Fruit of the Spirit - Love

Introduction

Galatians 5:22–23 KJV 1900

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Body

Matthew 22:36–40 KJV 1900

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Jesus wants us to love Him

Obedience

Submission to His will

Jesus wants us to love people

Treat them the way we treat ourselves

We value our time

We value our own opinions

We want a chance to be heard

Speak to them and about them as you want them to speak to/about you.

We set others above us.

The demonstration of love is an act of the will

The love of God (Agape love) is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost

“Going through the motions brings on the emotions.”

1 Corinthians 13:1–8 KJV 1900

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.

Characteristics of God’s Love

Never impatient (suffereth long)

Never unkind but gentle (is kind)

Never jealous (envieth not)

Never shows off or places itself in front of others (Vaunteth not itself)

Never values itself over others (is not puffed up)

Never behaves unseemly, dishonorably, shamefully (doth not behave itself unseemly)

Never insists on its own way (seeketh not her own)

Never irritable (not easily provoked)

Never resentful (thinketh no evil)

Never rejoices at others failures, and always believes the best of others (rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth)

Never gives up (beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things)

The Pre-Eminence of Love

God’s love will never fail - i.e., never stop. Never go out of existence. It will always be present no matter what.

The Gifts of the Spirit will one day cease. They will no longer be necessary.

Even the knowledge we have will be set aside, made useless, wiped out.

John 15:12–13 KJV 1900

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

We completely commit ourselves to someone else’s well being

Commitment - Talk about this awhile

Conclusion

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV 1900

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

“Fear” - Cowardice, Timidity

Love will move us to speak the truth to others

Love will cause us to give of ourselves even when it starts to hurt

Love will motivate us to minister to others’ needs even when our needs aren’t being met