GOD’S LOVE POURED INTO OUR HEARTS

“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5

MERRY MONDAY BY PARRIS BAILEY

I made the mistake of running into Lowe’s before church early Sunday. I can’t think of the last time I did this. The store was bustling just like it was an ordinary day. Everyone was getting their usual fixer upper stuff. I became saddened because to them it was just another day.
But except for the “grace of God” I too would be wondering aimlessly lacking purpose, vision and morals. In fact I still remember early on at Bible School my eyes were suddenly opened, realizing that I had been praying to idols before I received Christ. (Frank and I were going to the Krishna temple). It’s amazing how much you see just how deep in the dung land we all were! “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) Yes, I was totally helpless when it came to doing anything toward Christ. He did it all for me and continues to do it, for He is the will and the do! He fills us with copious amounts of His love, overfilling us and overflowing to others.
Clarke goes onto to say; “Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts-We have the most solid and convincing testimony of God’s love to us, by
that measure of it which he has communicated to our hearts.
There, εκκεχυται, it is poured out, and diffused abroad; filling,
quickening, and invigorating all our powers and faculties. This
love is the spring of all our actions; it is the motive of our
obedience; the principle through which we love God, we love him
because he first loved us; and we love him with a love worthy of
himself, because it springs from him: it is his own; and every
flame that rises from this pure and vigorous fire must be pleasing
in his sight: it consumes what is unholy; refines every passion
and appetite; sublimes the whole, and assimilates all to itself.
And we know that this is the love of God; it differs widely from
all that is earthly and sensual. The Holy Ghost comes with it;
by his energy it is diffused and pervades every part; and by his
light we discover what it is, and know the state of grace in
which we stand.”
Some of us have no clue what caused us to turn to Christ, others mistakenly think they actually had something to do with it. Spurgeon says, “But by a mysterious agency he fills the soul with the light of glory. The understanding feels it, it is enlightened; the will feels it, it is subjected to the will of God; the heart feels it, it is fired with holy love; the hope feels it, for it looks forward to the day when the whole man shall be made like its covenant head Jesus Christ.”