I remember a school assignment growing up in which we had to identify trees based upon the leaves that they had. I can’t remember how well I did on the assignment or what I learned, as I am unable to even offer an educated guess on the type of tree one is by its leaves (unless they are pine needles, then I know it is a pine tree!). The only way I could identify a tree is if it is a fruit-growing tree, as if I see apples on the tree then I know that it is an apple tree.
Just as trees have distinctive fruit, so do Christians as the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our lives causes us to live in a manner different from the way we used to live and from the way that people who don’t follow Jesus live. In Galatians 5:22-23, the Apostle Paul speaks about the “fruit of the Spirit” that stands in contrast to the “works of the flesh,” naming this fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. While this is the only place where we see these particular qualities listed together and labeled as the “the fruit of the Spirit,” many of these qualities are referenced (at times together) in other books of the Bible; they may not be the only qualities that a Christian should have but are some important ones.
By labeling this list of qualities the “fruit” (singular) of the Spirit,” Paul shows that these are not nine separate qualities but rather a unified whole that stands together. In addition, saying this fruit is “of the Spirit” indicates that these traits do not come about through our own strength but rather through the Spirit’s power. That love stands at the front of this list is not surprising and invites us to consider more deeply what love is so that we might cultivate it and grow it in our lives.
Why It Comes First
Not only is the command to love one of the most frequent in the Bible (see e.g., John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17; Romans 12:9-10; 1 Peter 1:22; 3:8; Hebrews 13:1; James 2:8; 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 2), but there are numerous places that emphasize its importance in a special way. For example, when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is, he states it is to love God and to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:28-31). In doing so, Jesus is not saying something new but repeating commandments offered in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 6:4 and Leviticus 19:18. Jesus’s explanation of his answer in Matthew 22:37-40 notes that all the Law and the Prophets depend on this idea, essentially saying that these commandments to love stand at the essence of all that was commanded in the Mosaic Law and proclaimed by the prophets. Paul makes the same point about love in Romans 13:10 when he states that love is the “fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10), which echoes what he says just a few verses before this list of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:14: “For the whole law is fulfillment in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Other ways that Paul emphasizes love is through saying “Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity” in his discussion of virtues to adopt in Colossians 3:12 and stating that the goal of his instruction is “love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith” in 1 Timothy 1:5. Paul also notes that love is the greatest of the holy triad of faith, hope, and love in 1 Corinthians 13:13, and the description of love in that famous chapter describes it as reflecting some of the other fruit of the Spirit (“love is patient, love is kind”). This stress on love is also found in others’ writings, such as 1 Peter 4:8 when Peter says, “Above all, maintain constant love for one another.” In fact, this is the trait by which Jesus says others will know that we are his disciples (John 13:35). John tells us that this trait is how we know that we have passed from death to life (1 John 3:4) and that a lack of love seems to indicate that we do not know God (1 John 4:7-8). Therefore, it is fitting that love stands as the head of the fruit of the Spirit.
What It Looks Like
Something I find interesting in the discussion of love in Galatians is that Paul speaks about doing things “through love,” as he talks about the importance of “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6) and the call to use one freedom to “serve one another through love” (Galatians 5:13). Therefore, it might be good to think of love not simply as something that we do but rather as something through which we do other things; while love is a verb it is also an adverb, telling us not just what we do but how we do things. In another book of the Bible, we see Paul talk about doing things in love, such as speaking in love (Ephesians 4:15), building others up in love (Ephesians 4:16), and walking in love (Ephesians 5:2). The way that we love others is by considering them in the course of our actions, not just thinking about how what we do affects others but rather seeking to do things that help others, even if it is at cost to ourselves. Loving others, therefore, is not just blindly accepting and affirming everything that someone does, but rather it can involve confronting people with truth, as Galatians 6:1 talks about restoring someone in wrongdoing but always for their benefit.
Jesus stands as the ultimate example and commands us to love others like he loved us (John 13:34-35; also see 1 John 4:9-11), and he is the one who looked not to his own interest but the interest of others (Philippians 2:1-4); Jesus shows his love for us in giving himself up for us, seeking our benefit at his expense (Galatians 2:20). This is what Paul commends and models in places like Romans 14-15 and 1 Corinthians 8-10, telling us that we aren’t to be as concerned about our freedoms or desires as much as the well-being of others. While there is a special call to love one another in the Christian community and to love others so that they might enter into it, Jesus also calls us to love those who don’t love us and even hate us, in the same way that He loved even His enemies” (Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-34). It is difficult enough to do this for people who love and care for us, let alone those who might not like us or who mistreat us, so how can we grow in this area so that our fruit is neither small nor lopsided but large and complete?
How We Cultivate It
In addition to telling us to love others, 1 John tells us that love is “from God” (1 John 4:7) and that God “is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). Therefore, we cultivate love through drawing closer to God. Jesus phrases this as remaining in his love (John 15:9) and Jude talks about keeping ourselves in the love of God (Jude 21). In addition to being reminded of God’s love for us as we draw near to Him, we are called to pray to grow in this love and have others pray for us to grow in love, as we see Paul pray for the Thessalonians to grow in love (1 Thessalonians 3:12). Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians to grow in love was not because they lacked love – as they possessed it (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 3:6; 4:9) – rather, it was because there is still room to grow in it (1 Thessalonians 4:10); we can never become too loving.
What Is Its State In Your Life
There is an old hymn that sings, “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love, they will know we are Christians by our love.” While this isn’t the only fruit that Christians should bear, it is a key and prominent one, and one that people should notice in our lives. They should see us loving each other like Jesus loved us, even if they are not kind to us. As you look at the fruit of your life, do you see love on your branch? And if so, is it growing bigger, stronger, and more complete?
Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also email to be added to the list that receives weekly emails with our blog posts.
