“and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. “-{Romans 5:5}.
This is the first mention of Love in the book of Romans and it is given in the context of suffering and the assurance for the believer of eternal Security. And How does God impart this knowledge and assurance that you are unconditionally, selflessly, eternally loved-{Agape}? Through the gift of the Holy Spirit to assure us-{v5} and by demonstrating it through the Love of Christ on the cross for us. “-{v8}
God loved us “at the right time”- HE sent His Son “in the fullness of time”-{Gal 4:4}, He so loved us He sent His Son….”-{John 3:16}. He laid down His life for us. He went to the cross for us to pay for our sin and all this before we were born, knowing we would sin and need a Savior, a Substitute and Advocate with God and this He provided before we were even born, such is the greatness of His Love. John wrote, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. “- {1 John 3:1-2}. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) ” -{Ephesians 2:4-5}.
His is an EVERLASTING LOVE;
“ I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. “-{Jeremiah 31:3}
A GREAT LOVE;
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),“-{Ephesians 2;4-5}
A CONTINUOUS LOVE;
” …to Him who loves us {continuous} and released us from our sins by His blood “-{Revelation 1:5}
AN UNBREAKABLE LOVE;
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -{Romans 8:38-39},
LOVE ON DISPLAY…
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”- {Romans 5:8}. How has He demonstrated His Love for us? CHRIST DIED FOR US! “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; ” -{1 John 3:16} . His Love is known by His choosing to voluntarily lay down His life for us!
His is an EVERLASTING LOVE… GREAT LOVE… CONTINUOUS LOVE…UNBREAKABLE LOVE…LOVE ON DISPLAY… CHRIST DIED FOR US!
God demonstrated His love to us, how? THE CROSS OF HIS DEAR SON! When did He do this? when we “were” in a continual state is what the word means grammatically, of “helplessness,”- {v 6}the word means powerless.”Ungodly” -{v 6} “sinners”- {v8} and “enemies”- {v 10}, the word means animosity and a deep seated hatred” towards God. Some might say i don’t hate God. the fact we lived for ourselves and not Him who created and died to redeem us is an affront to Him and despising Him and when someone shares the fact we clammed up, resisted His message and messengers is a sign of animosity,”But God,” in mercy saved us, Justified us and what motivated Him? His “Great Love for us” -{Eph 2:4} not that we were lovable as the verses show but it was Him who initiated and turned His Foes into Friends bringing us into His Family and restoring fellowship! God did this! And so we REJOICE, EXULT IN GOD…”through our LORD Jesus Christ!”- {Rom 5:11}
” Tribulation not only develops our character, it also reminds us of God’s character, bringing assurance that our hope will neither disappoint nor will it fail (verses 5-8). And the reason it does not, and cannot, fail is that it rests on the character of God Himself. Our hope is specifically backed by the love of God. God’s love was “poured out within our hearts” (verse 5) at the time of our justification by faith. It was “poured out” by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us at the time of our salvation.”
THE HOLY SPIRIT.
He shows you His love by imparting you with the Gift of the Holy Spirit, “…you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”-{Ephesians 1:13-14}. “Sealed” in ancient times was used to speak of ownership, authentic and security! It was used to speak of something that was secured. For example Jesus tomb was “SEALED” so that no one could tamper or touch it.It was used of sealing a document as that which was important, and carried the weight of the person behind it to authenticate it. It also spoke of ownership. God’s imparting the Holy Spirit to you shows that you are His. It speaks of a transaction that has taken place,He owns you having purchased you with His blood, You are authentic, the real deal belonging to Him and you are what? SECURE. As long as God lives your eternal security is SECURE! He has got you covered! Signed, sealed and delivered! When God justified you, saved you He gifted you the HOLY SPIRIT as a sign you are His possession, authentic, secure!
“PLEDGE” spoke of a down payment, an engagement ring, the assurance of of better things to come. And the Holy Spirit in us is a guarantee of the fulfilling of all He has promised! He is God’s guarantee to us that all we have not yet experienced in our inheritance will come to pass! Eternity with HIM will happen and all that means! To be in the Father’s house to be “with “Jesus- {John 14:2-5}.
THE MOTIVATION TO TRUST HIM?
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.“-{Galatians 2:20}. What motivated Paul to trust Him? His love for him, demonstrated by the giving up His life for him. The LOVE OF CHRIST in giving Himself for him was what motivated him to trust, live by faith in Him. Paul knew sufferings, trials that would break any man {Read 2 Cor 11;23-28}and yet he persevered, he kept going with the Gospel because love motivated him and the Spirit of God, lived within him to assure him in his sufferings and tribulations, great pressures that GOD LOVED him, inspired him to know and be secure in the love of God and respond in living to love God and others for Jesus sake! -{2 Cor 4:5}
HIS LOVE ASSURES US WE ARE ETERNALLY SECURE!
HIS GIFT OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT ASSURES US WE ARE LOVED, AND ETERNALLY SECURE!
“KNOWING”… the word used in verse 3 means “to be FULLY AWARE…” that Suffering, tribulation not only produces perseverance, the ability to stay under the trial and persevere triumphantly because what God has revealed in His Word to assure us of our Eternal Security. We “Know…” Sufferings in God’s plan and purpose are meant to develop our character, and in them we are reminded of God’s character and therefore our hope will not be disappointed or put to shame because God is the source of our hope and He confirms it through affirming it by the Holy Spirit whom He has gifted us and assuring His of His Love for us, how great God’s love for us is and how much He cherishes us!
Sufferings for a believer are for our good, God assures us.They are not an expression of His anger but an evidence of His Love! As He is working good and Godliness in us and working them to aid and assist others in fruitful service.-{Read John 15:1-2; 2 Cor 1:4}.
We have assurance of Eternal Security because of God’s character and what He has done!
God’s Great Love and the assurance of it through the Gift of the Holy Spirit to us are part of the believers Assurance of Eternal Security! Rejoice, exult in God -{v11} for all these privileges come from God “through our LORD Jesus Christ.”