Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is now law.”
This week and the following week, we will examine one of the nine-fold fruit the Apostle Paul calls “the Fruit of the Spirit.” Yesterday, today, and for the rest of the week, we will examine the first of the nine, LOVE.
So, yesterday, we defined LOVE. Although much more can be said about love, the overall gist from Scripture is that love is God, and He is the source of love. The greatest embodiment of God’s love is in the person and work of Jesus Christ. We love because Christ loved us first. We can love others because of our relationship with God and the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Today, we will focus specifically on Christ and the love of Jesus Christ.
It is always good and always right to be reminded of, to meditate upon, and to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ continually. The Gospel is not only the greatest love story of all, but it is also love in action perfectly.
Ephesians 2:1-10, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Before Christ, outside of Christ, we are spiritually dead, and we are walking towards destruction. However, despite our spiritual deadness and sinful nature and propensities, notice the words “...But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great LOVE with which he loved us…” what did God do? He “even when we were dead in our trespasses (dead in our sin), made us alive together with Christ—by grace [we] have been saved…” What great love God has shown to you and me that He sent His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to die on our behalf, a death that we so rightly deserve because of our sin—Christ took our sins to the Cross. Christ Jesus took upon Himself the wrath of God we deserved for our rebellious ways so that we can be restored and reconciled to God the Father by grace through faith in Him. Moreover is that God’s great love is even further displayed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ because not only do we get to share in the victory of Christ, but we get to enjoy a future in which our bodies are made like Christ to dwell in the presence of God, free from pain and living forever in eternity with our brothers and sisters in Christ. And to add to the great love already displayed at the Cross and the blood of Jesus that secured an eternal redemption for us, we can also enjoy an eternal inheritance as co-heirs with Christ. And as a result of our salvation, as a result of faith in Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us, we can do good works for the glory of God that were prepared for us as those made in the image of God, for the worship of God.
We are made alive in Christ by grace alone, through faith alone, out of love. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Have you experienced the love of God in Christ Jesus? Have you repented of your sin and trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life? If not, do not harden your heart to the love of God in Christ Jesus, but humble yourself, recognizing you are a sinner in need of God’s saving grace. Put your faith, trust, and confidence in the person and work of Jesus Christ to save you from your sin and make you a new creation.