Author: Daniel Burton

It seems that as some point people God the idea that loving someone meant an implicit acceptance of everything they do.  A person is viewed as the summation of their actions and their desires.  Thus to love a person was to be accepting of everything they are and everything they desire to be.  Nothing could be further from the truth of the Gospel.  The love of God is a multifaceted and complex love that surpasses understanding, comprehension, and ability.  For those of us who have received the Spirit of God, the outpouring of love is a similar love for all mankind.  Love does not mean a person will never experience any negative emotion because love does not limit itself to merely emotions.  Instead, often times, love involves the rebuke and discipline of God because of His love for His people and His desire to not see them remain in their sin.  Furthermore, our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for the world as a whole, remains to speak up against injustice and sin as the mouthpiece of God and to hold one another account fo our actions.  This love links arms with the rest of mankind and rushes towards the perfect relationship with Jesus Christ. 

In seeking to understand a concept, it is often helpful to look at what that particular concept is not.  Culturally, it goes without saying that there are numerous definitions and expectations of what love is and what love looks like.  Everyone’s various expectations of what love looks like pressures each person to reflect different core values.  In seeking to allow the Holy Spirit to express the love of God as a fruit of our transformation, love must be expressed through all that we do.  Furthermore, the opposite of this same love should be ignored and avoided at all cost.  From a biblical perspective, most would assume that the opposite of love of hate.  Yet, hate has passion in common with love. Furthermore, in other areas, believers are encouraged to hate what is evil, which is a command from God, who is love.  Both exhibit passion.   The passion is, albeit misdirected, but present none of the less.  Instead, the opposite of love is fear.  Biblical authors use the  greek word “phobos” to depict the complete incompatibility of love.  Fear is a paralytic that causes us to cower, hide, and freeze.  Love, however, drives a person to intense action as the outpouring of an undeserved love that we have already received.

At the outset of Paul’s discussion of the Fruit of the Spirit, the foundation is laid down mentioning love as the first fruit. While all the elements listed in Galatians are all equal parts of the Fruit of the Spirit, Paul significantly lists “love” as the first fruit and expression of a spirit filled life.  For the people of Paul’s time, love could be viewed from a few different perspectives.  One aspect is the idea of brotherly or familial love, personified by the word “phileo” (which we get the word Philadelphia from as the city of brotherly love).  Another popular perspective depicted, specifically within Greek literature, described love as primary a romantic and sexual interaction, employing the word “eros.”  Neither of these words did the description of love justice.  Love of this nature could only be described as “agape” which implies a deeper connection that either “eros” or “phileo” would be able to offer.  This love, rather than being between two people, originates in the personhood of God and expresses a deep connection.  It is not friendly or familial but rather from a direct and profound connection from the God’s heart to ours.