Wednesdays Words

The Fruit of The Spirit

The Word for this Wednesday is LOVE. This will begin a series of words based on Galatians 5:22 – 23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

These Fruits of the Spirit should be present in each and every true born again believer. They are described as “The outward manifestation of inward character development”. They are simply the evidence of a life lived in concert with God’s Holy Will.

Matthew 7:20 says that it is by their fruits that you will know who is a believer indeed, as opposed to a believer in deed only.

The first word is LOVE.

Three Greek terms for this one word.

AGAPE – The Greek word for God’s kind of love. It is an all encompassing love. It is the expression of the essential character of His divine nature.

agape (ag-ah'-pay); love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast: KJV-- (feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love.

This is the word used in our text to describe the type of love that should be evident in a Christians life. A total love for God and those around us based on God’s love and not our opinions.

PHILOS – An affection expressed toward men. This term is most usually translated to mean “brotherly love”. This is the love of consistent compassion we should have for each other and our neighbors.

philos (fee'-los); properly, dear, i.e. a friend; actively, fond, i.e. friendly (still as a noun, an associate, neighbor, etc.): KJV-- friend.

EROS – This is the type of love that speaks of the attraction and desire of a husband and wife.