November 5, 2021: The Spirit of Love Should Manifest the Other Fruits of the Spirit in Us, Are They?

The chapter, "The Fruit of the Spirit is Love", in Andrew Murray's book, Absolute Surrender, I am humbled to realize how much I have failed in this area of my life. Andrew Murray states that from our daily life and conduct that the "Fruit of the Spirit is Love". From there comes all the graces and virtues in which "love" is manifested: joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness; no sharpness or hardness in our tone, no unkindness or selfishness; meekness before God and man.

Colossians 3: 12 (NIV)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Love is God's gift to us, through the Holy Spirit given to us. And how can we learn to love? The following is a paragraph taken from his book:

"Never until the Spirit of God fills my heart with God's love, and I begin to long for God's love in a very different sense from which I have sought it so selfishly, as a comfort and a joy and a happiness and a pleasure to myself; never until I begin to learn that "God is love," and to claim it, and receive it as an indwelling power for self-sacrifice; never until I begin to see that my glory, my blessedness, is to be like God and like Christ, in giving up everything in myself for my fellow-men."

Jesus Christ said: "As I have loved you...love one another" (John 13: 34). And He did not put that among the other commandments but said in effect: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another," (John 13: 34)

PERSONNAL COMMENT:

In the above paragraphs about how we are to love one-another helps us to realize how much we have failed in God's eyes. It is very humbling. But we thank God for His forgiveness and grace He has given us and the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we will be able to love one another this way. But we cannot love this way through our own power. We must empty ourselves fully, (absolutely surrender) to God, and let Him work His love through us. May we continually submit ourselves to God's grace so that His light may shine through us to others.