In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul writes, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control.” (5:22)
Fruits are the natural product of healthy growth. When we are connected to Christ, these qualities grow and become evident in our lives. The fruit of the spirit are character traits, part of who we are and how we act. I plan to look at each of these nine fruit of the spirit, starting with “Love”
Love is infectious.
And in a world that is starved for love, if the church will learn this principle & be a loving community, it will draw people to Christ.
ILL. The story is told of a preacher riding on a bus, & a drunk comes stumbling on, sitting down beside him.
The preacher immediately took out his Bible & began reading scripture to the man.
Then he announced to the drunk, “Do you know that you’re going to hell?” The drunk said, “Oh, no! I got on the wrong bus again!”
The best way to lead the world away from hell is to show them how to get to heaven.
We need to communicate a message of love, for love leads people to Christ.
If we love each other as God has loved us, then we will become the society of love that will serve like a magnet, drawing a world that is starving for love into the presence of Jesus & the salvation that He offers.
The church can be a beacon & an oasis of love in a love-starved world.
-Pastor Steve