We have spent the last 8 Sundays discussing the beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. These are very important first steps as we take a detailed look at Becoming a Better Christian. Let me remind you that to be a Christian requires us to have a responsibility. When we become a Christian, there should be evidence of a change in our lives. Jesus told us in explicit detail in the 8 beatitudes how we should be at heart.
In continuing our journey of Becoming a Better Christian, for the next 9 weeks the Lord is leading us to look at the 9 fruits of the spirit. Now that we know the attitude we are to have to be called Jesus’ disciples, as a disciple we are to produce fruit. What is that fruit? How can we fine-tune our Christian attitude? Galatians 5: 22-23:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law.”
We started this new year talking about love. What does love mean? – For years I have been told that if you want to know the definition of a word – ask a child. Here are some children’s definitions of love:
“Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way.”
“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.”
“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.”
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
“Love is when mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure that it tastes OK.”
“Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.”
(girl) “Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.”
“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.”
“Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken.”
“Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford [or Brad Pitt].”
“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.”
“When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.”
Now it’s appropriate that love is the first Fruit because it encompasses all the rest.
Can you truly be patient without Love. Can you know peace or joy, without love. Can you be gentle, good and faithful without love. Love is very powerful. Yet love in our world is so misunderstood. Not only is love misunderstood, but it is the greatest battle ground a Christian faces.
Philippians 2: 1-2: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”
WE ARE TO BE CHRIST-LIKE: HAVING THE SAME LOVE.
Being united with Christ. Like-minded having the same love, Being one in spirit and purpose. Love- is one of the most difficult areas of our lives. It is a daily battle. To treat others with the same love Jesus had for them.
And in this, we end up frustrated. Most times we get frustrated with those we should love the most—the church family, your spouse and children. How about you? How are you doing when it comes to loving others?
There was a guy who was getting married, had the ring in his hand and said:
Sweetheart, I love you so much, I want you to marry me. I don’t have a car like Johnny Green, I don’t have a Yacht like him, I don’t have a house his size, I don’t have the money of Johnny Green. But I love you with all my heart.
She looked into his eyes and said I love you too, But could you tell me a little more about Johnny Green. That’s not quite the love we’re talking about tonight.
Paul’s next verse in Philippians is probably the most clarifying on Love as a fruit of the spirit: “Philippians 2:3: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
“Regard one another as more important than yourself.” Just eight little words, but they start the battle within. Regard One another. Consider others Better. We don’t have a problem with important people—Celebrities, or VIPs, even Church leaders.
IF BILLY GRAHAM came over we would open all doors for him. We’d be at his car, we’d be at the front door, we’d be in the kitchen making sure the meal was going ok. We’d visit with Billy, we’d hang on every word, and we’d laugh at his jokes because he’s a bona fide celebrity. There is no war going on when we meet someone we admire.
But the battle begins when we’re asked to treat the regular guy more importantly than ourselves. The wife comes home, she opens her own car door, her own house door, she brings in the groceries by herself. She cooks the meal for you. She sets the table for you. She cleans up after you. While you relax and take a nap in your “LAZYBOY” recliner.
You see it’s easy to put my interests and my needs above her interests and her needs. Because I think I’m more important than she is, and the battle begins inside of us. That’s our thought process anyway.
Gal. 5: 16 “Live by the spirit and you will not gratify the sinful nature.
For the sinful nature gratifies what is contrary to the spirit.” We are a GARDEN in progress. But if you know anything about Gardens you know weeds. And if you know weeds you know the battle. When we grow in Christ we grow more like Christ. We should be become more like him. This is an ongoing process.
I always laugh when people say: Christianity is for those people who need a crutch.
For the lightweight of the world. That is so naïve. It doesn’t take any character or any commitment to be a self-centered, self-righteous person. Anyone can make himself look good, feel good, and serve himself or get a laugh at someone else’s expense. Like one man who was talking to another man: He said: Yesterday my wife spent four hours at the beauty shop. And that was just for the estimate.
It takes a real man or woman: to regard one another more important than yourself.
That’s why Phil 2:3 is the best definition of love you will find.
How are you doing with the Fruit of the Spirit: Called Love? How many perfect opportunities have you messed up? How many times have you missed putting someone else’s interests ahead of your own?
WE ARE TO BE CHRIST LIKE. WE ARE TO ACT CHRIST LIKE. Philippians 2:4 “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”
On Jan. 4th I said that in the Greek, there are several words used that describe certain types of love - Eros – Passionate type of love.
Phileo – Brotherly love.
Then there is agape love. Often Christians refer to this love as an unconditional love, which is probably a good summation of the Greek meaning. This is the love we talk about today as being one of the fruits of the Spirit.
What is unconditional love? It’s the Love in Salvation - Beginning to End. John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” That’s unconditional love—a love with no barriers.
Ephesians 1:4-5
“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him, in love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.”
Romans 8:38-39
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God has loved His own for all eternity. Before time began He loved us and throughout all the ages to come without end, He still will love us.
Unconditional love does not ask, “What’s in it for me?” Instead unconditional love asks, “What can I do to help?” Love is Expected of us as Christians. Jesus has commanded us to love unconditionally – just as He has unconditionally loved us.
This unconditional love of God was exemplified in the birth of His Son Jesus Christ.
Let me paint a final picture of this for you. In Edinburgh, Scotland, there is place called The Museum of Childhood. It’s filled with childhood treasures: teddy bears, puppets, rocking horses, model trains, games, doll houses, and cases and cases of dolls: baby dolls, porcelain dolls, costumed dolls, walking-talking dolls, dolls that can turn somersaults, expensive dolls, and the dolls of privileged children.
But off in one corner is another case. Behind its glass pane, another doll sits alone. It’s an old raggedy doll, very well worn. But then, it began its life raggedy. There’s no doubt that this doll was loved. No doubt it was born from love. For all its shabbiness it had value untold. A sign on it says, ‘Doll belonging to London slum child, circa 1905.’ The doll is unnamed. The child is unnamed.
The doll’s body is made of tattered brown socks, stuffed with rags. Its arms are two thin sticks of wood, covered in wool. Its hair is a sock. It wears a plain gingham dress and a rough linen apron. Even though it’s simple, you can tell it was made with painstaking effort.
The head is the heel of a man’s shoe. Only that. A worn down, battered heel with the nail heads visible around the edges. For a face, the doll has small bits of paper pasted on. Paper eyes, paper nose, and paper mouth. The mouth doesn’t smile.
Some might call it ugly. That would be very wrong. It’s possible that the slum child made it for herself. Maybe it was a gift created by a mother or a father who was poor in possessions. All they could give was love beyond measure.
You don’t need wealth to create something valuable. You only need to reach deep within where value is defined. You don’t need wealth to give a gift. You only need the desire to give—to use whatever poor things are at hand and to make of them the best gift possible.
In all the western world there were no slums bleaker than those of London, circa 1905. But somewhere in those slums, a sad and sorry doll was born. A doll that can bring tears to your eyes because it is so pitiful. And because it is so very beautiful.
You see, if you can’t appreciate the story of that raggedy doll, then you can’t appreciate the story of Christmas. That pitiful doll loved into beauty is us. We are that doll. Look at us. Who are we that God should love us so with an unconditional love? There is nothing we have done to merit His love. And that unconditional love came down at Christmas.
We are taught of that love today—the Source of God’s love for us, the love of the Christ child, and the love that we are to have for one another because it is a fruit of the Spirit that we are to have within us as a Christian.
Can you say that the Spirit’s fruit of love is found in your life?
As a Believer – You ask what do all these points about unconditional love have to do with the fruit of the Spirit?
As a believer, the Bible tells us,
– you are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30) and because of that,
– we are admonished to walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16 & 25) –
– to be filled with the Spirit as one is drunk with wine (Eph. 5:18) –
– and to yield ourselves to the Spirit’s leadership (Rom. 8:14),
– as He guides us into all truth convicting of sin and righteousness while testifying of Christ (John 16:7-15).
So, if you are a child of God you are going to bear forth this aspect of the Spirit’s fruit – i.e., “love.” As a believer in Christ – this fruit must be evident.
If you are a Non-believer –someone who has never trusted Jesus as your Savior—can I be blunt? You can’t bear this fruit because God is not found in you. So, why reject such a love?
If it applies to you, why not come to the cross where God’s love is revealed—where your redemption will be found.
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon the name of the Lord while He is near.” - Isaiah 55:6.
I urge you to call on the Lord now! Stop putting it off and make a decision. Then the love, the first fruit of the Spirit will be found in you.
