But the greatest of these is love!

As I study Gal 5: 16-26, I learn that as we are filled by the Holy Spirit, we will start to manifest the fruit of Spirit. The fruit is not the same as the spiritual gifts stated in 1 Cor 12, where God gives different gifts to different believers. The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. It is a manifestation of being filled by the Holy Spirit. For this reason, every one of these 9 traits must be manifested in us as we yield to the Spirit and allow Him to refine us.

The first of the 9 traits of the fruit is love.

The Apostle Paul said (paraphrased) , "If I speak in tongues, have the gift of prophesy, faith that can move mountains, and give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Cor 13:1-3). He concluded the chapter with this, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor 13:13

I further learned that this is the love for God and love for our fellowmen (whom God loves too). This is His command to us in Mark 12:30-31 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength......love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

The temptations offered by the fallen material kingdom are real and attractive, even to born again Christians. To live in this world and yet not to be of the world, we need to have a love for God. This love causes us to be focused in the matters of His kingdom than the material kingdom. This is the first reason for love to be the first trait of the Spirit's fruit.

We cannot be good for His kingdom if we do not have love for our fellowmen. God loves all that He has created, and we must similarly possess and profess that same love. For what good is any of us who claim to believe in Him and yet not be interested to help those who are in need, those who are suffering? If we have the love of God in us, it must be manifested by our desires and actions to bless others.

The love that the Holy Spirit gives us, makes us want to obey God. No wonder the first trait of the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE.

Let's daily pray for the Spirit to fill us, (since we really cannot get enough of His in-filling, we might as well ask for it constantly) so that His fruit will be manifested in and through us, for His glory.

God bless.

Steven