The first component of the fruit of the Spirit mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Galatians (5:22) is love. This brings to mind a number of questions. Why is love mentioned first? What is love? How do I love my neighbor (especially the one who lives next door and mocks me for my faith), when I don't feel love for him?
Let's deal with these questions in order. Why is love mentioned first? Consider the following:
- "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1 John 4:7-8, emphasis added) In order for us to know God we must love. The Holy Spirit gives us love first, that we may know God, Who is love. Sounds like a positive feedback system. We receive love, so that we may know love, so that we may receive love, so that...well, you get the picture.
- "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:11) OK. God is holy, pure, perfect; we are unholy, impure, imperfect. God cannot come into contact with us, except through the cleansing, purifying blood of the Lamb, Whom He sacrificed because He loves us and desires us so much. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) If God can love us that much across such a tremendous gulf of separation, we ought to love one another, given that our differences are not as great as our similarities. Nevertheless, we are a stiff-necked people, and we find it difficult or impossible to love some of our neighbors, so the Holy Spirit loves them through us.
- "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" (1 John 4:20) The Holy Spirit has given us love, because without love for our neighbors, we cannot truly love God.
- The word translated "love" in this verse (Galatians 5:22) is agape. It is unconditional love, requiring nothing in return. It is an act of the will, not a feeling in the gut.
- In fact, Paul describes it for us in the famous "love chapter" of 1 Corinthians (chapter 13:4-8a) "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
- "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." (John 15:13) Jesus was talking about literally dying for another. This was a prophecy of His impending death on the cross. Nevertheless, "laying down one's life" can be done in a less gruesome fashion. In Ephesians 5:25, Paul tells us that a husband should "love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her." I have never pictured Jesus suggesting that I throw myself under a bus as a blessing to my wife. (Although, I am sure there are times when my wife might think that would be a blessing!) No, I am to put my wife's needs and desires ahead of my own, provided they are within the will of God. I am to "take up my cross daily and follow [Jesus]." In fact, the calling of a husband is not only to sacrifice for his wife, but also to discern what is the good and perfect will of God for her, so that he has a frame of reference against which to measure her desires. In other words, he is to be the spiritual leader of his home. That is laying down his life for his wife.
- Who is my neighbor? Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? My neighbor is whomever I see in need. When I see him, I am to lay down my life for him.
- "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:43-45) Wait a minute; hold the phone. Are you telling me that I have to love that jerk next door? I just can't do that. No, you probably can't, but the Holy Spirit can. That is why He gives you love as part of the fruit of the Spirit. "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?" (Matthew 5:46) The real test of our trust in Christ is our willingness to follow Him, in this case to allow Him to love the unlovable through us. We can't do that through the power of the flesh, so the Holy Spirit gives us love for the unlovable.
How do we appropriate the fruit of the Spirit? This is the essence of sanctification. Jesus prayed the Father, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:17) John tells us that "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God." (John 1:1) Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life..." (John 14:6) In essence, then, sanctification comes through knowing the truth, which is the word of God, which is Jesus Christ. The more we know Jesus, the more we will appropriate the fruit of the Spirit.
God tells us, "...I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6, emphasis added) God wants us to know Him; not just know about Him; not just believe that He exists; but know Him, intimately. He wants so desperately for you to know Him, soldier, that He sent His only begotten Son to die an agonizing, humiliating death on the cross of Calvary. Only because He was willing to make such a sacrifice can you and I (cleansed of our sins and made holy by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God) come into His presence and know Him as our Abba Father. He gave us the scriptures (the word, the truth) so that we might know ABOUT Him, and He gave us Jesus (the word made flesh) so that we might know HIM.
What an awesome idea. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, emphasis added) "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10) God has cleared the path; He has done all the work. We are simply called to come into His presence and know Him. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20) That's right God, the Creator of the universe, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, would like to have an intimate little dinner party with YOU! Only a fool would pass up such an invitation.
Want the fruit of the Spirit? Get to know Jesus. Have dinner with Him. Go for a hike with Him in His creation. Laugh with Him. Cry with Him. Invite Him into your heart and your home. Tell Him how grateful you are for the sacrifice He made on Calvary. Jesus tells us, "Come and see" (John 1:39), and "Follow Me." (John 1:43) How better to know someone than to come and see what he is doing and follow him around while he is doing it. So, corporal, follow Jesus around (read the gospels) and see what He is all about. When you begin to know Him, you will begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit.
At ease.
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