The fruit of love

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 

What is love?

      The word used in the NT is agapao and means “to love dearly, fond of, to welcome”. The Hebrew word is ‘ahab and carries the whole swing of love, affections and desires. (Deut 6:5). It carries all these meaning because the command is love God with all our being – even our emotions and feelings.

      The Bible gives more what love does than the emotional side of love. When it speaks of individuals loving another then the emotions and feelings are also involved. When God speaks of loving our enemy it speaks of our treatment of them – feed, give water, help them in a bad situation.

      The “Love chapter” is originally translated charity because that word carries the idea of action over feeling. In this chapter Paul tells us what love is and what it is not by telling what it does and what it does not.

      Love suffers long – long spirited; doesn’t lose heart; perseveres patiently, bravely, enduring misfortunes and troubles; patient in bearing offense and injuries of others.

      It is kind – to be mild. Not quick to be offended.

      Envieth not – It does not boil or burn with desire over the fortune of others. Not controlled by it.

      Vaunteth not itself – self display, embellish.

      Not puffed up – proud, swell up, blow up – to cause to be natural.

      Not behaves unseemly – conducts according to Godliness

      Seeketh not her own – does not desire personal gain

      Not easily provoked – does not become irritated easily when offenses occur.

      Thinketh no evil – does not desire injury or hurt to another.

      Rejoiceth not in iniquity – is not glad for injustice – even when it benefits itself.

      Rejoiveth in truth – joins another joy, congratulate with another’s truth.

      Beareth all things – a thatch, to cover with silence

      Believes all things – to think best in others, situations

      Hopeth all things – to wait for full salvation with joy and full confidence.

      Endureth all things – to remain, abide, not recede or flee

      Never fails – never falls away; never becomes powerless

 

Supernatural

            The love that Paul describes is supernatural – something we do not have naturally. We may display some of its qualities to our family, but even then we fail. It is only as we have and are had in possession by God’s Spirit that we can have and display that love.