1/2/2024
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
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."
Galatians 5:22-23 is a well noted passage that reveals the heart of godly character as produced by the Spirit of God. It underscores the Christ-like behavioral traits that every Christian should possess as a divine enablement and work of the Holy Spirit. The manifestation of these qualities is not produced as a result of any human effort, but these characteristics solely are orchestrated by God as a result of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.
The nine characteristic qualities mentioned are reflective of the nature of God and should be manifested in the life of every Christian. These virtues entail what our lives should be characterized by and governed by.
When our lives are controlled by the inner workings of the Holy Spirit pertaining to love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, then it shows forth that we are not governed by the works of the flesh which caters after worldliness and worldly philosophy.
The opening of verse 22 uses the conjunction “but” to emphasize a contrast between ungodly characteristics and godly virtues. It is used to make a distinction between those who abide in God and those who live apart from Him. Those who are under the mastery of the works of the flesh as stated in verses 19 to 21 take pleasure in adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness (promiscuity), idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, self-ambitions, dissensions (strong disagreements), heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries (partying) and things as such which are not reflective of the kingdom of God.
A life that is under the rule of sinfulness and void of God cannot showcase the fruit of the Spirit.
For the elect of God, the fruit of the Spirit embodies the mind of God for our spiritual welfare. The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible articulates that “the believer is to walk bearing God’s nature, that is, the fruit of God’s Spirit. Note that the word “fruit” is singular, not plural. The Holy Spirit has only one fruit. It is broken down into a list of traits in order to help us understand His nature. Therefore, when the Spirit lives within a person, all these traits are present. The genuine believer does not experience and bear just some of them; the Spirit of God produces them all in the life of the believer.” 1 In addition, Grant Richison stated “the singular form of “fruit” suggests that the Holy Spirit produces a package of character. Love, joy, and peace do not stand alone, but in relation to each other. All nine manifestations of fruit stand in relation to each other. The works of the flesh are mutually antagonistic to each other, but the fruit of the Spirit is the natural, coalescing result of the Holy Spirit controlling our lives. The Spirit-filled believer always manifests a unity of nine character qualities. He does not love at the exclusion of inner peace. He carries all of these qualities when he is Spirit filled.” 2
With this in mind, let us begin to unfold the nine characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit beginning with the characteristic of love.
The Source of Love
Love is the first virtue mentioned in relation to the fruit of the Spirit.
Love is considered as the supreme ethic of all the characteristics described because it is the greatest of all virtues.
The love chapter known as 1 Corinthians Ch. 13 reveals this truth by the declaration “and now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). The word “love” as notated in verse 22, agape, entails of the highest degree of love that God has for mankind and that mankind should have for God as well as others. Agape love is sacrificial, selfless, and volitional (given freely without being forced). The greatest display of such love was exhibited when God gave His Son for a sin cursed world to die upon a wooden cross (cf. John 3:16, Romans 5:8, John 15:13).
John 3:16 NKJV — “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Romans 5:8 NKJV — "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
John 15:13 NKJV — “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."
The Greek transliteration of the words “love and loved” used in the verses mentioned above as well as Galatians 5:22 refers to agape love, the supreme form of love. The manifestation and epitome of this love is of God for God is love (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:16).
Warren Wiersbe verbalized that “God is love” is not simply a doctrine in the Bible; it is an eternal fact clearly demonstrated at Calvary.” 3
1 John 4:9-10 reveals that "in this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." William Evans said that “love is more than compassion; it hides not itself as compassion may do but displays itself actively on behalf of its object. The Cross of Calvary is the highest expression of the love of God for sinful man.” 4 God actively has shown the presence of His love throughout human history. His love has been displayed in every era of time and is still flowing from God toward humanity today. God’s love is shown in how He cares for us and gracious acts upon our behalf daily.
Hence, when we speak of agape love, we are essentially saying that God is the source of love, the means of love, and the definition of love. Love is a moral attribute of the Lord. It is an essential part of His Person and being that has been extended to the object of His love, humanity.
If God did not demonstrate His love to a lost and dying world, how would we be able to express such a love in return. Jonathan Landry Cruse stated, “because love is a fitting description of God’s being, it is therefore a fitting prescription for Christian behavior.” 5
Love Is the Identifier of Every Christian
Love is a quality by which all believers should be known by as being the core aspect of our lifestyle. In John 13:35, Jesus made the declaration “by this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The MacArthur Study Bible addresses the reality that “love is to serve as the distinguishing characteristic of discipleship.” 6
The fruit of the Spirit that produces love within should be manifested through the actions of every Christian and seen as a true measure of Christian discipleship. Love should be the driving force by which believers operate under the control of the Holy Spirit.
The true measure of our faith and positional stance before God is determined by our love for others or the lack thereof.
If a person claims to be a follower of God and love is absent from his or her conduct, speech, and thought process then it is an indicator that the Spirit of God is absent from his or her life. 1 John 4:20 paints this sentiment by declaring “if someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”
Agape love is the true determinate of saving faith that is genuine and interwoven in the Person of God.
Apart from God, the works of the flesh are active in the life of an unbeliever. Instead of being loving, those who do not possess the indwelling presence of God cannot love as they are not governed by the Spirit. The very fact that unbelievers are incapable of displaying agape love entails that hatred, envy, discord, selfishness, bitterness, divisiveness, and such rise to the forefront in their conduct, speech, and rationalization for those who are void of God’s Spirit.
David Jeremiah emphasized that the wicked deeds of those without Christ are clearly seen being evident to the eye and performed out in the open. 7
Wickedness generates wicked behavior, but godliness produces holy and righteous behavior.
The fruit of the Spirit defines the righteous. Love defines the elect of God. Thus, the love of God embedded within the believer will come out naturally in alignment with the nature of God inside of us.
When the community of faith loves the way that God intended for us to do so then He is glorified. Jonathan Landry Cruse wrote “God is glorified when we have a disposition of love within us at all times, ready to express itself in the moment the opportunity arises.” 5 There are several questions for every believer to internalize as it relates to being loving: (1) Are you resembling the virtue of God’s love? and (2) Are you eager to show forth the same love that God has shown toward you? Prayerfully, the answer is yes to both of these questions.
The Preacher Outline and Sermon Bible insinuates that “the believer is to walk bearing God’s nature, the believer is to walk bearing a crucified flesh, the believer is to walk consistently with his position in Christ, and the believer is to walk free from selfishness, super-spirituality, and envy.” 1
The only way for this to be accomplished is by the virtue of love that is a result of the Spirit of God. If a person is truly identified by the love of God, then it will be evident vertically with God and horizontally with mankind. Matthew 22:37-40 helps us to understand this as it is penned, “you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the first and great commandment. “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
The Wiersbe Study Bible put it this way “love for God cannot be divorced from love for one’s neighbor.” 3
Both go hand in hand as they are essential in speaking to the identity of professing believers. Love is a telltale sign of one’s true conversion and the work of the Spirit in his or her life. Grant Richison asserted that “one of the by-products of becoming a Christian is that the Holy Spirit revolutionizes our love toward God and other people.” 2 1 John 4:16 sums this truth up by it written composition “and we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
Everyone born of God loves because the love of God is manifested in our hearts. If we have a true connection with God, if we have true fellowship with God, if we have true love for God, and if we have true reverence for God then we have the same love that God has for other people.
Let’s not hinder or quench the work of the Spirit in our love for God and others.
Resources
The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible
Grant Richison. Verse By Verse Commentary.
Wiersbe Study Bible
William Evans. The Great Doctrines of the Bible.
Jonathan Cruse. The Character of Christ. The Fruit of the Spirit in the Life of Our Saviour.
The MacArthur Study Bible
The Jeremiah Study Bible