the best for those you love.
Continually perseveres
Loving people is hard. Real love sees it through.
Never fails
Love endures, and it is victorious.
Only you know what it would take for more love to be produced through you. Here are some questions to help guide you as you seek more love in your life.
In reference to the ways listed above, in what ways do you love people well?
In what ways do you need to love people better?
On a 1 to 10 scale, how would you rate your love for one another?
What would it take for your rating to increase by 1 point? 2-3 points?
