Our Love Must Be Real Love!

The Apostle Paul was carrying on a discourse about the Holy Spirit, to the Church at Galatia, in chapter 5 of the Book of Galatians.  During his discussion about Walking in the Spirit vs. Walking in the flesh, in chapter 5: 19-21, he reminds us of the grotesque sins of the flesh that often, easily, consume our lives or our walk.  Then, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he tells us something that is key…key to the life of every Christian, key to Christian living, and key to the whole of the operation of the New Testament Church…that key is Love.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”  Galatians 5: 22-23.

 

Paul instructs us that “The fruit of the Spirit is love,” and the Holy Spirit does nothing fake!  In fact, Paul tells the Church at Rome:

“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”  Romans 12: 9. 

Dissimulation comes from just as fancy a Greek word anupokritos meaning: To pretend or simulate.  We would say, in today’s vernacular: Fake.  “Don’t let your love be fake.” And we certainly should not!  The Holy Spirit is not fake and neither should we be…in anything…and in the demonstration and exercise of our love.

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives is love!  Joy is love’s music, Peace is love’s agreement, Longsuffering is love’s endurance, Kindness is love’s service, Goodness is love’s deportment, Faithfulness is love’s measure, Meekness is love’s demonstration, and Temperance is love’s control.  We should be substantiating our Christian lives by showing real love.  Here is a little anonymous poem that points out the direction our love should take:

“Love is an attitude – love is a prayer,

For a soul in sorrow, a heart in despair.

Love is good wishes for the gain of another,

Love suffers long with the fault of a brother.” 

Real love never quits, never lies, and never surrenders, and never forgets the target of that love.  The Apostle John becomes even more direct when he says:

“If a man say ‘I love God’ and hateth his brother, he is a liar…”  I John 4: 20.

 

Well…you can’t say it any plainer than that!  Start showing real love and repent because you have not.

Pastor Jerry Hillenburg