“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
- Galatians 5:22-23
When Paul wrote to the Galatians, he was addressing a community caught in the tension between the law and grace, between what people could produce on their own and what God desired to produce within them. In that context, Paul gave one of the most beautiful and practical lists in all of Scripture: the fruit of the Spirit.
These nine characteristics are not individual fruits we pick and choose from, nor are they goals we achieve through sheer willpower. They are one singular fruit displayed in different ways, the natural result of the Holy Spirit’s presence and work in the life of a believer. A person walking closely with the Spirit naturally bears love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Love is not just the first in the list. It is the foundation upon which all the other fruits grow. Without love, joy becomes self-centered happiness. Without love, peace becomes mere comfort. Without love, patience becomes passive endurance. Love gives meaning, purpose, and strength to every other fruit of the Spirit.
The word “love” today can feel overused and underdefined. We say we love pizza, we love our pets, we love our favorite TV shows, and in the same breath, we might say we love our family or God. The English word love covers everything from affection to desire to admiration. But in the original Greek, the word Paul uses is agapē, a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. It is not a love that depends on feelings, circumstances, or reciprocity. It is the love that chooses to seek the good of others, even when it costs us something.
Agapē love is the love that characterizes God Himself, as in 1 John 4:7-8. God’s very nature is love. Everything He does flows from this reality: His creation, His redemption, His patience, His discipline, His mercy. When His Spirit lives in us, that same love begins to grow in our hearts and express itself in how we relate to others. Love is not something we manufacture; it’s something God cultivates in us through His Spirit.
But before we can love others, we have to understand that love begins with God’s love for us. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). This is where many Christians struggle. We know in our heads that God loves us, but we often live as if we have to earn His approval. We try to be “good Christians” to stay in His favor, but that mindset leads to striving, exhaustion, and guilt.
The fruit of love grows only when we rest in the soil of grace, when we fully accept that God loves us not because of who we are, but because of who He is. God loved us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). His love is unfailing and steadfast (Psalm 136). Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). When we truly believe this, it transforms how we see ourselves and others. We no longer have to prove our worth or compete for love. Instead, we become free to love others as we have been loved, generously, graciously, and unconditionally.
That’s why the first fruit of the Spirit is love. Everything begins with receiving God’s love. Paul describes this kind of love more fully in 1 Corinthians 13, a passage often read at weddings but written for the church as a whole. Read more about that here. Love is not measured by what we say or how we feel, but by how we treat others, especially those who are hard to love. Loving others in this way is not natural. It goes against our instincts to protect ourselves, get even, or seek recognition. That’s why it’s called the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of human effort.
In John 13:35, Jesus told His followers that love would be their defining mark. Notice that He didn’t say people will know we are His followers by our theology, our worship style, or our moral stances. He said love would be the unmistakable evidence of our faith. In a world filled with division, hatred, and self-interest, genuine love stands out like light in the darkness.
The early church was known for this kind of radical love. They cared for the sick during plagues, shared food with the poor, welcomed strangers, and treated slaves and masters as equals in Christ. Their love turned the world upside down, and it still can today. Imagine what would happen if the church truly lived out the fruit of love in every community, workplace, and family.
So how do we cultivate this fruit in our lives? First, we should abide in God’s Word. Scripture reveals the character of God and reminds us of His love. The more we meditate on His truth, the more our hearts align with His. Next, we should ask the Holy Spirit daily to fill us with love – not the world’s definition, but God’s. The Spirit delights to answer that prayer. We should practice forgiveness and serve one another, especially those who cannot repay us.
Love cannot grow in isolation. We need the body of Christ – people who challenge us, comfort us, and help us learn how to love in real life. The fruit of love isn’t meant to stay theoretical or reserved for church. It’s meant to show up in the ordinary rhythms of life. Every act of love, no matter how small, becomes a testimony to God’s transforming grace. Love becomes a way of life, a movement of the Holy Spirit flowing through us into the world around us.
As we begin this journey through the fruit of the Spirit, remember that love is not simply the first virtue in a list, but it is the root from which all the others grow. Without love, the Christian life becomes empty duty. But with love, even the smallest actions become sacred. When we walk in love, we walk in the very nature of God.
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