Fruit of the Spirit - Love

Greetings

Scripture Reading - Luke 10:25-37

Prayer

Prayer

Introduction

The fruit of the Spirit is one fruit with various parts. It is like a mango with its seed, flesh, skin. Can you imagine a mango with one of these parts missing?.....

Can you imagine a Christian without anyone of these parts missing? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control?

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self control

W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), .

Today we will begin to look at the first part of the Fruit, LOVE.

Body

What is Love? - Love is a feeling of deep affection. A central theme in Scripture and Christian theology and ethics. Defines our relationship with God and dictates how we should treat others. (The Lexham Bible Dictionary).

My definition of Love is this. Love is when someone genuinely care for others because they have experienced God’s love.

Love therefore has two dimensions, our relationship with God, and our relationship with people, our brothers.

Love A feeling of deep affection. A central theme in Scripture and Christian theology and ethics. Defines our relationship with God and dictates how we should treat others

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Love

LOVE A feeling of deep affection. A central theme in Scripture and Christian theology and ethics. Defines our relationship with God and dictates how we should treat others

Our love relationship with God determines our love relationship with others.

Anybody can love somebody, even an atheist can love his family members and friends. But that is not the kind of love that extend beyond a small circle of family and friends. That is not the type of love that the bible is talking about here.

Anybody can love somebody, but only God’s love enables somebody to love anybody. That is the love that we are talking about this morning.

The best way to explain or illustrate this type of love is by using the parable or story of the Good Samaritan given by Jesus himself.

The Layer asked an important question, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus responded by asking him, what does the scriptures say?

His reply - Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself (Deu 6:5).

Jesus said, man yo know the thing, now go and do it.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

Jesus said alright, take this parable, and he proceeded to tell the story of the Good Samaritan:

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

Let us look at three points that this story made to help us to understand what love is really like.

The Samaritan helped a total stranger who belonged to a nation who hated him and his family.....

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 5

6 For while* we were still helpless, yet at the proper time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For only rarely will someone die on behalf of a righteous person (for on behalf of a good person possibly someone might even dare to die), 8 but God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while* we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 5

6 For while* we were still helpless, yet at the proper time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For only rarely will someone die on behalf of a righteous person (for on behalf of a good person possibly someone might even dare to die), 8 but God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while* we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Samaritan put aside his own convenience to help the man. One word to describe that is “sacrifice”.......

The Revised Standard Version Chapter 2

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

The Samaritan promised to come back and settle the debt. He was prepared to finish what he started....Loves requires followup......

The Revised Standard Version Chapter 14

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.”

How do we receive this love?

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 5

because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

The love of God is demonstrated in the life of Jesus. This is the love that when we receive it in our hearts (through the Holy Spirit), we would pour it back out on others....

Conclusion

Friends if you are a believer, and you study the word of God you have received the love of God, it is revealed to us through His word.

When we understand what Jesus has done and allow the Holy Spirit to impress upon us what He has done for us: Loved us when we were his enemies, sacrificed everything for us, and will return to complete the transaction, we will respond with love for God and Love for our neighbour.

Appeal