Dear friend,
We can only love one another because we know God’s love. The apostle Peter speaks of this in his first epistle, chapter 1, verses 22 and 23:
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.” (NIV)
Notice the result of obeying the truth, not just hearing, but obeying the truth of God’s Word is a sincere love for others. Peter says, "Not just love one another, but love one another deeply." The implication is it depends partly on our decision to do it.
Then he explains why we are able to do this: when the seed of God takes root in our heart and brings forth a new birth, out of that seed and in that new birth comes the love of God. The seed of God’s Word contains the very nature of God, and the nature of God is love. So out of being born again, there comes this supernatural kind of love, this agape love which can only come from God.
This kind of supernatural love, this agape love, that comes from the seed of God’s Word, through new birth, must be further nurtured and enforced by the Spirit of God. As in everything in redemption, it’s the Spirit and the Word of God working together.
In Romans 5:5, Paul says:
“Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” (NIV)
Again, first of all, it’s the seed of the Word, nurtured by the Spirit that produces the new birth. Then upon this new creation, God – through the Holy Spirit – pours out His love in our hearts. Notice, it’s not any other kind of love. It’s God’s love. And it’s poured out. In other words, there’s no restriction, there’s no restraint. As much as we will yield to, we can have. God pours out His love in its fullness, in its entirety, in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
For reflection and prayer
It takes God’s supernatural love to release our love.
