Fruits of the Spirit: LESSON 1 PART 4 – Love (Luke 6:31)

Fruits of the Spirit: LESSON 1 PART 4 – Love (Luke 6:31)

LESSON: LOVE

Memory Verse:

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” – Luke 6:31

 Lesson Presentation:

1.  This verse is known by many as the “golden rule.” It is also found in Matthew 7:12, where Jesus says it “sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Nearly every major religion has their own version of this rule but many are stated NEGATIVELY, such as:
   1. Confucianism – “Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.”
   2. Hinduism – ‘This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.”
2. Zoroastrianism – “Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself.”
3. This basically tells us that even if we have different cultures and backgrounds, people from all over the world have a common belief that it is not right to harm anyone else. Actually, when we think about it, even the ten commandments also tell us to do the same thing: to AVOID CAUSING HARM OR PAIN to others by not stealing, killing, breaking promises, coveting and lying.
4. But Jesus showed us a better way, for as He said, he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). Jesus made it clear to us that we should go to the heart of the matter— and it is not about DOING NO HARM, but ACTIVELY DOING GOOD for others that God requires from us.
5. This means that we do not simply get out of the way of others and let them be, trying our best to avoid hurting them in any way. Jesus is telling us what we should be doing is to think of ways to help others and actually DO these good deeds as we would want others to do for us.
6. It means that WE DO NOT WAIT until someone does something good to us before we return the favor. It means we do good for people around us regardless of whether they are able to return the favor or not, because to be honest, we also don’t like it if whenever somebody does something good for us, they would expect and sometimes even demand that we do something good for them in return. Examples:
7. Sacrificing what we want so that others may have what they need like not buying a new dress so we can give to the poor.
8. Helping mom or dad with chores at home even if we would rather play.
9. Offering a helping hand to someone in need, even if person has not been nice to us in the past.
10. Now this is what LOVING OTHERS really means, because LOVE SEEKS TO BLESS OTHERS and DOES NOT ASK FOR ANYTHING IN RETURN.  For this is the kind of love that we received from God, and if we are connected to that love, then this is the kind of love that we will have for others. It’s not just about DOING NO HARM, but instead, BEING A BLESSING! Be a blessing to someone today!