Love: Fruit of the Spirit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love…” Galatians 5:22 KJV

As you can see, it’s been a few days since I last wrote. I confess, I got hung up on LOVE. There’s a lot to think about, a lot to study, concerning love, specifically what is meant by the word “love” as it is intended when described as the fruit of the Holy Spirit. As this is something we grow in knowledge of, and in experience of, you might have a lot to add to my meager offering. But I’ll give you what I “know”, in other words, what I can tell you from my experience in the love of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps you (whoever you are that read this blog) can give your understanding of what love is in the comments, to help in my understanding of the word.

But before I get into my experience (or lack of at times) with Christian love, let us examine definitions as described by the Bible itself. To begin with, let’s keep in mind that the “love” that comes from the Holy Spirit, cannot be compared, really, to the “love” that unregenerated man knows. And I think we have to be careful to keep the distinction clear. It is as simple again as flesh versus Spirit….really no comparison. We are to put away the things of the flesh, and focus on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5-6)

Let’s first check out what Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance has to say about the word used in Galatians, which is (in the Greek form): agape. [Note: This form of the word as used in Galatians is much different from the word used for brotherly love: phileo. Phileo implies an instinctive, affectionate attachment, and implies more passion, yet agape is deeper than phileo.]

Here are several descriptive examples of agape, the word used for the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, from Strong’s Concordance; pay special attention to the words in bold print:

The attitude of God towards His Son (John 17:26), the human race (John 3:16, Rom 5:8), and to believers on the Lord Jesus Christ particularly (John 14:2);

It is His will to his children concerning their attitude a) one toward another (John 13:34), and b) toward all men (I Thes 3:12; I Cor 16:14; 2 Peter 1:7);

He desires for them to express his essential nature (I John 4:8);

Love can be known only from the actions it prompts as God’s love is seen in the gift of His Son (I John 4: 9,10);

This is not love drawn out by any excellency in its objects (Rom 5:8);

It is an exercise of the divine will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause save that which lies in the nature of God Himself (Deut. 7:7-8);

It was perfectly expressed among men in the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:14; Eph 2:4; 3:19; 5:2);

Christian love is the fruit of His Spirit in the Christian (Gal 5:22);

Christian love has God for its primary object, and expresses itself first of all in implicit obedience to His commandments (John 14:15, 21,23; 15:10; I John 2:5; 5:3, 2 John 6);

Self-will, that is, self-pleasing, is the negation of love to God;

Christian love, whether exercised toward the brethren, or toward men generally, is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered: a) it seeks the welfare of all (Rom 15:2), b) works no ill towards any (Rom 13:8-10), c) seeks opportunity to do good to all men, and especially toward them of the household of the faith (Gal 6:10); See also I Cor. 13 and Col. 3:11-14;

As used of God a) it expresses the deep and constant love and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, b) producing and fostering a reverential love in them towards the Giver, c) a practical love towards those who are partakers of the same, and d) a desire to help others to seek the Giver.

Please take the time to read the scripture references, to add to your knowledge of the meaning of the word agape. We’ll look at additional scriptures on the next posting.

[This blog is an ongoing study of the lives and the faith of Christian women who have experienced and demonstrated victorious living through Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The current study is about Corrie ten Boom which began on September 21, 2009.]