Nothing compares to the love that God has shown us (all people) in sending His Son to die for our sin and sins, so that we—by believing in Him—can have everlasting life in heaven. The Father’s love for Jesus raised Him from the dead through the power of the Holy Spirit. And that same Holy Spirit, working in believers, produces in us that spiritual fruit of “love.”
The Greek word “agape” literally means “affection; benevolence,” according to Strong’s Concordance. That means that God has affection for us. What is affection? We could say that it is devotion or fond attachment. It is the kind of love that doesn’t depend on the object of the love, but rather on the one who loves. The one who loves “cares for” the loved one. God cares for us and about us. He wants a relationship with us (an attachment to us). He wants to shower us with blessings.
Also, God feels benevolent toward us. What does that mean? It means that He seeks to bring good to us, to bless us, to benefit us with love, joy, peace, hope, truth, and, indeed, “all spiritual blessings” in Christ (Ephesians 1:3 KJV). Good things. Things that pertain to holiness and righteousness.
So, when we consider that we are to love others, that same love should be in evidence. We care about them and we seek to benefit them with God’s good things. This even applies to those with whom we have little in common and who have chosen an immoral lifestyle. Love is not merely accepting their sin and calling that acceptance “love.” It is to lovingly tell them the truth, gently correcting and exhorting, so that they will benefit eternally by having a chance to heed the gospel and repent of sin.
This is the spiritual fruit of love that is formed in us when we yield to the Holy Spirit in us. We don’t magically produce this love. The Holy Spirit in us produces it. Our job is to let it show. This is similar to a fruit tree. The trunk, the roots, the leaves—none of these look like the fruit. None of these produce the fruit. The fruit comes as the tree functions the way it was created to function, roots, trunk, and leaves. And viola! There are blossoms and then fruit.
And for us who are writers, our writing should exhibit this fruit of agape love—for the benefit of our readers, because we care about them and want to benefit them. We let the Holy Spirit bring that fruit forth from our activity and natural function as “trees of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:3 KJV), believers who respond to God’s love with love.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love . . ."
Vicki Dorshorn
4/24/2026
Crack in the Liberty Bell
Vicki Dorshorn
7/4/2022
Resurrection Miracles
Vicki Dorshorn
4/16/2022
Globalism: Olympic Games Canceled
Vicki Dorshorn
2/20/2022
Happy Valentine's Day from God
Vicki Dorshorn
2/13/2022
Beginnings and Endings
Vicki Dorshorn
12/30/2021
The Light of the World
Vicki Dorshorn
12/24/2021
He Is Risen As He Said
Victoria Dorshorn
4/2/2021
Three M's of Christmas
Vicki Dorshorn
12/25/2020
Silenced and Silent
Vicki Dorshorn
8/4/2020
The Right Way
Vicki Dorshorn
7/13/2020
"Let Freedom Ring"
Vicki Dorshorn
7/3/2020
Caring and Sharing
Vicki Dorshorn
6/20/2020
One Race -- Two Creations
Vicki Dorshorn
6/10/2020
An End to Racism
Vicki Dorshorn
6/2/2020
With One Voice
Vicki Dorshorn
5/24/2020
Trust in God
Vicki Dorshorn
5/17/2020
A Firm Foundation
Vicki Dorshorn
5/9/2020
No Fear!
Vicki Dorshorn
5/2/2020
Author of Peace, Not Confusion
Vicki Dorshorn
4/28/2020
Too Timid to Tell
Vicki Dorshorn
4/24/2020
Resurrection Promise
Vicki Dorshorn
4/11/2020
God's Mercies
Vicki Dorshorn
4/2/2020
Yet I Will Rejoice
Vicki Dorshorn
3/18/2020
Slow Suicide—Part 2
Vicki Dorshorn
3/5/2020
Slow Suicide—Part 1
Vicki Dorshorn
3/2/2020
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y
Vicki Dorshorn
2/6/2020
A Stable and an Empty Tomb
Vicki Dorshorn
12/24/2019
Do Definitions Matter?
Vicki Dorshorn
12/17/2019
Darkness Creeping In
Vicki Dorshorn
11/26/2019
The Presence and Purpose of Pain and Sorrow
Vicki Dorshorn
8/31/2019
Salt and Light
Vicki Dorshorn
8/21/2019
Real Rainbows and True Light
Vicki Dorshorn
8/17/2019
The Light of Life
Vicki Dorshorn
8/7/2019
A Giant Eraser
Vicki Dorshorn
4/23/2018
He Is Risen
Vicki Dorshorn
3/30/2018
Rejection
Vicki Dorshorn
7/22/2015
Liberty Bell & more
Vicki Dorshorn
7/4/2015
Breaking News
Vicki Dorshorn
6/22/2015
Cracked Foundations
Vicki Dorshorn
6/12/2015
Power Transformers
Vicki Dorshorn
6/5/2015
Transformers
Vicki Dorshorn
5/28/2015
What is my name?
Vicki Dorshorn
5/20/2015
What age is Jesus for you?
Vicki Dorshorn
12/21/2014
Part 2 - Stories of Sovereignty from England
Vicki Dorshorn
11/21/2014
Stories of Sovereignty from England
Vicki Dorshorn
11/15/2014
Coincidence or Sovereignty?
Vicki Dorshorn
11/3/2014
Time to Care
Vicki Dorshorn
8/24/2014
"Lion on the Loose"
Vicki Dorshorn
8/16/2014
Lessons from My Garden - Part 6
Vicki Dorshorn
8/10/2014
Lessons from My Garden - Part 5
Vicki Dorshorn
8/3/2014
Lessons from My Garden - Part 4
Vicki Dorshorn
7/27/2014
Lessons from My Garden - Part 3
Vicki Dorshorn
7/20/2014
"Lessons from My Garden -- Part 2"
Vicki Dorshorn
7/12/2014
Lessons From My Garden - Part 1
Vicki Dorshorn
7/7/2014
Dreams, Revisions, and Renewal
Vicki Dorshorn
6/29/2014
A Dream that is Reality
Vicki Dorshorn
6/21/2014
The Return of the Swallows
Vicki Dorshorn
6/14/2014
Part 2 - Where will I go when I die?
Vicki Dorshorn
6/7/2014
Where will I go when I die?
Vicki Dorshorn
5/31/2014
Truth or Deception
Vicki Dorshorn
5/24/2014
Deliverance from Falling
Vicki Dorshorn
5/16/2014
Deliverance from Tears
Vicki Dorshorn
5/10/2014
Deliverance from Death
Vicki Dorshorn
5/3/2014
The Significance of Death
Vicki Dorshorn
4/27/2014
Conclusion of Why Bad Things Happen
Vicki Dorshorn
4/19/2014
Good and Bad, Relatively Speaking
Vicki Dorshorn
4/12/2014
The Potter and the Clay
Vicki Dorshorn
4/5/2014
"Bad Things" - Part 5
Vicki Dorshorn
3/29/2014
"Bad Things" - Part 4
Vicki Dorshorn
3/21/2014
"Bad Things" - Part 3
Vicki Dorshorn
3/15/2014
"Bad Things" - Part 2
Vicki Dorshorn
3/8/2014
"Bad Things" - Part I
Vicki Dorshorn
3/1/2014
Who are "good" people?
Vicki Dorshorn
2/26/2014
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Vicki Dorshorn
2/22/2014
