Topical Bible: Love to Man: A Fruit of the Spirit

◄ Love to Man: A Fruit of the Spirit ►

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Love to man, often referred to as "brotherly love" or "charity," is a central tenet of Christian ethics and a manifestation of the Holy Spirit's work within believers. This love is not merely an emotion but a deliberate choice to act in the best interest of others, reflecting the love of God through Christ. It is a fruit of the Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Biblical Foundation

The command to love others is deeply rooted in Scripture. Jesus emphasized this in His teachings, notably in the Great Commandment. In Matthew 22:37-39 , Jesus states, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" This directive underscores the inseparable link between love for God and love for fellow human beings.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this in Romans 13:8-10 : "Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not covet,' and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

Characteristics of Love to Man

1. Selflessness: True love to man is selfless, seeking the welfare of others above personal gain. Philippians 2:3-4 exhorts believers, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

2. Sacrificial: Love often requires sacrifice, as exemplified by Christ's ultimate sacrifice on the cross. In John 15:13 , Jesus declares, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

3. Forgiving: Love to man involves forgiveness, mirroring God's forgiveness of our sins. Ephesians 4:32 instructs, "Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you."

4. Enduring: Love is enduring and steadfast, as described in 1 Corinthians 13:7 : "It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Practical Expressions

Love to man is expressed through acts of kindness, compassion, and service. James 2:15-17 challenges believers to demonstrate their faith through action: "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you tells him, 'Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,' but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead."

The early church exemplified this love in Acts 2:44-45 : "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need."

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The ability to love others as Christ loves us is not innate but is cultivated by the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 assures us, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." The Spirit empowers believers to transcend natural inclinations and embody divine love, thus fulfilling the law of Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Colossians 1:8
Who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek

4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness
... Gal 5:22,23: " 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is ... utterance and knowledge and in all
earnestness and in the love. ... "Faith is the response, wrought in man, by God ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4102.htm - 18k

Library

"The Fruit of the Spirit is Love"
... everything. Let a man be what he will, you are to love him. Love is to be the
fruit of the Spirit all the day and every day. Yes, listen! ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/absolute surrender/the fruit of the spirit.htm

How Sacred Love Contains the Twelve Fruits of the Holy Ghost ...
... a vigilant chastity; so that our whole man may come ... Now charity is called a fruit
inasmuch as it delights us ... we not only rejoice in this heavenly love and enjoy ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xix how sacred love.htm

God the Holy Spirit the Love which Dwells in the Heart.
... glory in the resurrection, yet as far as our inward man is concerned, He ... This beautiful
figure illustrates the unity which, as the fruit of Love, is wrought ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xx god the holy spirit.htm

On Perfection
... They will allow all you say of the love of God and man; of the mind which was in
Christ; of the fruit of the spirit; of the image of God; of universal holiness ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 76 on perfection.htm

Power --Its Source
... is love all the way; love at the top; love at the ... and if we only just brought forth
the fruit of the ... there would be no need of any policemen; a man could leave ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/secret power/chapter i powerits source.htm

Love's Labours
... is of the Lord." If charity be in any man and abound ... need of the grace of God for
the attainment of love. ... the outcome of your own effort, yet "the fruit of the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 27 1881/loves labours.htm

John Chapter xv. 17-19.
... posited this as his principle, saying, "The fruit of the ... does the good Master so
frequently commend love, as the ... other good things that make a man truly good. ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate lxxxvii john chapter xv.htm

The Witness of the Spirit
... but of a great multitude which no man can number ... I reflected on, or was conscious
of, any fruit of the ... It was from this testimony received, that love, joy, peace ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 11 the witness of.htm

Rom. I. 1, 2
... of the Spirit is love, joy, peace." (Galatians 5:22.) This fruit then let ... and may
obtain the kingdom to come, by the grace and love towards man of our ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily i rom i 1.htm

The Love of the Holy Spirit in Us.
... abroad) is used primarily of water, grain, or fruit; ie, of ... is not with divine power
to force a man as tho he ... or block, but by the power of love and compassion ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxi the love of the.htm