Galatians 5:22 points us to the fact that agape love is a component of the Fruit of the Spirt. If one wishes to understand how agape love is manifest, 1 Cor 13 is an excellent reference:

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (NIV)

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I cited the NIV for this reference because of the poignant use of the word “always” lacking in other translations. The word “bears” used in the NASB, KJV and ESV might be translated as “covers”, the meaning of which is more evident to most readers in the NIV’s usage of “protects.”

Love always protects. True love never has “self” as the focus, but always others. There may be those for whom you would die without reservation trying to protect. I have those precious few in my life as well. The love that projects from the Fruit of the Spirit always desires to protect. If not, then it isn’t godly love.

Love always trusts. Loving others requires commitment, sacrifice and the willingness to lay aside suspicions and doubt. These verses are not only speaking of intimate love between couples, but of followers’ love for other believers. Think of how much more trust must be involved between those who are married if trust is always required to show agape love. Does this mean that God trusts us? That’s the only logical conclusion.

Love always hopes. True love always looks toward the positive growth that will occur in a loving, godly environment. Some are dreading the negative to the point that depression and hopelessness have filled every moment of their lives. Life without love is hopeless. Hopelessness does not foster love. Love must involve two people and the Spirit of God. Love cannot exist between two people as disjoint from God.

Love always perseveres. This passage is proof that one cannot “fall out of love.” Real love always lasts. Real love is as determined as life itself. If you’ve ever witnessed the struggle of something trying to cling to life, you know of what I write. The termination of physical life requires something catastrophic on the scale of the victim. Forces which are sufficient to kill insects are usually not adequate to kill a person. It takes a lot of force to instantly kill a living being. Or, it takes a sustained force over a period of time. Love is greater than life itself. It will persevere from our physical realm into our eternity.

Whatever emotions terminate in this world that we mistake for love are usually self-serving, jealous or envious. If the emotion ends, it wasn’t love to begin with. One of a couple may say, “We just grew apart.” No. They didn’t grow apart. They were never growing together to begin with. Whatever existed between the couple that bonded them together was a toxic emotion waiting to engulf their hearts and souls, a product of the devil himself.

1 Corinthians 13 is a powerful chapter with regard to the characteristics and requirements of love. I challenge you to read it several times and attempt to fully digest the meaning of this word that we sometimes use too casually.