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).
Love is the single most defining character trait of the new humanity!
At the new birth, the love of God is poured out in the heart of the new believer! The repentant sinner is now marked with the signature of God! Jesus is God’s signature accomplishment! He alone is the fullness of God. He is the love of God revealed. God’s signature, His marker is “unduplicatable!” It cannot be forged! For God’s signature is Himself. When Christ comes into our heart, He brings the entire Godhead with Him. “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23). Paul says to us who believe in God, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). He continues his instructions by saying, “But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:9). Jesus Himself, says, “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me” (John 6:45). Paul expresses the very heart of Jesus when he says, “You yourselves are taught by God to love one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:9). Love is what defines, not our religious system nor our pious demeanor. Jesus, who is the love of God revealed, says that everyone whom God has taught will come to Him.
Jesus says, “Come to Me […] and learn from Me” (Matthew 11:28-29). Being born of one Spirit, the Apostle John continues the Spirit’s enlightenment saying, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1 John 2:27). Paul reveals to us as does John that God’s signature is seen in His work, and we are that work, that workmanship which is created in His Son, Christ Jesus!
After considering this treasure trove of scriptures, we conclude that God’s love is seen in His children! And we know that true love, God’s love, is not pretentious nor hypocritical. Should we find ourselves being demanding, arrogant, pretentious, and the like, we must undergo self-examination guided by the Holy Spirit. For the Word of God teaches us to “Let love be without hypocrisy [to] Abhor what is evil [and to] Cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). In summation, the Apostle outlines the character of the New Man saying: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4–8).
Lovingly,
Pastor Don