The love month (February) takes us to the first mention of the love of God by the Apostle Paul to the Church in Rome.
Romans 5:1-9 Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely will one die for a righteous man, yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
This is a description of God’s love being poured out to us as a substitution to God’s wrath being poured out on us for our sins. Don’t be deceived into thinking you have no sin (or have not sinned). We as a created being have been given the beautiful curse of freewill. By beautiful curse I mean free will is an awesome gift but with it comes awesome responsibility. God never intended His human creation to sin, but Satan crept into the garden God made for man to live in and tend as a serpent would crawl into it, as a snake. Through deceptive lies that twisted the Word of God Satan convinced the Woman to eat of the only tree God forbid for food, and she in turn gave some to the Man, and he freely ate of it also. This one act of disobedience brought into mankind a sin consciousness, making them aware that they had done evil in the sight of God. God at that time, when He discovered the man and woman had sinned by willfully disobeying Him, put a curse on the woman to bear children in great pain, and a curse on the man to oil with great labor for all his provisions. He then banished the two from the paradise He had created for their provision and pleasure. The curse of sin consciousness has plagues God’s creation ever since, and in fact we are told we are powerless find favor with God by keeping all God’s commandments.
Romans 3:20-23 Therefore by the deeds of the law, no flesh shall be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all those who believe. For there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,
As Paul wrote to the Church in Rome he made it abundantly clear we do sin and are in need of a Savior. In Chapter 5 we begin to see the Savior came, and through faith in Him we can be justified in God’s eyes, which is a condition equal to being just as if we’d never sinned. This justification is a vindication of all past sins which replaces God’s wrath with His grace, mercy, and love. This is what Paul meant when he said being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Him God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, His righteousness at this time, that He might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus. (Romans 5:24-25) A propitiation is an appeasement from wrath, and we who act on faith in the atoning effects of Jesus shed blood have received that appeasement, and through that propitiation the remission of our past sins. What God did through His Son caused God to forget the sins of us who place our faith in Jesus fully trusting in His atoning works.
We see that through this we have attained peace with God, and by Jesus Christ we have access to the grace of God, which is His unmerited favor and unstoppable power, and not only access but the ability to stand in it, which is to say have it operating in us and through us. In this we are able to rejoice in the glory of God, that which we experience, and that which is to come when we all pass beyond the veil into the actual realm of His full manifest glory, Heaven.
The pressures, afflictions, and hardships we face because of our faith only stand to produce Godly virtues in as we share in Christ’s suffering. As we enter each trial standing in faith that God is for us, we develop patience and unswerving endurance, which in turn creates a mature character in us through approved faith and integrity. This type of character in us produces a confident hope of eternal salvation. This brings us to the place we can say the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who is given to us. God’s love is manifest in the hearts of those who by faith have declared Jesus Christ as the sole Savor of their souls, repented of their sinful nature, and receive the impartation of God’s personal righteousness as a substitute for that sin nature. We’d be fools to reject the flow of His love, the indwelling presence of His Spirit, or the turning away of His wrath just so we could continue on the one way street to destruction.
All we have to do to receive the love of God is to act on faith and receive His son as our own Savior by turning fom our sin to Him and declare His Lordship over our lives. It begins by talking to Him in this manner:
Heavenly Father: Forgive me for all my past sins and cleanse me from all my self righteousness. I believe that Jesus Christ suffered and died, was buried, and rose again to accomplish what I couldn’t do on my own, fulfilling Your law in my life. Lord Jesus, I receive your blood as the justification of my life, and ask You into my heart as You freely send the presence of Your Holy Spirit into me. Give me strength to endure, wisdom to prevail, and help me to stand on the truths of Your Word as I begin this walk of faith with You as my guide. Pour Your love into me and let it flow freely from me into the lives of others that also need to know. Thank You Lord for this awesome gift, for a place in your everlasting glory for all eternity, in the mighty, matchless name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior, Amen, and Amen!
