Get Close To The Lord

The Fruit of the Spirit - Love #1

Galatians 5:22a
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, ...”

Men have always been impressed with miracles and miracle workers. Too often men learn too little from the mistakes of others. Today, some are still being led astray by the spectacular. Christ echoes the sentiment of this age when He says, “... An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign;...” Matthew 12:39.

The Lord taught us that there is something more meaningful than miracles and more superb than the spectacular. He came not just to die, but to show us how to live and live in the proper perspective. Winding up the sermon on the mount, He digresses a moment to warn of false prophets who would come in sheep’s clothing. He gives us the perfect formula for discerning who is of God and who is of Satan.

Matthew 7:20
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

Now notice something very special, He did not say, “Look for great signs, wonders, miracles, or the spectacular.” Rather, He simply said men are to be judged by what they are, not what they do. Now this does not diminish the miracles of God or the gifts of the Spirit. God uses these in His own sovereign will to bring about His ultimate purpose.

Paul lists these gifts as the word of wisdom, knowledge, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues. (I Corinthians 12:8-10) However, never does the Bible say we are to gauge a man’s spirituality or sincerity by these gifts. Miracles can be mimicked and gifts can be imitated.

History is filled with cases where this is true. The miracles of Moses were copied to a degree by the magicians of Pharaoh. Pseudo religious seers have healed for ages. And speaking in tongues has been copied time after time and is one of the most common things today. If Christianity relied on these for its cornerstone, it would be merely another religion in a world choking with religion. But praise God, the Lord struck down this false appraisal forever when He declared “By their fruits ye shall know them.”

The fruit of the Spirit can never be imitated. This is what a person is, not what he does. Gifts are external, but fruit is internal. Miracles fade, but fruit remains. We are now living in the day of false prophets. Today a man’s enemies are of his own household. The church is
being attacked by its own unbelieving leaders who have the sheep’s clothing of intellectual pursuit. These are times in which we must know where we stand. We cannot know by miracles but we can know by fruit. Listen to the warning of God’s Word -

Matthew 24:24
“For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

Then for our own lives, Peter’s admonition to the ladies of the faith should be the guiding principle.

I Peter 3:3-4
“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

So I therefore submit to you that the first fruit of the spirit is love.

Russell Stolp
Chaplain, CFO

Psalm 37:4 "Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy
ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.