Fruitful Living
The fruit of the Spirit – love!
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.
INTRODUCTION
Desiring to embody the fruit of the Spirit makes us inwardly like Christ. Acting out the fruit of the Spirit convinces and converts a needy world. The fruit of the Spirit are not merely characteristics that we aspire to own. They are glorious graces that must characterise all those who pursue a Christlike character. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) are – beautiful qualities of Christlikeness added to our lives.
For the next few weeks our study will focus on LOVE based on the Fruit of Spirit Bible. Love is the first characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit. It is well placed at the head of the list, for it permeates all the rest of the attributes. Somehow, if we have a life of love, the other virtues will attend us all the days of our lives. Love is the key that unlocks the entire fruit basket of Galatians 5:22-23.
1. LOVE FORGIVES
God is a God of relationships and as we all know relationships are sustained by love. Because of the love we have for those we are in intimate relationships with, we are able to endure hurts, disappointments and even sometimes rejection. There is no One who can love us and teach us to love except God and He tells us that FORGIVENESS is part of love. On that we would learn to forgive so that we can enjoy the peace, harmony and joy that comes from God’s love. Will you try it?
The lost son in Luke 15 is a man who has done the most noble of deeds. He has faced himself. Perhaps this is the first fearsome work of being forgiven. Here is that courageous moment wherein we actually ascertain that we need forgiveness. The hardest work to be done is to look in the mirror of the Spirit of God and see our failure. The ugliness of our sin is clear to us. We are needy; we have been self-willed; we have hurt others. We have ridden roughshod over a whole field of human emotions. But more than all this, we owe an awesome debt to God. We have hurt our Father in heaven, and this is the savage centre of our sin.
We then make a decision about ourselves. We are sinners, and we need to be forgiven. Our forgiveness is available only in one place. We cannot forgive ourselves by ourselves, or we would already have done so. The source of our forgiveness can only be found in the hearts of those our self-will has hurt. Our confession needs to lift its downcast eyes toward God, for He, more than anyone, has felt the blight of our transgressions. But facing our sin means we have to look back at what we have done and then wait. Will those who need to forgive us actually do it? In that question our agony begins.
In the case of the prodigal son, he must go home. There and there alone the age-old struggle of justice and mercy will be waged again. If there is life for him, if his heart is ever to beat again, he must be forgiven. And in this case, only his father can do it, for his father is the one most betrayed. Will his father let love rule? Will our Father let love rule in our lives? We know the answers because we know God – YES He Will!
2. LOVE AND THE PURPOSE OF GOD IN MY LIFE
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope – Psalm 130:1-5
How grateful the psalmist was that God kept no record of his sins. Rather, God long before revealed a character trait to the psalmist that made holding a grudge impossible. The quality is mercy. Because that quality is a part of God’s nature, He keeps no record of our sins. Love has forgiven, and mercy is in place.
What part does God’s forgiveness play in fulfilling His purposes for our lives? Just this: We cannot work to perform His will while we swelter under the necessity of carrying our own sins. We must be forgiven, for unforgiven sin dominates the focus of the needy soul. If we carry unforgiven sin, we cannot even think of what good, clear, positive focuses God would perform in our lives if we were free of our burden.
3. LOVE AND MY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent – not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven – if there was anything to forgive – I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes – 2 Cor 2:5-11.
Paul tells the church in Corinth to forgive those who wound and grieve others. A relationship with God doesn’t rest on our ability to keep the law or to be perfect. The kind of forgiveness Jesus gives cannot be obtained by keeping any kind of moral rules, including the Law of Moses. It comes softly, like love itself, tiptoeing into our lives the moment we say ‘I believe.”
Jesus has removed the effort from the process of obtaining God’s loving forgiveness. Jesus has died and risen again, and we are forgiven merely for the asking. The blood atonement is still required, but Jesus took care of it once and for all on the cross.
We sing the hymn “Nearer My God to Thee.” It is a wonderful song, but its truth is marred by the distance we put into our relationship with Christ by unconfused sin. Unconfessed sin can do to God. We can only be brought near to God by a genuine plea for forgiveness. Then we in turn can be free to forgive others.
To be continued!!
Stay blessed!
For further inquiries please contact us on Tel Nos. 0302-772013 or 0268130615
Email: saltnlightministries@gmail.com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org
Fruitful Living
‘Allahu As-Samad’
Introduction to the Concept of As-Samad
Servants of Allah, one of Allah’s most profound names, As-Samad, is mentioned in Surah Al-Ikhlas, where Allah describes His oneness and perfection:
“Say, ‘He is Allah, [Who is] One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge (As-Samad). He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.’” (Qur’an 112:1-4).
The name As-Samad encompasses the idea of Allah’s absolute independence and self-sufficiency. Ibn Abbas (RA) explained that As-Samad refers to the one to whom all creation turns in times of need, while He Himself is free from any need (Tafsir Ibn Kathir).
Allah requires no sustenance, no assistance, and no support in carrying out His plans. Yet all creation—human beings, animals, plants, and even angels—rely entirely on Him for their existence, sustenance, and success.
Allah’s Independence Demonstrated in Creation
Allah’s independence is evident in the perfection of His creation. He brought the universe into existence with unparalleled mastery. Allah states:
“Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne. He manages every affair…” (Qur’an 10:3).
The heavens, the earth, the mountains, the seas, and every living creature were created without the assistance of anyone. Even the most intricate systems—such as the orbiting of planets, the growth of plants, and the functioning of the human body—operate under Allah’s command.
This is further emphasised in another verse:
“To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. And Allah is free of need, the Praiseworthy.” (Qur’an 31:26).
Evidence from the Sunnah
The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad further emphasises Allah’s independence and self-sufficiency. In a powerful hadith qudsi, Allah says:
“O My servants, all of you are astray except for those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me, and I shall guide you. O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those whom I have fed, so seek food from Me, and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those whom I have clothed, so seek clothing from Me, and I shall clothe you.” (Muslim, Hadith 2577).
This hadith reflects Allah’s perfection in fulfilling the needs of creation while remaining independent and unaffected by those needs. Allah’s perfection in providing is limitless, as reflected in another narration:
“Allah’s Hand is full, and it does not diminish by His continuous giving day and night.” (Bukhari, Hadith 4684).
Human Dependence on Allah
Unlike Allah, humans are intrinsically dependent on Him for every aspect of their existence. Allah says:
“O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy.” (Qur’an 35:15).
This dependence is not a weakness but a natural state that reminds us to turn to Allah in all matters. The Prophet Muhammad advised his companions to rely on Allah, saying:
“If you ask, ask Allah; if you seek help, seek help from Allah.” (Tirmidhi, Hadith 2516).
Believers are encouraged to place their trust in Allah, as He alone controls every affair:
“And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose.” (Qur’an 65:3).
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai,
1BN – Michel Camp
Fruitful Living
Cultivating and maintaining Godly relationships (final part)
It is important to understand that Christlike love is not self-centred. We live in a culture that promotes a “what’s in it for me” mindset in relationships. But godly relationships reflect in a different attitude. Instead of asking, “What can I get out of this relationship?” we should ask, “How can I serve, uplift, and encourage this person?”
Whether in marriage, friendships, or even work relationships, cultivating love means sacrificing our own needs for the sake of others. Christlike love is the glue that holds godly relationships together.
Ask yourself. Am I loving those around me in the way Christ loves me? Am I willing to forgive, serve, and sacrifice for others in our relationships?
If we are truly followers of Christ, love must be at the centre of how we relate to everyone.
2. Godly Relationships Are Built on Trust and Integrity
The second point is that Godly relationships are built on Trust and Integrity. Trust is the bedrock of any healthy relationship, and integrity ensures that this trust is not broken. Without trust, relationships become strained, and eventually, they fall apart.
Proverbs 12:22 says, “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.” Trust is earned through honesty, faithfulness, and a commitment to doing what is right. In godly relationships, we are called to be people of our word, to be reliable, and to act with integrity at all times.
Integrity in a relationship means that we are consistent in our character—we are the same in private as we are in public. It means we are not deceitful, manipulative, or hypocritical. Instead, we are transparent and honest. This applies to all forms of relationships, whether in marriage, friendships, or even professional relationships.
Building trust requires time and intentionality. Do our actions align with our words? Can people depend on us? If we are to maintain godly relationships, we must commit to being trustworthy and people of integrity.
3. Godly Relationships Require Forgiveness and Grace
No relationship is perfect because people are not perfect. Conflict, misunderstandings, and offenses are inevitable. But godly relationships are maintained through a posture of Forgiveness and Grace.
Ephesians 4:32 instructs us to “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
One of the most challenging aspects of maintaining godly relationships is the ability to forgive those who hurt us, intentionally or unintentionally. Holding onto bitterness or grudges only destroys relationships and erodes our peace.
When we forgive, we imitate Christ, who forgave us of our sins even when we were undeserving. Forgiveness is not about denying that we were wronged, but it is a conscious decision to release the offense and allow God to heal our hearts.
Moreover, grace is essential. Grace means giving others room to make mistakes, to grow, and to change. We are all on a journey of becoming more like Christ, and grace allows us to see others as God sees them—worthy of love, compassion, and patience.
To be continued!
Stay blessed!
For further inquiries, please contact us on Tel Nos. 0243588467 or 0268130615
Email: saltnlightministries@ gmail.com
Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org
- By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
