The Fruit of the Spirit: Love

Galatians 5:22-23; 1 John 3:16-18

Love: The Crowning Fruit of the Spirit

Joy is love exalted; peace is love in repose; long-suffering is love enduring; gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness is love in school; and temperance is love in training.

Dwight L. Moody

Love is the Fulfillment of God’s Commands

No other God, no idols, do not take the Lord’s name in vain, honor the sabbath… These are all rephrased by, Love the Lord your God supremely

Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not covet, Honor your parents, do not lie - all of these can be stated positively, love your neighbor as you love yourself

Matt 22:37-40 “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.””

Gal 5:14 “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””

Rom 13:9 “For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””

Love is the Remedy for what plagues the Church.

Not just an academic position, but a practical solution to the troubles of the church

Galatian Church - tempted to turn to the law with its customs and ceremonies to try to curb sin, but all it would do is create a legalistic culture of self-righteousness, each sitting in judgment of the other.

Even the Church today - Loving One Another is Essential

Bickering, squabbling, division

Wanting to see the church mature and grow, but getting frustrated when another’s growth doesn’t happen when and how you want it

Tired, worn down, feeling disconnected

If we are rooted in Christ, it will show through the fruit of Christ-likeness in us

What the Fruit of Love Shows

A tree is known by its fruit - what does our loving one another show

Love Shows Christ In Us

The Gospel is the message of redeeming love

Not a passive, tolerant, sentimental love; but a passionate, holy, redeeming and purifying love

“God is love, so he won’t judge.” That’s not the love of God you see in scripture.

God in his holiness, could not share in communion with sinners - atonement must be made

He gave his son, to redeem those whom he loved

Rom 8:28-30 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

The love of God saves us, redeems us, transforms us

Love for sinners, that transforms them

Deut 7:8 “but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

Isa 63:9 “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”

2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Christ is the Love of God on Display

1 John 4:8 “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Rom 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

If Christ is living in us, then we will love

The argument of 1 John - evidence to you of your salvation. “How do I know that He has brought me to life , and that I am walking with the Lord?

1 John 3:14 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”

1 John 3:16 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”

1 John 3:23 “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.”

When we love one another, we can be assured that we are walking with Christ (leads to the second point)

Love Shows Us in Obedience to Christ

Love is Christ’s command

John 13 The command of Christ - as I have loved you, you are to love one another.

1 John 4 - if this is how God has loved us, we ought to love one another.

If we love Christ, we will obey his command

Love is a choice

Not a feeling, emotion, or desire - but the conscientious decision to be for another.

The unlovely, the unloveable - just as you were

1 Cor 13 love - bears, believes, hopes

Love forgives as we have been forgiven

Love is a witness to the world

John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””

Tertullian, 2nd century pastor and theologian, “‘Look,’ they say, ‘how the Christians love one another and how they are ready to die for each other.’”

Love Shows Up

Love is a sign that we belong to one another

We are the body of Christ

Love is eminently practical. Nothing terribly complicated, but simply showing up for others, giving from what you’ve received

Realize that what you see in your life as a gift from God was meant to be given as a gift to others

What have you been given that you can give to others?

You’ve been given the gospel, good news of salvation

What can be more loving than sharing the gospel

Col 3:13 “forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

You have forgiveness, grace, and mercy from God

The bitter divisions, rivalries, or complaints are to be addressed by our loving one another

You can show your love today by going to those who have wrong you, and making peace, by seeking forgiveness from those you have wronged, by refusing to gossip, whisper, and slander about others in the church, and seek to build up one another in love

1 John 3:17-18 “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

If you have the gift of financial resources, share abundantly

If you have the gift of time, spend it with others

If you have the gift of faith, encourage those who are struggling

If you have the gift of prayer, pray with and for those in need.