Today we are continuing to look at love as a fruit of the Holy Spirit: this love has its roots in the Lord Jesus Himself of whom the Bible says “having not seen you love” 1 Peter 1:8. First and foremost this is a reciprocal love that goes back to Him, as in 1 John 4:19, “We love Him because He first loved us.” It is not just Him surrounding us with His arms, but it is also us embracing Him in return, making the love bond complete. Love has a quality about it that compels us to do those things that please the one we love; Jesus seems to pick up on this as He says “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word…” John 14:23, and in the next verse He makes it clear that if we don’t keep His word we don’t really love Him! We saw in part two of this series that love is a clear testimony that we are His disciples, and that His commandment is for us to love one another as He loved us, John 13:34-35. Now we read in 1 John 4:21 “And this commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God, must love his brother also.” This is not an option, it is a command; and since love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit we should question the love we say we have for God if we do not love His children, cf. 1 John 5:21! Jesus taught that by love for God and our fellowmen both the law and the prophets find full fruition; perhaps we should point out that while love is often considered an emotion, this love is often spawned as a choice, empowered by the Holy Spirit, extending even to our enemies, see Matthew 5:43-45!
Our love for Jesus
By Rose Hill
Jesus said if you really love Me,
You will keep My word and all will see,
That all My teaching you do obey,
And from My commands you do not stray.
Then My Father will love you too,
And come live with you, that’s what He’ll do!
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version copyright …1982 by Thomas Nelson Co. used by permission.