40 Days Pondering the Fruit of the Spirit
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days PONDERING the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Day 40 | LOVE
40 Days PONDERING the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Day 40 | LOVE
LOVE
Matthew 22:37-40
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It’s not coincidental that the FIRST fruit mentioned in the fruit of the Spirit list is LOVE.
Here, when challenged by a Pharisee to name the GREATEST commandment of the law (from over 600 of them), Jesus answered LOVE.
When Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians, he did a masterful job (by the Holy Spirit) in what we call the “Love Chapter” (ch 13). In that chapter, he pointed out that no matter WHAT beautiful things we might be able to do – even for the Lord – if we don’t have love, they are meaningless.
Thus – and perhaps providential – we wrap up this 40 Days in the Fruit of the Spirit by talking about the GREATEST fruit – LOVE.
1 John 4 tells us that “God is LOVE.” Not that God HAS love, but that He IS love. And it was that love that caused the sequence of events that brought Jesus to earth… and then to the cross. “For God so LOVED the world that He gave His ONLY begotten Son …” (John 3:16).
The world today may be a mess. But that’s nothing new; it’s been a MESS since sin came into the world as noted in Genesis 3.
But the issue today for we who are born-again is LOVE. Are we treating EVERYONE we meet with kindness, respect, and ultimately, LOVE? It’s not that everything others do is GOOD, but we need to learn how to LOVE as Jesus loved.
Prayer: LORD, at times, I seem to have a long way to go to LOVE as Jesus did. But I want to be better, so please lead me, guide me and teach me how to be ALL that You want me to be as we wait patiently for Your return! (And come quickly, Lord!) Amen.
Matthew 22:37-40
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It’s not coincidental that the FIRST fruit mentioned in the fruit of the Spirit list is LOVE.
Here, when challenged by a Pharisee to name the GREATEST commandment of the law (from over 600 of them), Jesus answered LOVE.
When Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians, he did a masterful job (by the Holy Spirit) in what we call the “Love Chapter” (ch 13). In that chapter, he pointed out that no matter WHAT beautiful things we might be able to do – even for the Lord – if we don’t have love, they are meaningless.
Thus – and perhaps providential – we wrap up this 40 Days in the Fruit of the Spirit by talking about the GREATEST fruit – LOVE.
1 John 4 tells us that “God is LOVE.” Not that God HAS love, but that He IS love. And it was that love that caused the sequence of events that brought Jesus to earth… and then to the cross. “For God so LOVED the world that He gave His ONLY begotten Son …” (John 3:16).
The world today may be a mess. But that’s nothing new; it’s been a MESS since sin came into the world as noted in Genesis 3.
But the issue today for we who are born-again is LOVE. Are we treating EVERYONE we meet with kindness, respect, and ultimately, LOVE? It’s not that everything others do is GOOD, but we need to learn how to LOVE as Jesus loved.
Prayer: LORD, at times, I seem to have a long way to go to LOVE as Jesus did. But I want to be better, so please lead me, guide me and teach me how to be ALL that You want me to be as we wait patiently for Your return! (And come quickly, Lord!) Amen.
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