KEY SCRIPTURE: Galatians 5:22 KJV “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith”,

Our key scripture says the fruit of the Spirit is love. The subsequent qualities are the products of love. That is why, the scripture did not say the fruits are but said, the fruit is. The verse 23 adds that “…. against such, there is no law. This means when a man has the love of God being demonstrated in his life, no matter where or when he manifests this fruit no law can hold him. Love indeed sets a man free.

 In Matthew 22:36–39, when the Lord was asked what is the greatest commandment. He answered you shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, all thy soul and all thy mind. He added that the second is to love thy neighbor as yourself. It is a common fact that many people do not love their neighbors. Why is this so? People do not truly love themselves. Now listen, no worried man loves himself. No man who gets easily offended loves himself or herself. A person who is fearful does not love. All these tendencies are self destructive ones. The truth is man is helpless at overcoming these things. What is the way out.? How can a man truly love himself enough to love his neighbor?

HE needs to surrender the rule of himself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Selfishness is an unseen prison that robs men of true liberty. Selfishness is the prime enemy of love and the mother of all sorrows. Jesus died to free men from selfishness. No man who is not liberated from selfishness can truly love his neighbor. Marital relationships that started beautifully would end on the rocks if parties are not free from selfishness. You need to make Jesus, the Lord of your life. Jesus becoming Lord, means freedom from yourself to become a slave of Jesus, therefore, you can likewise love your neighbor as yourself. A Christian who does not truly surrender to the Lordship of Jesus shall have serious challenges relating to others.

CONFESSION

Jesus is the Lord of my life. I am free from every self-centeredness and I love my neighbor as myself. Love breeds joy, peace, longsuffering and gentleness, etc in me.

FURTHER STUDIES

Colossians 3:14 KJV. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness”.

Matthew 22:39 KJV “And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”.