Use and Meaning of the Word "Love" in Galatians 5:22

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The particular word translated love in Galatians 5:22 appears over 100 times in the New Testament. This frequency of use suggests very strongly that it refers to a very important concept. In all its occurrences in the New Testament, this type of love appears most often as a command. However, it is also an obligatory character quality. If we have trusted the LORD Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, this quality we must manifest. The obligatory nature of this character trait for all Christians is seen in the following illustration. The LORD Jesus spoke to His disciples in Matthew 5:43,44,46 and He said:

Ye have heard that it hath been said thou shalt love thy neighbor

and hate thy enemy, but I say unto you love your enemies, bless

them that hate you. Pray for them that despitefully use you. For

if ye love them who love you, what reward have you? Do not

even the tax collectors the same?

Love is given to us as a command in this passage. For example, the LORD Himself said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” How do we love ourselves? Many popular songs deal with a different type of love than what we have in focus. The kind of love that is emphasized in the popular songs is a physical, sensual type. The love of the popular songs involves kissing, caressing, and holding or touching. Sometimes this type of love is necessary and good, but it is not what Paul is talking about in our passage in Galatians. Do you love yourself by kissing the back of your hand and uttering the words “Oh, I love me!” No, you do not love yourself with words, you care for yourself. You have demonstrated that care throughout the day. When you first got out of bed today you groped around until you made your way to the bathroom. There you got a...

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...t impossible to be a comfort to someone who needs comforting. For this kind of love is, indeed, inexhaustible! The hymn I am referring to is The Love of God and the verse that expresses the inexhaustibility of this love says:

Could we with ink the ocean fill

And were the skies with parchment made

Were every stalk on earth a quill and

Every man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry

Nor could the scroll contain the whole

Though stretched from sky to sky.

That love sent Jesus Christ to Calvary for you and me. It is that kind of love that Jesus displayed as He went about healing and teaching. It is that kind of love that God wants to be manifested in you and through you by the Holy Spirit, because that kind of love is a character trait of one who has been purchased by the blood of Christ and is living for Him.

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