The Fruit of the Spirit Study Week 8
“Front Porch” Bible Study Series on The Fruit of the Spirit
Read: Genesis 22: 1-18 NKJV
Memory Verse: “He said, ‘Do not stretch out your hand against the lad and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear
God tested Abraham by commanding him to take his only son, Isaac, to Moriah to offer him as a burnt offering to God. After a two days’ journey, he told the young men traveling with them, “’Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you’” (v.5). As they went up the mountain, Isaac asked his father, “’Behold, the fire
The story of Abraham and Isaac parallels the future story of Jesus’s obedient sacrifice on the cross. God stopped Abraham from plunging the knife into his son’s body, and Abraham’s reward for His obedient faith was great. Read the climax of the story here.
Sacrifice is defined by Merriam-Webster as “an act of offering to a deity something precious especially, the killing of a victim on an altar.”
But in the case of Jesus, He was not a victim. He willingly laid down His life for our sins. That was the very reason He came to earth, to restore our salvation stolen by Satan in the Garden of Eden. Read about it here.
When Jesus walked the earth, He told His disciples: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By
Jesus added, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:12-13 NKJV).
Jesus complied with God’s request to become the supreme sacrifice for the sins of mankind. He willingly left his abode in heaven with the Father and the Holy Spirit and came into the world through the Virgin Mary. We praise and worship Jesus for His sacrifice on the cross where we are saved through His blood, and our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Choosing the assurance of eternity in God’s kingdom is an awesome gift.
Out of our overflowing love for our Savior, let’s generously demonstrate our love to one another through sacrifice. What better way for us to prove that we are His disciples!
Have you ever sacrificed for someone else? Or has someone sacrificed for you? Please encourage us with your story.
Let’s conclude this month’s study with a look at the definition of LOVE as defined by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” ( v.4-8). To read the full chapter, click here.
I prayerfully leave you with Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Lord, thank you for loving us enough to come to earth and lay down your life so we can be saved. May we love one another and sacrifice for our fellow man, and so prove to be Your disciples. In Your Name, we pray. Amen.
Let’s pray one for another. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much ~ James 5:16.
What a special blessing to know He sacrificed His life for us. I pray that everyone has a wonderful, glorious week and is alert to His love. 🙂
Aren’t we beyond blessed! What a wonderful sacrifice for each of us. Wishing you a week full of love, dear Mimi. Thanks for commenting, sweet friend. ❤️
As I thought about your question and how to answer, I thought how it is so easy to share how someone has sacrificed for me, especially Jesus or my husband, because their love for me is amazing and beyond my comprehension. I don’t even understand such deep, unconditional love, and definitely don’t feel worthy – (but of course I am not worthy of it!). Yet Hebrews 12:2 says “for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…” This verse continues to amaze me, that Jesus considered it a joy, even although He had prayed if it were possible, to let this cup pass from Him. So He knew full well what He was sacrificing, but He also knew fully what He was gaining. And it was not only worth it to Him to obey what God the Father was asking Him to do, but also a joy. It’s beyond my comprehension!
Then I thought about what I have sacrificed, and thought about how David said he wouldn’t sacrifice something that cost him nothing. The few times I can say that I truly sacrificed, definitely cost me something, like enduring an 18 hour car trip or completely surrendering fully-paid-for (nonrefundable) plans, but my motivation was merely because it was the right thing to do. My husband likes to ask why people are praised for just doing what they are supposed to do? Yes, I have sacrificed, and it has cost me something, but I was just trying to do the right thing, and knew we had to do it. It can’t even compare to Jesus’ sacrifice!
I agree with your comments, Becky. How wonderful to have a husband who loves you so much! It’s amazing to realize how much others sacrifice for us, and in turn, how much we sacrifice for others. And it all originates from the love that Jesus has for us. To die for us and surrender His all so we can be saved is a constant reminder of what we owe, but cannot repay. God has been so very gracious to send His Son so we can have a way back to God. Having a personal relationship with Him, forgiveness of our guilt and sins, and the assurance of spending eternity with Him in heaven are incredible blessings.
I can count not just days, but years of my parents’ sacrifice for me–especially my mother’s. After my divorce, she rose at 4 am daily to come to my home to take care of my daughters and get them off to school. They helped us keep a roof over our heads, among many other things. Now I’m her caretaker, and I’m sacrificing to make sure she can live in her home and have everything she needs. It’s been a difficult adjustment, but when it’s hard, I remember everything she did for me when I was in dire straits, without any complaint. My motivation in sacrificing for her is to do everything as to the Lord, remembering everything He did for me. It fills me with gratitude and humility.
Karen, thank you for another excellent message as you bring us more on the focus on “Love” as the Fruit of the Spirit for the month of February.
What a fitting message as you focus on this week’s topic: “The Perfect Sacrifice.” Through Jesus, God gave us the perfect plan of salvation. From the cradle to the cross, our Saviour changed the world through His love and sacrifice which was made for all of mankind.
I am joining you in your prayer: “Lord, thank you for loving us enough to come to earth and lay down your life so we can be saved. May we love one another and sacrifice for our fellow man, and so prove to be Your disciples. In Your Name, we pray. Amen.” j
Thanks so much for your kind words, Joyce. I find that the more I study, the more I realize that every Scripture testifies of the love of Jesus for the Lost and His sacrifice on the cross for all of mankind. Every fruit of the Spirit comes back around to Jesus and salvation in some way, doesn’t it? God has knit His Word together with the knitting needles of love and sacrifice on the cross, proving His love for us over and over.
At least sixty years ago, my mother had a dream about her Bible. As she read the words on the pages, they spelled out the word LOVE over and over. That just now came to mind, and I see how it fits perfectly with our study. Ultimately, His Word always spells out LOVE to us on every page. It’s so exciting to dive deeply into those pages and find Jesus, no matter which book in the Old or New Testament.
Our study on JOY is going to be quite exciting! I’m looking forward to mining for diamonds of JOY found deep within our spirits. In the meantime, may we all revel in His unending LOVE. Amen. xoxo