Fruit of the Spirit: Love, Part 2: In addition to learning to love our neighbors, the Spirit also produces a unique bond between believers. Part of learning to love God is learning to love His people.
Key Points
- The way we respond to believers reflects how we respond to Jesus.
- Disciples of Jesus show their love for Jesus by loving his people, rather than mocking or persecuting them.
- Faith is invisible. It doesn’t leave a mark on the body or change your appearance. But it does change the way treat other believers.
- Love as a fruit of the Spirit results from the Spirit changing believers from self-centered creatures to people who love God and His people.
- Passages: Matthew 10:40-42; John 13:34-35; Matthew 25:31-40; Ephesians 1:15-16; Colossians 1:3-5; 1Peter 1:22-23.
- Greek Word: Strong’s G26
Summary
The connection between believers is a profound connection. It all comes back to this fundamental equality we talked about in the last podcast. We recognize God has revealed Himself in Scripture and in Jesus Christ. We recognize God is the center of the universe, not us. We, His creatures, are equal before Him. We all have the same problem with sin. We find the same grace, mercy, and forgiveness on the cross.
Love as a fruit of the Spirit is the result of the Spirit teaching me that truth and then also teaching me how to live in light of it.
When we see others seeking to live in light of that truth, we recognize those are our people. We share this special bond. The outcome of that will be obvious in the way that we treat each other. We act for each other’s benefits.
Please listen to the podcast for more detail and explanation.
Next: Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
Previous: Fruit of the Spirit: Love Part 1
Series: Fruit of the Spirit
Photo by Bill Williams on Unsplash
Season 24, episode 02