Paul tells us that “The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit which has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). Paul is speaking about God’s love for us rather than our love for God.  We know this because he goes on to speak about God’s love for us, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Together, we know that we were once God-rejecting sinners.  Even so, we know we have been deeply loved.  And we know this not as mere deduction, but in living experience.  For the very same love is poured into our hearts by God’s Spirit.  And so, we can live confident of our belonging rather than in fear and bondage (Romans 8:15). Furthermore, we know that nothing, “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (8:35–39). God has loved us, loves us now, and will love us forever.  

In Rom 8:28 we hear about our love for God.  “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God.” Such human love toward God is a response towards the One who showed his love for us through Christ’s death for the ungodly. We who once were God’s enemies now belong to his community of love.  We receive God’s love, return his love and show his love to one another.

May this become more and more a living reality in the Spirit.  For God has destined us to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family (Romans 8:29).