Bread From Heaven

Friuts of the Spirit - Love

Dear God,
We come together today to study the fruit of the Spirit, love. Teach us what it means to have love as a fruit of your Holy Spirit. Let us learn to love others the way you love us. Forgive us of our shortcomings, and help us to pull the weeds of sin out of our garden and out of our love for you and others.
In Jesus Christ’s name,
Amen

Friuts of the Spirit - Love

Galatians 5:22-23

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

Romans 5:5

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

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Fun facts:
https://grasmickproduce.com/2017/02/14/strawberries-the-food-of-love-and-romance...

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What kind of fruit are you producing?

There are two categories or spiritual fruit; fruits produced by the flesh/sin and fruits produced by the Holy Spirit. If you were accused of and on trial for being a Christian, is there enough evidence in your life to prove it? Would you be found guilty as charged?
Matthew 7:16-20 ▼

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

We are studying the fruits of the Spirit. These are the fruits we want our life to produce if we are a true Christian. These are the fruits that would provide evidence if you are in fact a Christian or not. This fruit is produced by the Holy Spirit as you remain connected to Jesus.
John 15:1-8 ▼

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

We produce these fruits of the Spirit when we stay connected to Jesus because we begin putting on the very nature of God. All of these fruits of the Spirit are personality traits of God. We are to be like him.

Fruits of the Flesh

Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

These are not character traits of God. These traits are of the Devil. They are not cultivated and produced in love. Think about what kind of root these fruits of the flesh have. Let's pluck these up by their roots and cast them out of our lives for good. Nothing good will come from them. They lead to death.

🍓Love🍓

The first fruit of the Spirit mentioned is Love. It is also the most important fruit of the Spirit. Without love, what is Joy? Can there be peace where no love is? With no love, no one would want to suffer for anyone else for any amount of time. Where would gentleness and goodness be without love?
Meekness and temperance would have no reason to exist without love. Galatians 5:6 even tells us faith is produced by love.
Galatians 5:6 ▼

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Love is what our God and everything we believe is founded upon. Love is our foundation. God is Love.
1 John 4:16 ▼

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

If we don't have love in our hearts first and foremost, we are not the children of God. Love is the #1 fruit of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 4:7-21 ▼

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Even 1 Corinthians 13, which is considered the love chapter, says that love is of the utmost importance.
1 Corinthians 13:13 ▼

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Jesus gave a direct command that we are to love one another and by our love for one another, we would be known as his disciples. He even repeated it which indicates extra importance.
John 13:34-35 ▼

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 15:17 ▼

These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Love is a fruit produced by the Holy Spirit not just because God is love and we are taking on his character. It is poured into our hearts by God himself through the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:5-8 ▼

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Wow! That kind of gets me excited. Think about it. God does not just love us. He pours his love into our hearts! He showers us with love and blessings and all kinds of good gifts when we are committed to him.

What is Love?

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth:

Traits of Perfect Love:
*Patient (long-suffering)
*Kind
*Not envious/jealous
*Not boastful
*Not arrogant or overly proud
*Does not behave inappropriately
*Not selfish
*Does not think evil of/towards
*Is not easily angered
*Rejoices in truth
*Disturbed by iniquity
*Bears all things
*Believes all things
*Hopes all things
*Endures all things
*Does not fail

1 Corinthians 13 ▼

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Verse 1 says it doesn't matter what kind of elegant or special speech we use or how many languages we know. If you don't speak with love, it is just noise.

Verse 2 reinforces that Love is of the utmost importance. If you are extremely religious and well educated and have a great understanding with all faith and the ability to perform miracles, you are still nothing without love. Without love, we have very little worth.

Verse 3 says if I give everything I own to the poor and give up my life to be burned at the steak, I don't profit from it if I don't have love.

All of these things mentioned in verses 1-3 are only temporary. They cease to exist. They have an end. The knowledge we have as human beings is only partial knowledge. It is not perfect and is incomplete. It is impossible for us to see the full picture. However, with Jesus it is not impossible. When Jesus come to take us home with him, we will have complete knowledge and understanding.

Right now we only see a part of the full picture. It is like looking at life like a puzzle. We can only see bits and pieces of it clearly until it is completely put together. When our life is ended, then all the pieces are put in place and we can see and understand it more clearly.

The greatest quality to have is love. Do you see how important loving others is? Without love, it is impossible to please God. He looks on the heart and knows what truly motivates us. How can you start showing more love to others today?


Resources ▼

https://ourkingdomculture.com/love-the-most-important-fruit-of-the-spirit/

https://slideplayer.com/slide/12820052/

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/fruits-spirit-actual-fruits

https://www.ospreyobserver.com/2020/03/the-fruit-of-the-holy-spirit-what-is-love...

https://www.ucg.org/good-news/the-fruit-of-the-spirit-love-the-ground-from-which...

https://emmausroadfc.org/fruit-of-the-spirit-is-love/

https://krisbelfils.wordpress.com/2013/06/24/fruit-of-the-spirit-love/

https://www.authenticallyjoyful.com/blog/love

https://slideplayer.com/slide/1563227/

https://connectglobal.org/travismoffitt/fruit-of-the-spirit-part-2

https://www.biblemoneymatters.com/bible-verses-about-love/

https://www.preciousheart.org/top-three-types-of-love-along-with-bible-verses/

https://www.slideshare.net/victorsagemulenga/types-of-love-42033482

https://dailyverses.net/love

Jesus is my permanent anchor!