Fruit of the Spirit, 1of9

~ The First Listed Fruit Is Love ~

Overview Scripture  ~  “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:8-11).   

Series Scripture  ~   “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25).  It is important to note that while this passage lists nine fruits of the Spirit it is not a complete list—which includes “all goodness, righteousness, and truth” as seen above in Ephesians 5.

Comment  ~   Maybe the reason love is listed first in this list of nine fruits of the Spirit is that it is the absolute key.  If you truly have love the other listed fruits will become a natural outgrowth.  Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). 

Natural Man  ~  The key question is do you love darkness and despise light?  “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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