The fruit of the spirit is "Love"
Gal. 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:22 -23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The fruit of the spirit is "Love"
Gal. 5:22
Introduction.
Today I want to begin with the fruit of Love as we look deep into the list of the fruit, and "Love" is at the beginng
Gal 5:22 -23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Now lets take a sharper look at the word Fruit.
In the qreek is "Karpos" it means "Work, Act, ans deed
I like to refering to us in this study as a fruit Tree, with the question
What is the "Attubutes" of a Fruit Tree?
#1 It bears fruit, Apples, Oranges, ect.
#2 It does it naturely
Any body ever seen a apple tree bear "Oranges"? or a Plum Tree gives apples?
Well so it is with the christian, We will bear what ever "Fruit" that is in our Life. and it will flow "naturely" just like a tree.
Lets take a closer look.
Now lets consider the "First" Fruit Love.
How will you know that you are Produceing Love? good question
Lets look at the word Love in the greek.
The greek has 2 words #1 Fileoo and it means The Love of Impulse, Affection and feeling,
#2 Agapaoo and it means The Love of esteem.
A example in John 21:15 and 17
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
John 21:17
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Love is the Painting on the canvas behind all the other’s on the list.
LETS TAKE A LOOK. AT THE LIST
Love is "self giving"
Love is totally "selfless"
Love "delights" in giving
Love "continues" to give.
Love "determes" to do whatever is best for others.
Love "Gives" when it gets nothing.
Love "doeset" think of getting something back.
Love is the "Priority" commandment.
Matt,22 :36-40
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
SO WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM ALL THIS?
#1 LOVE IS THE "PREFECT" GIFT
1 cor 13:1-4
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,
#2 LOVE IS THE PERMONENT VIRTURE.
1 Cor. 13;13
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
In Colossians 3:14 Paul uses a "Picture" of a man Getting dressed and says it this way.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Note.
choose anything you would like to put on today, But dont leave off "Love"
#3 LOVE IS THE PROOF OF YOUR SONSHIP.
John 13:35
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
STORY.
I can remmber back when I was much younger liveing any way I wanted to not giving thought to my Life, some what like many today do. Thinking all the time that I was a christian, But knowing down deep in my heart that I was Lost as I could be. My daddy was a preacher all of my Life as long as I can remmber as little boy I can remmber him Preaching and pointing his finger at me it seem like. But all the time I was thinking I was alright with God. But you know something down deep within my heart I had a empty spot that I knew was not right. I try with all my heart to be like a christian, I knew how they were to act I had heard it all my Life. But I found out that you just cant make beleive but for so long. Then I releize that I was not a christian and there was no Proof of any kind in my Life that I had Love. I mean real Love. And it was then I came to know Jesus christ for my self and then I knew what it was like to be a child of God. Thank God he gave me another chance. and so it is with many of you tonight. And thats why you can have Proof that you belong to God. Because of that Love...........AMEN.
#4 LOVE IS ON A PINNACLE BY ITSELF.
1 Cor 13:1-13
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.
#5 LOVE IS THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL VIRTURE OF THE CHRISTIAN EVPERIENCE.
The list of the fruit of the spirit in Gal.5:22 Love is at the top of the list.
WHY? LETS TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING,GENTLENESS,GOODNESS,FAITH,MEEKNESS,TEMPERANCE.
LOVE Is connected to all of the others !! WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT?
1 cor.13:1-13 gives us that lets watch it now as we go down though them.
JOY AND LOVE ARE RELATED.
#1 The strengh of "Love" is Joy. verse 6
#2 The "security" of love is Peace verse 5
#3 The "stability" of love is longsuffering verse 4-7
#4 The "Sobriety" of love is gentleness verse 5
#5 The "simplicity" of love is goodness verse 4
#6 The "surety" of love is Faith verse 7
#7 The "Selflessness" of love is meekness verse 5
#8 The "self control" of love is temperance verse 5
And it all starts with Love.
I want to close tonight with a story.
As you all know that I travel as a Truck driver, and I gess the first time i ever felt True love for someone that Had done me wrong was when I had feel out of my Truck and broke my Leg, I had driven around 300 miles after it happen, I stop in Va at my home office and had to go to the docter there, and they put me in a cast all the way to my hip. Now I could not drive at all and my boss called another driver to take me home which was 200 miles away. Now this drive was one that I had witness to many times. and he was not about to give his life over to God. And as we were going down the road I was never in my Life in any more Pain than this night. This driver i was with did not like the Ideal that I was with Him. But to keep the story short, We got within 10 miles of my house, It was a little after Midnight. I told him I would call my wife and she could meet us some where. so I did It was about 30 min away and I got my wife on the line. she said she would be there. so we pulled off the road and I ask him if he could wait till my wife got here for it was very cold whether. so he stopped and I had to get out of the truck for a min to strech my leg. and when I got out this driver toke my suit case and pitch it out on the ground and said I got to go, and off he went. It was pich dark on a exit ramp my wife was at least 30 more min away. And for the first time in my life I ever felt Love for some one that had wrong me. I stood there with Tears in my eyes for the Joy that I felt that for the first in my life I did’t want to get back at him. I just Loved him. It seem my Life toke a turn from there. Later on this driver every time i would see him he would just Laugh about it. And I never wanted to get back at him. and there a time in my Life I would have stopped at nothen to get him back. But It was the spirit of God that had now changed me....... Thank God I am not who I used to be. Amen.
LETS PRAY...........
