Fruit Producers: LOVE

As Christ says in Matthew 7:17-20

“¹⁷So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. “¹⁹ every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (ESV)

Over the last two weeks we have discussed how the Holy Spirit empowers us (through discernment and truth) to be better followers of Christ and to be an example to others.  As followers of Christ and people who are filled with the Holy Spirit, he says in verse 20 that our fruit of the Spirit should be recognizable to others?

In Galatians 5:22-25 it says,

“²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. ²⁵ Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” (NLT)

As it says, we have been crucified to the flesh (sinful nature) and it explains to us the fruit Christ was speaking about in Matthew 7.

So over the next several weeks we are going to discuss each one of these and see how we can better exemplify Christ in our everyday lives and allow the Holy Spirit to make us better Fruit Producers.

We have already discussed peace, so I think we will just go in order that scripture has it listed.  So we’ll start with…..

Love

We need to take inspiration from God and his unprecedented act of love he showed us.

As it says in John 3:16,

 “¹⁶For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (KJV)

And as we can see in 1^st Corinthians 13:4-7 love’s attributes are described.

“⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (NLT)

• What characteristics of love do you struggle with?
• Are all these characteristics important to show we have the fruit of love?
• How does having the fruit of love change us to exemplify Christ?
• Why is it important, as followers of Christ, to take Christ’s example of love and implement it into our lives?