THE GLORY OF GOD ( PART# 80)
Pastor Christopher Choo
Lesson 3378
THE GLORY OF GOD ( PART# 80)
From Glory to Glory ( Study #59)
Walking By The Spirit #29
REVIEW OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT#3
When a believer is controlled by the Holy Spirit, he or she manifests:
1) UPWARD FRUIT ( towards God ): Love, Joy, Peace (Galatians 5:22)
2) OUTWARD FRUIT ( towards others )
(Galatians 5:22b) which consists of
patience,
kindness and
goodness, (faithfulness)
3) INWARD FRUIT ( towards self )
(Galatians 5:22-23)
made up of faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
1. UPWARD FRUIT OF LOVE, JOY, AND PEACE TOWARDS GOD
In today's devotion, we shall discuss Love - the first of the 3 UPWARD QUALITIES of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, and Peace towards God.
The first three virtues can be considered habits of mind that find their source in God.
A. LOVE
The first characteristic of spiritual fruit is Love, the supreme virtue of Christian living (1 Cor. 13:13).
Some commentators insist that in this context Love is a synonym for fruit and therefore encompasses all the other characteristics in the list.
In any case, Love is clearly dominant.
EXAMPLE #1: LOVE AS A MARKER OF SALVATION
The Fruit of the Spirit is the outward indicator of salvation.
A believer’s "sonship" to God and citizenship in His kingdom are manifested by the fruit the Spirit produces in his or her life.
Having a habitually unloving spirit toward fellow Christians is a reason for a person to question his or her salvation.
As Paul declared, “the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal. 5:14; cf. Rom. 13:10).
The term here for love (Agapē) is one of personal choice, referring not simply too pleasant emotions or good feelings but too willing, self-giving service.
True Agape Love is a sure mark of salvation: read
1 John 3:14 -
"We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death."
EXAMPLE #2: THE SOURCE OF LOVE IS THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US
In the case of believers, Love is not an option but a command. “Walk in love,” Paul declared, “just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Eph. 5:2)
Yet this command cannot be fulfilled apart from the Holy Spirit, the source of this and all the other manifestations of spiritual fruit.
As Paul pointed out to the Roman believers, the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
(Rom. 5:5).
What has been effected once for all by the cross of Christ must be worked out in practice.
Abba Father, we will never truly fathom the depths of Your love for us in Your grace of salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Indeed if we truly appreciate both gifts, our hearts will be eternally grateful to You and we will spend most of our limited time of earth studying Your Word and sharing these two precious gifts with others - out of sheer gratitude.
May these lessons on the Fruit of the Spirit galvanize our hearts with a passion for the things that really matter instead of the trivial pursuits we tend to indulge in that draw our time and attention away from You. Dear Lord, help us to get our act together more so now than ever before when the media is riddled with false news and we believe what we want to believe without referencing Your Word of Truth which will grant us eternal life to come and love, joy and peace in our earthly life.
