Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Now that we have studied the context in which the fruits of the Holy Spirit are mentioned, it’s time to look at these fruits one by one. The first fruit mentioned is love.
Got Questions.org explains the love referred to this way: “Galatians 5:22-23 is one of the most beloved passages in the Bible. The “fruit of the Spirit” has also been misinterpreted as characteristics that believers should somehow manufacture in their lives. But the key to understanding these qualities is in the name. “Fruit” is the natural result of growth. And “of the Spirit” explains exactly Who causes that growth—it’s not our striving or straining, but the power of the Holy Spirit. No amount of human toil or gritty determination can produce spiritual fruit, but the Spirit’s influence in a yielded heart can work miracles. The fruit of “love” may be the best example. We cannot produce the type of love God desires without the leading and strength of the Holy Spirit.
The English word love has very broad meaning, but the Greek language was very precise. The love which the Holy Spirit manifests in believers is agape. This love is not a feeling, but a choice. It is the choice to be kind, to sacrifice, to consider another’s needs greater than one’s own (Philippians 2:3). Agape is used in all of the “hard” love verses in the New Testament:
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
“For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1 John 3:11).
“Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back” (Luke 6:35).
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
It is because of love that God carried out His plan to save the world: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It is only by love that we can keep the greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31).
Love is the greatest gift God can give. First Corinthians 13 says that agape is patient. Agape is kind. Agape never fails. God desires to show His perfect, selfless love to a world that is routinely confused about what true love is. God’s children are the conduits of His love, as they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. “ https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-Holy-Spirit-love.html
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 describes love this way: “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.”
I read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 every morning, not because I do so well at loving but because I fall so short. My constant prayer as I am reading these verses is “Lord, please help me love because by myself, I can’t do it!”
Look at the qualities of agape love.
Agape love is long suffering and kind. No matter how many times a day your children or your coworkers bother you with questions you’ve already answered, if you have agape love, you will respond patiently and kindly.
Love does not envy. While we might lie to ourselves, insisting that we are actually admiring someone else’s possessions/job/house/spouse/children/talents, etc., we are still envying that person. True love rejoices that someone else is so blessed.
Love does not parade itself and is not puffed up. We have all seen charitable donors who want to make sure that their charity is widely advertised. These days, we don’t have to blow trumpets as we are giving; we can simply go on social media and post about our munificence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and every WhatsApp platform to which we belong.
“Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil…” In a world where we are encouraged to “have it your way!” and to “look out for Number One!” those who truly love are thinking of others first. We become provoked when we think of ourselves first rather than thinking of others. And we can really become provoked when we think up evil stories about others.
“Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth…” Those who truly love refuse to gloat when they hear of someone doing something wrong or when they catch someone doing something wrong. If anything, true lovers grieve when they hear of someone slipping into some sin.
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” Lovers persist in loving, no matter how badly people behave. Rather than retaliating, lovers intercede and continue to hope that God will change difficult to love people into His likeness.
“Great!” you say. “But I can’t possibly do this.” No, you’re quite right. None of us can love in this fashion, unless God puts His Holy Spirit in us and we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts. How can this happen? We ask God and God does the necessary work.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are totally incapable of truly loving those around us. We find ourselves repeatedly becoming frustrated, upset, and impatient with difficult people. We lose our tempers easily, and say things that are anything but loving. Lord, we give You permission to change us into Your likeness, for You love unconditionally. Please help us to continue to grow so that we will reflect Your love and not our petty sinful natures. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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