As the month of love wraps up, I want to point our attention again to the one that is love – God. He is the source of all love and the very essence of its nature. As 1 John 4:8 says, if we do not love, we do not know God. God is love and He instructs us on how to love each other – to love without hypocrisy.
Read Me Next! – Where Is The Fruit?
A Lesson In Christian Ethics
Paul’s letter to the Roman churches is full of spiritual wisdom and instruction for the Body of Christ. Before chapter twelve concludes, Paul gives us a lesson in Christian ethics. The topic is love. Pure love is not tainted with hypocrisy but flows from a place of humility and servanthood. It instructs us to love our brother and sister as ourselves and to follow Jesus’ example as we love one another. So let us remember the fruit. For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When we lead with love we lead like Jesus, reflecting His light to the church and the world. After all, as image bearers, this is what we are called to do, to reflect Him.
Scripture To Meditate On
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good.”
“Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. ”
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. ”
With Love,
Tamara
References:
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
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