“Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5 AMP
There are many advantages to the new life in Christ. The greatest of these is that we now have a new love to operate from! If you read the entire section of this verse, you will see some other amazing benefits that come with our commitment to Christ.
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory 3We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Romans 5:1-4 NLT
The first thing is that we now have peace with God. The war is over between us and the Lord! Our hearts have been softened and our sins forgiven allowing us to now have a renewed relationship with Him! Verse two reminds us that it is “because of our faith…” we have a place of undeserved privilege; God’s grace! Isn’t it wonderful to know that the striving to please God is over and that we can by choice do what is right. The verse also tells us that we have something to look forward to, sharing God’s glory. Can you imagine, us, admitted sinners will share in the glory of God to yet be revealed? Simply wonderful! Verse three goes on to then tell us that in middle of trials and temptations we can rejoice knowing that whatever Satan throws at us we can have assurance that God will use it for our spiritual development! The Apostle Paul then wraps it stating the reason for all of this is that we now have the love of God shed abroad in our hearts!
The apostle Peter challenges us with these words in his first Epistle.
“Since by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves for a sincere love of the believers, [see that you] love one another from the heart [always unselfishly seeking the best for one another], 23for you have been born again [that is, reborn from above–spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting word of God.’ 1 Peter 1:22-23 AMP
Notice that our purification isn’t necessary to please God but rather to grow in a sincere love of the believers. Of course, we want to please God and the one of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to convict us of our sin. We have been spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose and that means walking in love to be able to complete it! After our new birth, the Holy Spirit pours out the totality of God’s love into our hearts thereby providing us with an inexhaustible supply! It is God’s love that fills the empty and barren places of our life bringing forth good fruit for His kingdom. The goal of all Christian ministry is love. The purpose of God for the Christian is the consistent expression of divine love. When we are born again, we become capable of knowing God’s love. When we receive the Holy Spirit there is an outpouring or the totality of God’s love and inexhaustible resources. Now, we need to be the expression of that love working out daily in our lives through discipline and character training. The natural result of that process is that rivers of living water will now flow from us! Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken