Distinct Love in Christ

Pray – (1/2 minute)

Read – (2 1/2 minutes) – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) 
  Passage: Psalm 106:1-5

When you placed your faith in Jesus and confessed Him as Lord, the Holy Spirit came to dwell permanently within you. You received a new nature that guarantees you eternal life in heaven and enables you to fulfill the purposes of God in your life. However, you still have to deal with your sin nature, which is opposed to God’s purposes. The key to victory in life is to be led by the Spirit, Who has placed the fruit of His character within you.

Paul describes that fruit in Galatians 5:22-23. There are nine characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit. Each one is present already in you, but you must submit to Christ and let His character shape your attitudes, which in turn will direct your actions. The first attitude within the fruit of the Spirit is love. The love of Christ in you is distinct from the love found in the world. This love is agape love, which is love that Jesus said would be the distinguishing mark of believers. (John 13:34-35) It is the characteristic that is first in the list Paul gives, because it is the one that covers all the rest and it is the one that reflects the very nature of God, for “God is love.” (1 John 4:16)

Apply - (2 1/2 minutes)
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Pray - (1 1/2 minutes)