We were created in love, through love and for love by the triune God who is love.  Even though we rejected his love, God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He has done so because he loves us and wants us with him.  God has also poured his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit he gave us.  Truly, he has lavished his love upon us.  We can now say God enjoys overwhelming us with his kind of love. And we can also say that he continues to lavishly shower his love on us, enabling us to know who we are, his dearly loved children. As we live in God’s love, we are convinced that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now, by his Spirit, God constantly invites us to live in the reality of his love. He has chosen to be God with us and for us.  He has chosen for us to be with him as his dearly loved children.   His love for us creates a response of love from us. So all our obedience towards God is not mere duty, but the expression of love.  Love is created in us by the Spirit in union with Jesus. For we no longer live, but Christ lives in us as the one who loved us and gave himself for us. He lives in us, enabling us to love God and one another with his love.  We can now say, I no longer love, but Christ loves in me.