God’s Love Poured Out in Our Hearts

Love Poured Out in Our Hearts

(Romans 5:5)

“God loves you.” We may nod in agreement when we hear these words, yet somehow our hearts remain cold. We may even be unsure whether we truly love Him. This is not because we lack the ability. It is because we know God’s love only in our minds, as knowledge.

1. Love Beyond Knowledge
If God gave His only begotten Son for us when we were still His enemies, how much more must He love us now that we are His children? Knowing this truth alone brings tremendous comfort. But God does not stop there. He pours His love directly into the heart of each believer. He does not dole it out drop by drop, but pours it out beyond measure until it overflows. Then His love is no longer information we hear from a distance. It becomes a vivid, living reality, as the Lord Himself bears witness to His love within our hearts.

2. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit
The very fact that the Holy Spirit dwells within us is itself a testimony of God’s love. Even our longing to love and follow God is not something we were born with. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. Yet the Holy Spirit bears fruit in hearts where the Lord is free to reign, and the first of these is love. If we subtly allow disobedience into our lives and grieve the Holy Spirit, we will no longer feel God’s love for us or even our own love for Him. We cannot produce a fervent love for God through our own strength. But we must obey the Holy Spirit so that He may work freely within us.

3. Hope That Does Not Disappoint
When God’s love is poured into our hearts, we do not shrink back in the face of tribulation. Instead, we rejoice and overcome it with an overwhelming sense of victory. Our hope will never end in disappointment. We will never discover in the end that all our years of faith have been in vain. This is because the Holy Spirit who was given to us guarantees our salvation, preserves our faith, and continually helps us grow until the end. Rather than becoming discouraged over our lack of ability, let us obey the Holy Spirit. Let us fully enjoy the love of God that is poured into our hearts beyond the limits of knowledge, and let us love Him fervently.

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim