Romans 5:5 communicates one of the wonderful experiences of the spiritual life. “And hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
We know that God’s love – the same love which was demonstrated on the cross – is produced by the Holy Spirit in our lives for the ‘fruit of the Spirit is love . . .’ (Gal. 5:22). Not just any love, but the very love of Christ. That love is described in 1 Cor. 13:4-8a -
“Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”.
I know you have read this passage more than once. You’ve heard it in wedding services and I know you’ve heard me preach it as well – but one thing you probably have not done is substitute your name for the words “love” and “it” when they occur in the passage. Here’s an example of what it should look like using my name – “Henry is patient, Henry is kind, and Henry is not jealous . . .”. When you do this with your name throughout the passage it will humble you beyond belief. In fact it will drive you to your knees and you will know why Paul prayed for Christians ‘to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man’.
Don’t just read through this blog, actually put your name in the blanks, you will be blown away at what God will do in these few brief moments. Read it aloud. “_____ is patient, _____ is kind, and _____ is not jealous; _____ does not brag and _____ is not arrogant, _____ does not act unbecomingly; _____ does not seek its own, _____ is not provoked, _____ does not take into account a wrong suffered, _____ does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; _____ bears all things, _____ believes all things, _____ hopes all things, _____ endures all things. _____ never fails.”.
I had my kids do this tonight after dinner with me and we were convicted with how desperately we need to live a life of trust in the person of our Savior. Hence, Paul’s prayer for all of us- ‘to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God’. (Eph. 3:14ff).
Knowing in the passage conveys experiencing the very love of God being poured out within your heart – the love of Christ surpasses knowledge which means it is not dependent upon the amount of Bible doctrine you have apparently metabolized. It is dependent upon one thing – your abiding communion with Christ – there’s the faith/dependence. When that love is manifested within you, you are being filled up to all His fullness – Christ is dwelling in your heart and it is your Savior who loves through you and only then can you fill in the blanks – _______ is patient, _______is kind . . . Better stated, it is Christ who enables us through His love to be patient
Apart from Him we can do nothing! Selah