Concerning Love...
The Apostle Paul was so concerned about the Love Walk of the Church of Ephesus, he prayed a prayer for the Christians to help them understand the fullness of the depth of God's love for them.
Paul prayed that they would be rooted and grounded in the boundless love of Christ. Let's look into the heart of Paul as he prays:
Ephesians 3:14-19 (NKJV)
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your heart's through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height ˇV to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.¨
You may ask, "Is it really possible that I can know the love of God that surpasses knowledge?" Yes you can. There is a place greater than our knowledge where we can live in Christ so that we will experience His love to a greater degree than the knowledge we have.
"All the fullness of God" implies more than just one experience in Him. It speaks of a broad-based spirituality acquired through participating in Kingdom Principles which include the wisdom, resources and blessings of God Himself. This fullness is the very substance of God. When we receive experientially, we become rooted and grounded in Godˇ¦s love for us.
We cannot really love God without, in some way experiencing His person.
When we do this we surpass our knowledge of Him, and experience living in the Divine Presence of God.
Our experience brings revelation to what we know through the word.
God's love is His very substance. He is love. Everything He does is motivated and based on God's unconditional love for His creation. God cannot withdraw His love from us because love is the substance of who He is.
When we love God and we divinely connect to Him we:
* Will desire to follow Jesus as He commands. We will want to obey Christ.
* Will seek to do what honors Him.
* Will seek Christ in all of our decisions.
* Will want to have a healthy love and respect for ourselves. If we cannot love ourselves, we will not be able to truly love others as Paul intended when he said:
Ephesians 5:1 (NKJV)
Therefore be imitators of God dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.¨
In other words, "Walk in love."
Jesus instructs us in John 5:14-17 (NKJV)
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.¨
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his Master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you.
These things I command you, that you love one another.¨
The primary evidence of the indwelling presence of God is the nature of our love.
When our temporary assignment on this earth is over, and we stand before God, we will be judged on our love. Knowing this we must ask ourselves, "Am I loving well?"
We must realize that Jesus Christ is the POWER WITHIN US to live out the Fruit of the Spirit.
The Fruit of the Spirit is the expression of God's love lived out in us. It is simply the production of the life of God in our life.
God wants us to learn to live in this world from the inside out.
Being "ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT" is what happened to us when we accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord of our life. It is the nature of God put within us - The New Man.
We need to continually let our new nature come out. When we allow the Fruit within to grow, as we consistently yield to the Holy Spirit, we become an extension of God's love to others.
In our relationships with others we make choices in how we act toward them. Every situation offers us some choice. Right, wrong and the better choice. The better choice is always letting the fruit come out.
The Fruit of the Spirit keeps us steady in God and responding in love to others. It keeps us walking the walk.
Remember!
The Gifts of the Spirit offer power for service.
The Fruit of the Spirit empower God's character to be lived out in us.
The Word of God changes us.
God wants His children to be known by their fruit. The outgrowth of the fruit operating in our life is LOVE.
Love of God - Love of ourselves - and Love for Others.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Only the Holy Spirit can produce this love in us - not our own efforts.
Note that "fruit" is singular - not plural. It is one and indivisible. When the Spirit completely controls the life of the believer, he will produce the graces of joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. Thus, the love of Christ is produced in us and we are empowered to live our life in the image of Christ.
Consider those who receive the blessing of the fruit that may be operating in us:
Love, joy and peace concerns our attitude toward God.
Longsuffering, kindness and goodness concerns how we live out our social life.
Faithfulness, gentleness and self-control concerns principles that guide our conduct as we interact with others.
The credit is not ours to take. The Fruit has been put within us - it is a gift from God. It is our responsibility to draw from the empowerment we have received and live our life accordingly in the image of God.
CAUTION:
Sometimes the Fruit of the Spirit is not fully formed. It doesn't seem to always be fully shaped. Sometimes it isn't fully ripened or mature.
There is Hope!
God will use imperfect vessels while they are developing their love walk. The very life of Christ endeavors to be expressed through our life. Begin where you are, ask God to forgive you and to help your fruit mature.
Love Is Our Highest Calling:
Love is the motivating power in our actions. It should be constantly ordering our behavior.
Love is the first Fruit of the Spirit and produces all the graces that follow.
Love can be compared to the sections of an orange. The same Holy Spirit who produces Love also produces each of the interrelated Fruit of the Spirit.
* Love is first directed toward God.
* Love is the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
* Love is the secret of a fruitful and victorious Christian Life.
* Love should be given out to everyone. Love is not selective.
Romans 13:10 (NKJV)
Love does no harm to a neighbor: therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.¨
Galatians 5:13-14 (NKJV)
"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty: only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Yes, Jesus commanded that we love in four ways:
Luke 10:27 With all your heart (emotions) With all your soul (will) With all your mind (Mental facilities) With all your strength (body)
To accomplish this, the Spirit must direct the natural parts of man into the supernatural - for God is love.
I John 4:8 (NKJV)
"He who does not love does not know God, for God is Love."
John 13:35 (NKJV)
"By this all will know you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Love is A Choice:
Even when we don't feel like loving, we are commanded to do so. It is when we don't feel like it that we should allow the divine agape love of God to be the juice flowing through the Fruit of the Spirit in or life. Allow God to help you during the difficult time. When you do this, it works and it becomes easier and easier. Don't try to do it by yourself. Let's review the graces (fruits) of the Spirit:
Joy - Love with happiness.
Peace - Love in total relaxation
Longsuffering - Love under fiery trial
Gentleness - Love refined when all the coarseness of self is purged out.
Goodness - Love shown toward others by righteous conduct.
Faith - Love trusting
Meekness - Love with humility
Temperance - Love with self-control
Make Love Your Aim!
Decide in your heart that you want to live the Love Walk. Expect a battle. Call upon the arsenal of the Holy Spirit to assist you. Be prepared to sacrifice. Love is sacrifice. Love is not self-seeking. Love wants to be involved in the lives of others. Love wants to give of itself. Love cares. Love is the answer for most of the worldˇ¦s problems. When we choose love we are not caught up in selfish desires and having everything our way.
Start you Love Walk by checking yourself against Loveˇ¦s Check List according to I Corinthians 13:4-8:
1. LOVE endures long and is patient.
2. LOVE is kind and looks for ways to be constructive.
3. LOVE is not possessive, and envies no one.
4. LOVE is not anxious to impress, and does not brag.
5. LOVE is not out for display, nor does it cherish ideas of its own input.
6. LOVE is never rude.
7. LOVE does not insist on its own rights or way, for it is not self-seeking.
8. LOVE is not irritable or touchy, nor quick to take offense. (Love is not easily hurt.)
9. LOVE keeps no record of wrongs and hardly even notices when others do it wrong.
10. LOVE does not gloat over other menˇ¦s sins.
11. LOVE rejoices when right and truth prevail.
12. LOVE knows no limit to its endurance, and is loyal to him or her no matter what the cost.
13. LOVE has unquenchable faith and is ever ready to believe the best in every person.
14. LOVE'S hopes are fadeless under all circumstances.
15. LOVE endures everything without weakening and always stands its ground in defending him or her.
16. LOVE NEVER FAILS - LOVE NEVER FADES OUT
17. LOVE NEVER BECOMES OBSOLETE - and love never comes to an end.
(If you will check yourself against this check list often, you will rarely find yourself being hurt, or hurting someone that you should be loving.)
Every time you read the above list ask yourself, would love react this way according to I Corinthians 13?
This is a good way to walk in love 24 hours a day!
© Wanda Onstad 2007
http://shekinahgospelchurch.com
