The Wonderful Love of God Enjoyed by those Who Believe.
We are journeying home to heaven. The road is rough but our hearts are light for the Holy Ghost makes real to us the love of God and occupies us with it all the way. This is the sunlight that brightens the way.
We cannot always trace the way
Where Thou, our gracious Lord dost move,
But we can always surely say
That God is love.
We must not make the mistake of looking within our own hearts to discover the love of God there. Indeed it is there, poured forth by the Holy Spirit. But when the spirit of God would occupy us with the love of God He points away to Calvary. It was at the Cross of Christ that God’s love was seen in all its fulness. We will never lose sight of that cross. When our feet stand on the golden street of heaven’s fair city we will remember that Jesus died to open to us the floodgates of the love of God.
We will notice a few things concerning the love of God as they are brought before us in these verses in Romans 5.
1. The Proof of God’s Love, vs. 6
We have already seen that the death of Christ is the great and outstanding evidence of God’s love to us. It was when all was lost on our side that God in mercy sent His Son. We were “ungodly,” out of harmony with God, refusing to love Him. We were “without strength,” quite unable to do anything for ourselves. Our extremity was God’s opportunity” in due time Christ died for us.”
2. The Measure of His Love, vs. 7, 8
God commends His love to us as a love that surpasses all others. There are limits to human love, there is no limit to God’s love. Man’s love needs an object to draw it out. It was when we were good for nothing at all that God loved us.
“My child,” said a dying mother as she gave a last embrace to her daughter, “I have loved you because of what you are; my heavenly Father, to whom I go, has loved me in spite of what I am.”
3. The Continuance of His Love. vs. 9. 10
His love in times past forbids us to think
He will leave us at last…
These verses assure us that God’s love will never cease. For if when all our sins were between us and God, He loved us then: now that we are justified by the blood of Christ we will not be forsaken by Him.
If the Father could embrace the prodigal when he was “in rags and in ruin within and without” and kiss him then, think you he would cease to love when the best robe was on him and the joy of the home was his.
Our guarantee of a full and perfect salvation is a living, loving Saviour at God’s right hand. He is there for us. We are kept safe in His life having been saved by His death. We are saved every step of our path down here by His life up there for we are one with Him.
A babe was found lifeless clasped in its dead mother’s arms, its life was dependent upon the life of its mother. The arms that encircle us will never lose their power, our Christ ever lives, and because He lives, we live.
4. The Satisfaction of His Love, vs. 11
Our hearts have been won by the power of God’s own love displayed in the death of His Son. His arms have been thrown around us and we are joined in life to the Risen Son of God. Should we not rejoice in such a God who has done all this. God Himself is our joy. Three times we have read of joy in these verses. Here our cup runs over.
“We rejoice in hope of the glory of God”
“We glory (or rejoice) in tribulations”
“We joy (or rejoice) in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Once we were enemies but we have now received the reconciliation” R. V. God presses us to His heart of love and we are satisfied.
Questions
1. What is the greatest evidence of God’s love to us?
2. What three words describe the unconverted in these verses?
3. In what way is God’s love different than man’s love?
4. Find the references to the three times we read of joy.