Afternoon Y'all! I pray this post encourages you and gives God glory! Got suggested topics you want me to write about? Please comment below or email me at info@mocatoday.com.
I'm back and missed you! Last week, I was led to pause blogging to focus on all things back-to-school with my daughters. Honestly, the first few days of virtual learning were a little rocky. But we're in Week 2 now, and the school days are running a lot smoother. I find it amazing how adaptable to change we're capable of with a little help from God, a positive attitude, and compassion! How are you adapting? I would love to hear from you!
Today, I'm happy to introduce a new topic series titled Fruit of the Spirit 5Ws. Over the next nine weeks, we'll review the Who, What, When, Where, and Why for each Fruit of the Holy Spirit. That is– love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). My prayer is that we learn how God biblically defines His fruit, how to express His fruit in our lives, and how to practically walk by the Spirit so we don't gratify the desires of our flesh (Galatians 5:16).
Fruit of the Spirit– Love
Who
Who can agape love?
The Holy Spirit is a gift from God (Acts 2:38, 10:45) and only indwells in those that have chosen to make Jesus Christ their personal Lord and Savior (John 14:26), believe He died for our sins, and believe He resurrected three days later.
Therefore, who can possess the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, as God defines?
Answer: Only true believers and followers of Jesus Christ.
What
What is agape love?
Unlike the English language, the Greek language has several words for love such as storge love (familial, parental love), eros love (erotic, romantic, sexual love), phileo love (brotherly, friendship love), and agape love (God's love). The Fruit of the Holy Spirit speaks to agape love or the perfect love that only God can give (Galatians 5:22). Since the source of agape love is God, we cannot express this love type apart from Him! This is why having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and making Him Lord over our lives is so important!
Fun Fact: The Bible speaks the most about the agape love type and it's referenced in the New Testament over 100 times! Review several references here.
Although agape love can exist with other love types, it's not to be confused with feelings or emotions. Instead, agape love is the highest form of love, a love of choice, backed by deliberate actions taken to express God's perfect love by way of the Holy Spirit.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. ~1 John 4:16 (NLT)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. ~1 John 4:18 (NKJV)
Breaking down 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, we can derive the following 10 traits about agape love:
Is patient and kind.
Does not envy or get jealous.
Not proud and doesn't boast. Remains humble.
Does not dishonor others.
Is not selfish or self-seeking.
Slow to anger and quick to listen.
Keeps no record of wrongs done against it.
Doesn't delight in evil but rejoices in godly truth.
Always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Never ends, doesn't have an expiration date.
Christianity.com explains,
God’s love isn’t sentimental; it’s part of His character. God loves from an outpouring of who He is. As 1 John 4:8 states, “God is love [agapos],” meaning He is the source of agape love. His love is undeserved, gracious, and sacrificial.
Compellingtruth.org also describes,
Agape love is a sacrificial love that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death for the benefit of another without expecting anything in return.
When
When should we agape love?
Only through Him can we show and experience agape love. Writer Mary Fairchild details,
"We receive God's love [agape] in our relationship with Him. We experience God's love [agape] in our relationships with others." Ultimately, God desires we always walk in the Holy Spirit and follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives (Galatians 5:25).
Where
Where is agape love?
God desires we express agape love in all areas of our lives. For example, we are to agape love each other (John 15:12, 1 John 4), God (Matthew 22:37), our neighbors (Matthew 22:39), and even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-46). However, we are NOT to agape love money, evil things, sin, and other works of the flesh as Apostle Paul described in Galatians 5:19-21 (ERV),
The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: committing sexual sin, being morally bad, doing all kinds of shameful things, worshiping false gods, taking part in witchcraft, hating people, causing trouble, being jealous, angry or selfish, causing people to argue and divide into separate groups, being filled with envy, getting drunk, having wild parties, and doing other things like this. I warn you now as I warned you before: The people who do these things will not have a part in God’s kingdom.
Why
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. ~1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT)
Why is agape love the greatest and so important?
Gotquestions.org answers with two main points:
Without [agape] love, there can be no true faith; a loveless faith is nothing but an empty religious exercise. As Apostle Paul says, “If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). And, we know the goal of our faith is our salvation (1 Peter 1:9).
[Agape] love is core to God’s character and central to the Christian life. The law of Christ is to [agape] love God and [agape] love others. [Agape] love infuses all that God does and should infuse all that we do. “Love never fails ” (1 Corinthians 13:8), and it will never cease. Because of this, [agape] love is greater than even hope and faith.
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Remember, it's all about progression, not perfection! God loves you! With Him, you got this! Until next post, may God give you His peace and blessings!
~Natasha
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