If we look for the origin of love, in 1 John 4:10 we read, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He first loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” In verse 19 we read, “We love God because He first loved us.” Verse 13 reads, “By this we know that we abide in Him (God) and He in us, because He has given us of His Holy Spirit.” In Galatians 5:22 we find that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. God is the origin of love. God first loved us and gave us His Son to atone for our sins. We know He is with us because He sent us His Holy Spirit and the fruit of that Spirit, love. Love is a gift of God brought by the Holy Spirit. Love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that grows as the Spirit flows from God through us.
Concerning the fruit of the spirit, in Colossians 3:12 we read, “But above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” God in the physical form of Jesus said, “love the Lord your God,” and, “you shall love you neighbor as yourself,” and, “love your enemies,” and “love one another.” In Corinthians 13:13 Paul wrote, “now abide faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.” In Galatians 5:6 we read, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.” Love is so very important because God loved us first. Love is so great because it is a gift from God through the Spirit that also gives to us joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
How do I get the Holy Spirit that brings with it the fruit of love? “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He first loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). To receive the Holy Spirit we must accept that Jesus was the Son of God that came to atone for our sins. As a sign of our acceptance we are to be baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The baptism of water is a sign by us to God, the crossing of the Red Sea out of the world and the destruction of the enemy of our salvation. While it is a sign from us to God, it is God’s miracle that brings us through the sea.
There may be a time of wondering in the wilderness as God helps us deal with our fears, but we are not alone. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are with us. There will be a crossing of Jordan – the baptism of the Spirit. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). The baptism of the Spirit is a sign to us and a seal upon us from God.
Lift up your voice to God in the name of Christ Jesus and thank Him for His love, the love of Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Acknowledge your need for the atonement from sin by the blood of Jesus before God. Accept Christ Jesus as your Salvation and He will be the Righteousness of God for you, around you, and in you. God will send the Holy Spirit; it is a promise from Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit causes to grow in you the tree of life that bears the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will cause true love to grow in you. You will have so much love that you will not be able to keep it to yourself. Your cup will overflow. You will want to spend all your time in God’s love and all your time giving it to others. The Spirit of God will flow from your heart as a river of living water. It is the promise of the One that cannot lie.