The Fruit of the Holy Spirit: Love
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
- Galatians 5:22-233 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away…13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
- 1 Corinthians 13:3-8,1312 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
- John 15:12-13
The verses above explore the biblical concept of love, especially the type referred to as agape—the selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love that comes from God. Though love is a word used frequently in everyday life, it has lost much of its meaning. People claim to love everything from their favorite drink to their spouse, but Scripture offers a far more demanding and holy definition. Biblical love is not just affection or emotional connection—it is action, choice, and sacrifice.
Most people believe they know what love is. They may think of powerful moments with loved ones—weddings, children, family, or community—and while those can reflect genuine affection, they often fall short of the kind of love God models. The truth is that very few people have ever had to lay down their lives for another, which is the standard Jesus sets in John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This verse challenges listeners to reflect on how much of their love is conditional, shallow, or self-serving.
According to Galatians 5:22–23, love is the first fruit of the Spirit—not by accident, but because it is the foundation from which all other fruits grow. Without love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and the rest cannot take root. The Greek word used in Galatians, agape, stands apart from romantic or friendship-based love. It represents a love that is not transactional or based on reciprocity, but one that continues even when it is costly or inconvenient.
This form of love is further unpacked through 1 Corinthians 13, where Paul describes love as patient and kind, not envious or boastful. It is not simply a feeling but a set of deliberate actions that seek the good of others, even when nothing is received in return. This is echoed in Matthew 22:37–38, where Jesus commands that the first and greatest act of love must be directed toward God: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Loving others begins with loving God first, and without that foundation, all other forms of love are weakened.
Stefan, in Arab Gulf house church, serves as a powerful illustration as a house church member who persistently showed love through sacrifice. Despite resistance, Stefan continued to show up early in the morning to exercise alongside Phil who disliked running. He gave time, encouragement, even financial resources to support Phil’s growth—without expecting anything in return. Over time, Phil experienced transformation, both physically and mentally. This story illustrates agape love in action: persistent, inconvenient, and sacrificial. It asks nothing in return and sees beyond surface-level needs to something deeper.
Another key insight is the warning against turning good things into ultimate things. Many people, out of sincere love for family or responsibility, may place careers, relationships, or even ministries above their relationship with God. It is important to examine whether anything—even something good—is being prioritized over God. When that happens, love is no longer rightly ordered and becomes idolatrous.
The difference between cultural love and biblical love is emphasized. Cultural love tends to stay within the boundaries of comfort and affinity. Biblical love reaches further, into the lives of enemies, strangers, and those who cannot offer anything in return. As 1 John 4:19–20 states, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.” Love that comes from God must reach beyond personal preference.
Believers are called to love from the overflow of their relationship with God. Just like putting on an oxygen mask in an airplane emergency, one must be filled by God before they can serve or love others effectively. Without God as our spiritual source, love will inevitably run dry and become burdensome. God is the source and sustainer of all true love, and time with Him through Scripture, prayer, and surrender is essential.
Finally, love must be more than sentiment. It must be expressed in tangible ways—through presence, prayer, service, and sacrifice. We can challenge ourselves to identify one person who needs to be loved better this week and take a concrete step toward loving them with intentionality and humility. That might mean encouragement, prayer, or service. But the point is to love not in words alone, but “in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).
Discussion Questions:
Who is someone in your life that feels difficult to love? What would loving them in a Christ-like, Agape way look like this week?
Are there good things in your life—such as family, work, or ministry—that might be occupying the place that belongs to God alone?
Share anything that stood out to you during this sermon testimony.
