Monday February 13
The Fruit of Love
Read Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith."
and 1 Corinthians 13:
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling 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, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Why is love the first and foremost aspect of the fruit of the Spirit? How does love affect all the following aspects of this fruit?
"God is love" (1 John 4:16). If we do not have God in abiding in our hearts through His Spirit, "we are none of His" (Romans 8:9). We cannot originate this love, but if we would choose to behold God in Christ--to see His loveliness, then we will have His love abiding in us! That is why we understand: "It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross." {DA 83.4} Where can we better gain a picture of God's love than in Christ? What wondrous love is this! Sing it! Talk it! Pray it! Live it! What a privilege it is that we get to be with Jesus and realize that when we truly have His unselfish love in the heart, all of the other fruits will also be present, too! God's love is expressed in all of the fruits of the Spirit so that not one will be missing in the life that is yielded to Jesus!
Love appropriately leads and crowns the various characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit and permeates the whole fruit. In a sense all other qualities listed can be seen as aspects of love. Because God is love (1 John 4:8 ), the greatest Christian virtue is love (1 Cor. 13:13). God's love is the foundation and source of every other goodness. God's love is poured out to us within our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). Love is the evidence that we are God's children.
Amen! But the heart must be fully surrendered for that love to take possession of our hearts. We are in continual need of Jesus to be able to reveal His love, and He will help the weakest of the weak to be made strong in His strength--to reveal His loveliness of character.
This love is far more than mere human affection. It cannot be produced by human effort. It comes as a result of abiding in Christ. Such love is generous and unmerited. It alone has the power to transform. In its tender yet strong nature, divine love leads the sinner to repentance and awakens the desire for something better. Love has the power to unite-even those who formerly were enemies (Luke 6:27, 28; Rom. 5:8 ). Thus, by our love for one another the world will know that Christians are indeed followers of Jesus Christ (John 13:35). This fruit of love will also lead Christians to manifest understanding and sensitivity toward others.
It is interesting that the master description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 comes right between chapters 12 and 14. Those two chapters deal with the gifts of the Spirit. Chapter 13, however, deals with love: the fruit of the Spirit. Even the superior gifts are nothing without love. The gifts of the Spirit without the fruit of the Spirit are powerless and do not produce the blessing that God intends. Love, however, is the glue that binds all other virtues of the fruit of the Spirit into a united whole and gives authenticity to everything we do.
Where does your life lack the quality of love? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with love toward those people with whom you are dealing on a daily basis. Remember that God also loves us through other people. How can you show others love? How does love affect those other virtues mentioned in the fruit of the Spirit?
The lesson asks, "Where does your life lack the quality of love?" This is indeed a significant question--but one that in many ways reveals what many have been taught to believe--that it is possible to be a converted Christian and yet manifest a "lack." What did Jesus say to the rich young ruler?
"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me." (Mark 10:21). This young man thought that he loved God and loved his neighbor--but there was an idol keeping him from that experience--his love of riches. This young man was in a Laodicean condition (feeling saved while being actually lost). He thought he was fine, but he was really lost. If we have a "lack" of love, this is really revealing that we lack Jesus' presence having complete control of the heart by the Spirit. He will not accept a divided service. We are either His fully, or not at all. If we have made a compromise so that we do not love God with the whole heart and our neighbor as ourselves, Jesus does not leave us to perish, but He knocks earnestly to come into the heart:
Revelation 3
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Only when Christ has our hearts completely will we be able to truly love. All we can do apart from Him will be tainted with selfishness and sin (an unconverted experience). Let us respond to Jesus continually!
The lesson invites us to ask the Holy Spirit to do something for us in regard to loving people--but if we would spend time with Jesus daily, and meditate upon Him, the Holy Spirit (who exalts Jesus) will fill us with that love for others! We can only show others love as we behold and imitate Jesus, who went about doing good, healing more than teaching, and continually pointing sin-sick souls to the grace that transforms sinners into saints!