Light and Fruit

But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

humility and self-control. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. (Galatians 5:22-23)

And he must be hospitable [to believers, as well as strangers], a lover of what is good (upright), [above reproach—whether in public or in private]. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. (Titus 1:8) Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. (Matthew 12:33)

For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light]

(for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him—your behavior expressing gratitude to God for your salvation]. Ephesians 5:8-10)

Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." (Luke 8:12) This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness [of sin], we lie and do not practice the truth;

but if we [really] walk in the Light [that is, live each and every day in conformity with the precepts of God], as He Himself is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another [He with us, and we with Him], and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin [by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations]. (1 John 1:5-7)

The one who says he is in the Light [in consistent fellowship with Christ] and yet habitually hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in the darkness until now. (1 John 2:9) If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates (works against) his [Christian] brother he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

The command that Christ has given us is this: that the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian brother too. (1 John 4:20-21) Love each other in the same way that I have loved you. (John 13:34)

No one has seen God at any time. But if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love [the love that is His essence abides in us and] is completed and perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)

We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him. (1 John 4:16) The one who habitually keeps His commandments [obeying His word and following His precepts, abides and] remains in Him, and He in him. By this we know and have the proof that He [really] abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us [as a gift]. (1 John 3:24)