The most important fruit of the Holy Spirit is love – love for God, love for the brethren and love for a perishing world. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we are also filled with this agape love of God. Paul says, “…the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5). John says that the love of God must be perfected in us (1 John 2:5; 4:12).
When my elderly mother was in hospital she said to my two sisters: “We must have hearts full of the love of the Lord Jesus.” She then asked them: “Do you have such hearts?” It is certainly not easy to give an honest answer to a straight question like this, as our hearts are often characterised by a combination of different thoughts and emotions. In many people’s hearts there is conflict between the flesh and the Spirit (Gal. 5:17). The flesh is inclined towards self-love and the love of the world, while the Spirit leads us in the opposite direction to deny ourselves and the world and to love God.
We should be rooted and grounded in the love of God, always being cautious not to grow cold in our love due to worldliness. People who have grown cold in their love and abide in this condition, are in danger of losing their first love (Rev. 2:4). If that has happened we should urgently correct the problem by trusting the Lord to again fill our hearts with His love.
Since the love of God as a Christian principle of life is so vitally important, we should fully appreciate its salient characteristics.
God’s love exists from eternity to eternity. It is not temporary or transient. We are living in a sinful and depraved world in which everything perishes. Nothing has any value for eternity, so the present world cannot offer you any lasting happiness and fulfilment in life. Most people are inconsistent and unreliable because of their carnal and sinful nature. Kindness often changes into malice, acceptance into rejection, affection into aloofness, and love into lovelessness, contempt or even hatred. But God’s love is eternal and unchangeable. It offers you something to live for, on which you can always trust, and which nobody can take away from you – not even death. Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:35-39). This reality makes life exceedingly worthwhile as it is a matter which unites you across the boundaries of time and space with the everlasting love of God Himself.
The most exalted and sensible thoughts which a person can imagine are on the love of God. A journalist once asked a professor in Literature what the most beautiful and meaningful words were that she ever read. Without hesitation this believing and well-read woman quoted the first few words from 1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails.” The Amplified Bible says, “Love never fails – never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end.” What a touching and profound thought – God’s love is imperishable! This is an inalienable gift. It offers you infinitely more than it asks of you. All that it asks of you is the willingness to be regenerated by this love. You must rise from your life of sin, short-sightedness and materialism, repent from your old life by faith in Christ, and lead a life in which you will love God through Jesus Christ, while always putting your hope and trust in Him alone.
God’s love has an outward inclination as it reaches out to a world in its need. That is why God could give the most precious of all gifts to the world, which is His only begotten Son who sacrificed Himself for our sins. “Greater love has no one than this, to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). He is the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11). All that is expected of us is to accept this gift by faith.
This characteristic of God’s love is the exact opposite of the love of sinful man whose mind has been blinded by Satan. Fallen man has a perverted, covetous and self-centred love. He is puffed up, full of himself and prefers to boast of his own achievements. He loves himself at the cost of others. He desires the things that he sees, and endeavours to get them. He is not inclined towards denying himself and giving himself for the needs of others because he has no real compassion with those who have the sorrows of life inflicted on them. He only loves those who can be exploited by him to advance his own interests. He is provoked when things do not go his way, and always seeks revenge against those who harm him.
How different is the pure, regenerating and unselfish love of God! It is so great and sincere that it includes all sinners. “God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). In His condescending love He inclined to sinners and brought them out of a horrible pit. He takes the eternal interests of all people to heart, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
God’s love forgives unconditionally – so completely that He never again refers to forgiven sins. He casts our sins in the depth of the sea and no longer think about them (Micah 7:19). He does not blame believers for sins which have already been confessed and forsaken. Even if his children sin repeatedly and humble themselves again He shows no animosity and pardons abundantly (Isa. 55:7).
Backslidden people, like the prodigal son in the parable, should only be prepared to return to their Father and settle their case with Him. They will find in Him a compassionate and forgiving Father who will wholeheartedly welcome them back into His kingdom. To wayward Israel He said: “Return, backsliding Israel… and I will not cause my anger to fall on you; for I am merciful, says the Lord… Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God” (Jer. 3:12-13).
How different do humans react, how impure is their love and how slow are they to forgive and forget. Solomon says, “He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates the best of friends” (Prov. 17:9).
Not only friends part ways because of uncharitable accusations, but also family members and marriage partners. People who are not filled with the love and forgiveness of God, easily become bitter and judgemental towards one another, revive old grievances and again start accusing one another. The mind of Christ is absent in our lives if we keep on quarrelling about things which have already been forgiven.
We have the following clear command on forgivingness: “…bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Col. 3:13-15).
The secret of a life of complete spiritual fulfilment is to be rooted and grounded in the love of God. That is why we only have one law in the New Testament and that is the law of love. If you love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind you will remain true to Him and never bow the knee before idols.
If you love your neighbour as yourself, you fulfil all the laws which govern your relationship with other people: “Love does no harm to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law” (Rom. 13:10).
Divine love determines the nature and direction of our lives. For this reason we are not under the law and can freely give expression to the love of Christ. We are bound to the exalted principles of divine love and this should be the main characteristic of a Christian’s life. In His high priestly prayer, Jesus said to the Father: “I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). Jesus said to the disciples: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John. 13:34-35).
We can impose no boundaries or limits on the love of Jesus Christ. It encompasses every aspect of our existence. Paul said in his prayer for the Ephesians: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:14-19).
Although we may comprehend the riches of God’s love that still does not mean that we can fully understand it. God’s love in Christ Jesus is fathomless and boundless. It is wider than the world, deeper than the deepest sea and higher than the highest heaven. We stand in amazement before the unsearchable love and saving grace of the Lord Jesus. In Him all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. His power and love know no bounds. He can supply every need to us according to the riches of His grace. Also when we need chastising He will not withhold it from us (Heb. 12:5-7).
This compassionate Saviour draws you and me to Him with chords of love. He does not only want to save us and give us eternal life but also wishes to establish our lives in perfect love. The Holy Spirit pours out His love in our hearts. He makes us shining lights in the midst of a dark and loveless world where we are called to be His witnesses.
Is your life completely under the control of the regenerating, unchangeable and eternal love of God? If so, you will have a burning desire to share it with other people. But your most intense desire and longing will be for the coming of the heavenly Bridegroom who will take His bride away to an ivory palace in heaven (Ps. 45:8-9).
In the book The Song of Solomon, much is said on the beauty of the bride who is a type of the bride of Christ. From this description it is evident that we should always reflect the beauty and purity of Christ.
In Song of Solomon 1:8 the bridegroom says that his bride is the fairest among women. We should have a heavenly beauty which other women do not have. As the bride of Christ we are called to be perfect in holiness. The world should be able to see the love and beauty of the Bridegroom in us.
“My spikenard sends forth its fragrance” (S. of S. 1:12). In ancient times, a costly perfumed ointment was made from this plant. The bride is surrounded by the lovely fragrance of this ointment. Likewise, we should spread the sweet-smelling aroma of Christ (Eph. 5:2), for we are to God the fragrance of Christ among all people – saved and unsaved (2 Cor. 2:15).
“My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms in the vineyards of En Gedi” (S. of S. 1:14). The henna shrub with its long clusters of white flowers is also known as the bride-flower. It spreads a lovely fragrance. Clusters of henna flowers were often worn by women around their necks. How fitting to liken the bride and her spotless white robe to henna blooms in the vineyards of En Gedi!
“Like a lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters” (S. of S. 2:2). The bride has a heavenly beauty and purity which the unsaved people around her do not have. Her spiritual beauty and moral purity are in sharp contrast with the depraved characteristics of unsaved humanity who are dominated and tainted by sin.
“Awake, o north wind, and come, o south! Blow upon my garden that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its pleasant fruits” (S. of S. 4:16). The life of the bride should resemble a garden with fragrant blossoms and delicious fruit. The Bridegroom wants to see and enjoy the fruit of His labour of love in her life.
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see your countenance, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and you countenance is lovely” (S. of S. 2:14). The bride is in a safe refuge high in the mountains, from where she must be seen and heard by the Bridegroom, but also by the world below. She should sing the praises of her Redeemer and appear before His throne, sanctified and washed in the blood of the Lamb. She must also proclaim His gospel of salvation among the lost, which was entrusted to her by the Bridegroom Himself.
“You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you” (S. of S. 4:7). Her fairness comes from the Bridegroom. She made a commitment to Him which resulted in the old things passing away and all things having become new in her life. Paul refers to the Bridegroom’s work of justification and sanctification of the bride: “Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27). Have you completely been transformed by the renewing of your mind so that Christ in His excellence may be formed in you? This is our calling.
The love of God did not only lead to the atoning death of Christ to pay the penalty for our sins, but it was also abundantly poured out into our hearts to change our entire life. We are transformed to become conformed to the image of Christ. The question is whether we have surrendered ourselves to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit? Paul was anxious about the Galatians until Christ was moulded within them (Gal. 4:19). They were so slow to become conformed to Him and there was so little evidence of His love in their lives.
What is the position with you and me? Do we comprehend with all the saints what the width, length, depth and height of Christ’s love is, and do we daily walk in it? The Spirit of God has come to pour this love into your heart. Walk in such a way that others can see it in you.