Galatians 5:14-16,22a (NKJV) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! 16I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh……22a But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE…. (emphasis added)We live in an imperfect and fallen world and therefore, there will be many opportunities for people to hurt us and vice versa in any friendship or relationship. It is difficult to love those who hurt us or make life difficult for us. Nevertheless, the Apostle Paul cautioned us to beware how we respond lest we bite and devour and be consumed by one another. Only animals bite and devour one another!
For example, we can be very mean in words and actions, to another person who doesn’t agree with us. As a new creation in Christ, we should proactively make the effort to walk in the Spirit by choosing words that don’t destroy or belittle the other person. We should respect and love those who have different views and opinions from us.
Colossians 4:6 (NKJV) Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Grace speaks of unmerited favour. Gracious words build up rather than tear down. Believers should season their conversation with grace that are Word centred, Spirit enabled, and with appropriate and proper responses. Believers filled with the Spirit will manifest pleasant and wise conversations and speeches, seasoned as if with salt.
We should begin to love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ before we proceed to loving our enemies. If we cannot even love those who are within the family and people cannot even see Christ in us, then we have lost the testimony of being the salt and light of the world. For example, while we may come from different denominations and from different countries, we should embrace others and humble ourselves to think the best of one another. This will help us stay united and learn from each other.
Romans 13:10 (NKJV) Love does no harm to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is the famous passage on love and it is good if we can picture in our minds what it looks like in practice:
Love endures with patience and serenity
Love is kind and thoughtful
Love is not jealous or envious
Love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant
Love is not rude
Love is not self-seeking
Love is not provoked nor overly sensitive or easily angered
Love does not take into account a wrong endured
We need to have a balance between the fruit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If we have all the gifts but have no love for the people around us, then truly we are like a resounding gong. May we continue to grow in maturity as we pursue love and the rest of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Sermon Series: Fruit of the Spirit – Love
圣灵的第一个果实是爱
加 拉 太 書 5:14-16,22a 因 为 全 律 法 都 包 在 「 爱 人 如 己 」 这 一 句 话 之 内 了 。 你 们 要 谨 慎 ， 若 相 咬 相 吞 ， 只 怕 要 彼 此 消 灭 了 。 我 说 ， 你 们 当 顺 着 圣 灵 而 行 ， 就 不 放 纵 肉 体 的 情 欲 了 ….. 圣 灵 所 结 的 第一个果 子 ， 就 是 仁 爱
我们生活在一个不完美的堕落的世界，因此，在任何友谊或人际关系中我们会有许多被人伤害的机会。我们很难去爱那些伤害我们或为难我们的人。但尽管如此，使徒保罗对我们如何回应提出警告，避免我们相咬相吞。只有动物才相咬相吞。
例如，对于那些与我们意见相左的人，我们可能会言语刻薄，行为乖张。作为一个基督里的新造之人，我们应该主动努力在圣灵中走，斟酌言语避免拆毁或贬低对方。我们应该尊敬和爱那些与我们有不同观点和意见的人。
歌罗西书：你 们 的 言 语 要 常 常 带 着 和 气 ， 好 像 用 盐 调 和 ， 就 可 知 道 该 怎 样 回 答 各 人 。
仁慈是白得的恩典。仁慈的话造就而不是撕毁。信徒应该以仁慈调和其言语，是以神的话语为中心的，圣灵驱动的，和适宜的应答。圣灵充满的信徒会彰显和气的有智慧的言谈和讲话，就像用盐调和的。
我们应该从爱主内的兄弟姐妹开始，然后才是爱我们的敌人。如果我们都不能爱家中的成员，人们就看不到我们里面的基督。那么我们已失去了作世界的盐和光的见证。例如，我们或许来自不同宗派和不同国家，我们应该拥抱彼此，谦卑自己，看对方是最好的。这会帮助我们保持合一并彼此学习。
罗马书13:10爱 是 不 加 害 与 人 的 ， 所 以 爱 就 完 全 了 律 法 。
哥林多前书 13:4-8是关于爱的名篇，让我们在脑海中想象一下爱的样子：
Love endures with patience and serenity爱是恒久忍耐安详从容
Love is kind and thoughtful 爱是宽容和体谅
Love is not jealous or envious 爱是不嫉妒、不羡慕
Love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant 爱不自夸，不张狂
Love is not rude爱是不粗鲁
Love is not self-seeking 爱是不求自己的益处
Love is not provoked nor overly sensitive or easily angered爱是不受挑拨，不过于敏感，不轻易发怒
Love does not take into account a wrong endured 爱不 计 算 人 的 恶
我们需要在圣灵的果实与圣灵的恩赐之间取得平衡。如果我们拥有全部的属灵恩赐却对周遭的人没有爱，那么我们就真的像响的钹一样了。当我们追求生命中的爱以及其余的圣灵的果子的时候，愿我们不断成长直至身量长成。
讲章系列：仁爱 – 圣灵所结的果子
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