Love

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Gal. 5:22-23)
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​The first evidence of saving faith, of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, according to Galatians 5:22, is love.  But what does that mean?  Does that mean people who appear loving, who seem to do loving things, are very likely saved?  Does it mean a couple who is living together, who are not married to each other, who claim to be Christian, but seem very much to love each other are probably saved?  This is where it is important to understand the meaning of words based on the meaning scripture gives them.  Regarding love, when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment in the Bible is, he said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40).  And then in John 14:15 Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  Thus, when the apostle Paul lists love as the first evidence of the Holy Spirit in someone’s life, he means there will be a desire to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, to know God on a deeper level and to be like Christ, and a desire to love our neighbors as ourselves, to genuinely care about the needs and wellbeing of others, and that this love will manifest itself in a life of obedience to God’s word.  It’s not enough to just say we love God and people.  Saving faith will manifest itself in a desire to please and glorify God and to care for our fellow human beings.