'The Fruit of the Spirit Is...Love'
In Galatians chapter 5, the apostle Paul draws a contrast between the “works of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit.” Here, “fruit” — used figuratively — means actions, qualities, or results as the visible expression of that which produces them. The text highlights what is produced in the life of a person who is led by the Spirit of God (in contrast to what results from following one’s own desires — “the flesh”).
In verses 22-23, Paul lists nine things as fruit of the Spirit (though he could have listed others), noting that “against such things there is no law” (verse 23b). All of them are commanded of us elsewhere in Scripture, and they are evidence of a life that is directed by the instruction of God’s Spirit.
Think about the various aspects of the “fruit of the Spirit,” and ask yourself: Is this the fruit that is being brought forth in my life? Do my attitudes, actions, and words show that I’m following the direction of the Spirit of God?
First on Paul’s list is love (Gr. agapē). In the New Testament, this word denotes active good will meeting needs, putting others first. It is a love that is like God’s love toward us. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This love moved God to meet our greatest need, in spite of our utter unworthiness, and at great personal cost. That’s the sort of love Jesus commands us to have for one another (John 13:34-35).
Kenneth Boles summarizes this love that is emphasized so much in Scripture:
From the New Testament…we learn that agapē is a love that is chosen by the will of the lover, not the loveliness of the one loved. It is a love that is freely given without counting the cost nor calculating one’s own profit. It goes deeper than mere emotion, lasts longer than mere attractiveness, and reaches wider than mere bloodline (College Press NIV Commentary: Galatians & Ephesians).
1 Corinthians 13 beautifully describes godly love in terms of the things it does (or doesn’t do). That is, it describes the fruit that love bears. Paul writes:
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (verses 4-7).
Jesus said that such godly love would be an identifying mark of his disciples (John 13:35). And John warned, “the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). May that love ever shine in each of us. “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).
We'll continue our look at the fruit of the Spirit next week. Stay tuned!
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https://www.plantcitychurchofchrist.org/articles/2026/07/05/the-fruit-of-the-spirit-islove
