Unexplainable Love

 “For the fruit of the Spirit is love. . .” (Galatians 5:22)

God’s incredible love for humanity is so great that He gave His only Son to pay for our sins. Jesus died on the cross willingly, even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). With His last breaths, Jesus declared, “It is finished,” carrying out His Father’s redemptive plan. Jesus’ blood paid our sin debt in full, forever. Satan knew well who Jesus was and heard Him say He would rise again, but would He? Had the evil one known the impact of Jesus’ resurrection, he would not have been so anxious for Him to die. Death could not keep Jesus captive in the ground, and because of His resurrection, Jesus gave us victory over sin, death, Satan, and the grave. Because of Jesus’ blood sacrifice, God, the Holy Spirit, resides within every believer, guiding and empowering us daily on this side of eternity. The day our bodies of flesh perish, we immediately join our Father, Jesus, and loved ones in heaven. But until that day—unless He snatches away all believers, alive or in graves, to meet Him in the air—Paul writes that our lives should produce fruit.

The fruit of the Spirit’s love is not an emotional feeling but God-like love—or agape. This fruit-of-the-Spirit-love is an intense affection towards God and benevolence towards humanity, and God commands Christians to love everyone. Loving others does not mean only to endure them, but desire God’s best even for the unlovable: the person who lies and cheats, the rude, unkind, and selfish, the one who hurt you deeply. And we are to love ourselves too (Matthew 22:39) but with a healthy, not prideful love, even if you think you are unworthy. The lack of self-love may be a reason why some people struggle with loving others. But we cannot love some people (or ourselves) without God’s help. When we ask Him to agape through us, we will respond to people or situations in a way pleasing to our Creator.

In First Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul describes love with similarities to the fruit of the Spirit: Love is patient and kind, doesn’t envy, isn’t boastful, proud, or rude, regards others rather than self, isn’t easily angered, doesn’t keep a record of wrongdoings, grieves over evil but rejoices with the truth, protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres, and never fails. Agape is the common denominator of the Spirit’s fruit.

As each of us differs in many ways, it is sometimes challenging to love others. But no matter who they are, we are to love with God’s love. “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:8).  Unexplainable love made way for Jesus to die in our place and rise as Victor over death’s sting. Because of God’s love, we will live forever with Him as God’s child because of Jesus’ resurrection.