"The Power To Prevail Over Your Problems"
Series on the Fruit of the Spirit, Msg. # 2
Read: Galatians 5:16-25
Text: "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall
not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Galatians 5:16
Theme: The Holy Spirit produces love that is selfless in the
believer.
Introduction:
When you daily walk in the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit will
be evident in your life. (NOTE, fruit is singular, ALL of it is
part of EVERY believer's life.)
Tonight, let's examine one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit
which can only come from God, and which should be exercised
chiefly toward God. That aspect is love.
DEFINITION: "Love that gives selflessly, expecting nothing
in return.
"Benevolent love, a love that does that which the one being
loved NEEDS, not necessarily what they DESIRE."
e.g. "God so loved..." John 3:16 (Mankind did not ask
for a savior, nor want one, but God gave Him because it NEEDED a
savior. - Zodhiates)
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God;
and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He
that loveth not knoweth not God; for GOD IS LOVE." 1 John
4:7-8
QUOTE "The scriptures contain no equivalent statements with
respect to other qualities of the divine nature. Love is the
highest characteristic of God, the one attribute in which all
others harmoniously blend." Merrill Unger
QUOTE "God loves each of us as if there were only one of
us." Augustine
"But God commendeth His love..." Romans 5:8
QUOTE "God proved His love on the cross. When Christ hung,
and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, 'I love
you.'" Billy Graham
cf. Romans 8:32-39
He is our standard for loving - "Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for
it." Ephesians 5:5
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou
shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy might." Deuteronomy 6:4-5
(Love shows itself in obedience to Him. - READ John 14:15,21,23;
15:10; 1 John 2:5; 5:3; 2 John 6)
QUOTE "God uses the thermometer of obedience to test the
temperature of love." Dr. Bob Jones, Jr.
QUOTE "I love mankind, it's people that I can't
stand!" Linus (from Peanuts comic strip)
"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the
children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself: I am the LORD." Leviticus 19:18
- Such love seeks the welfare of all.
"Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to
edification." Romans 15:2
- Such love works no ill to any.
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another, for he that
loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Love worketh no ill to his
neighbour, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
Romans 13:8,10
- Such love seeks the opportunity to do good to all,
especially to Christians.
"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all
men, especially unto them who are of the household of
faith." Galatians 6:10
- Such love is the chief test of discipleship.
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye
have love one to another." John 13:35
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that
curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you." Matthew 5:44
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because
we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in
death." 1 John 3:14
ILLUS. Jesus, when asked re: greatest commandment - Mark 12:28-31
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but
the greatest of these is charity." 1 Cor. 13:13
"And above all these things (mercy, kindness, humility,
meekness, patience, forgiveness) put on charity, which is the
bond of perfectness." Colossians 3:14
Romans 5:5 "...the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
Conclusion: