ICS Daily Devotions
The First Fruit of the Holy Spirit is Love
Galatians 5:14-16,22a (NKJV) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! 16I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh……22a But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE…. (emphasis added)
We live in an imperfect and fallen world and therefore, there will be many opportunities for people to hurt us and vice versa in any friendship or relationship. It is difficult to love those who hurt us or make life difficult for us. Nevertheless, the Apostle Paul cautioned us to beware how we respond lest we bite and devour and be consumed by one another. Only animals bite and devour one another!
For example, we can be very mean in words and actions, to another person who doesn’t agree with us. As a new creation in Christ, we should proactively make the effort to walk in the Spirit by choosing words that don’t destroy or belittle the other person. We should respect and love those who have different views and opinions from us.
Colossians 4:6 (NKJV) Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Grace speaks of unmerited favour. Gracious words build up rather than tear down. Believers should season their conversation with grace that are Word centred, Spirit enabled, and with appropriate and proper responses. Believers filled with the Spirit will manifest pleasant and wise conversations and speeches, seasoned as if with salt.
We should begin to love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ before we proceed to loving our enemies. If we cannot even love those who are within the family and people cannot even see Christ in us, then we have lost the testimony of being the salt and light of the world. For example, while we may come from different denominations and from different countries, we should embrace others and humble ourselves to think the best of one another. This will help us stay united and learn from each other.
Romans 13:10 (NKJV) Love does no harm to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is the famous passage on love and it is good if we can picture in our minds what it looks like in practice:
Love endures with patience and serenity
Love is kind and thoughtful
Love is not jealous or envious
Love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant
Love is not rude
Love is not self-seeking
Love is not provoked nor overly sensitive or easily angered
Love does not take into account a wrong endured
We need to have a balance between the fruit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If we have all the gifts but have no love for the people around us, then truly we are like a resounding gong. May we continue to grow in maturity as we pursue love and the rest of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Sermon Series: Fruit of the Spirit – Love
