Love is the first of the fruits of the Spirit. It is not easy to define love. We say we love our children, but we also say we love chocolate ice cream. We won’t attempt to define love nor attempt o say everything there is to say about it. We will simply make three observations.
The first observation about love is that love is what we do. In the first letter of John it says, “Let us love, not in word and speech, but in truth and action.” It also says, “We know love by this, that he lay down his life for us.” Jesus didn’t talk about love all that much. He demonstrated love by what he did. It was as if he stretched out his arms on the cross and said, by implication, “I love you this much.” Love is what we do.
The second observation about love is that love means loving the people near us. The First Letter of John was written at a time when the challenge to the church was within. Their congregation knew division, conflict, and even betrayal. They were trying to learn how to love the people close to them, difficult as that was. Sometimes for us, it is easier to love people on the far side of the world than people we see every day. Love means loving the people near us.
The third observation about love is that love means a constant demand. It is easy to see ourselves making some spectacular sacrifice for others, largely because we don’t expect anyone to actually ask us. It is more common that people may ask us for a little money, or for our time, or for our help. In this life we will get constant opportunities to bless others. Love means a constant demand.
In our sermon this Sunday we will talk about love, the first of the fruits of the Spirit.