Romans 5:5 (NKJV): Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Notice the expression 'the love of God has been poured out' here? Yes, this is the time to declare that God has started His good work in your life! And His love has been poured out in your hearts, and the outworking of His love has begun! Philippians 1:6 says, 'The good work God has begun in you, He will also bring it to full completion'!
I heard and released these words from the Lord recently:
"I am pouring out My Spirit and My power upon you! Even My miraculous power! You have asked, you have prayed, and now I have given! Only believe and receive! And do not doubt! The enemy may be trying to sow seeds of doubt and accusation against you, but My grace is enough for you to overcome and you shall see your victory!"
I then heard and released further:
"When My Spirit is poured out, My LOVE is also poured out! Because the first fruit of My Spirit is LOVE!"
Indeed, where there is outpouring of His Spirit, there'll also be outpouring of His LOVE! Because His Spirit is first and foremost the Spirit of LOVE! Galatians 5:22-23 says, 'But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...' You see, it is not something you try to muster or conjure up. It is imparted to you by the Holy Spirit. When God's LOVE is being poured out on you, you'll know it, because there's a warmth and embrace in your spirit, a deep assurance inside you that no words can describe. Your part is simply to allow Him.
When you know how much God loves you, you'll also know how much God wants to heal you and give you victory in your life! And when you have this revelation how much God loves you, your life will begin to change to the better! From pride to humility, sickness to health, poverty to prosperity, sorrow to joy, and weakness to strength!
You don't have to look too far to see an example! Just look at Paul's life, and how God changed him from glory to glory! (2 Corinthians 3:18) From a proud, bigoted Pharisee, a persecutor of the church, and a murderer of Christians, one 'great light experience' (Acts 9:1-9) started a process of change in his life, and he was never the same again!
Amazingly, look now at the progression from pride to humility in his life, even in the way he described himself in his writings!
In 1 Corinthians 15:9-10, he wrote, 'For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain...'
About five years later, in Ephesians 3:8, he wrote, 'To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ'.
And finally, towards the end of his life, in 1 Timothy 1:15, he wrote, 'This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief'.
From the least of the apostles, to the least of all the saints, and finally, the least of all the sinners! People of God, if God could change Paul by His LOVE and grace, we all have hope! And as Romans 5:5 says, this hope does not disappoint! Why? Because God's LOVE that is being poured out will not fail you! (1 Corinthians 13:8) Just a few lines after Romans 5:5, Paul himself wrote in Romans 5:8, 'But God demonstrates His own LOVE toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us'. You know what this means? Because God so loved us, He gave us grace (i.e. Christ Jesus)! And it is by the grace of God (i.e. the ability of God) that we are being changed!
Paul had a deep revelation of God's LOVE, and how LOVE is the greatest in the spiritual realm. In Colossians 3:12-14, he wrote, 'Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on LOVE, which is the bond of perfection'. The word 'bond' here in Greek is 'sundesmos', meaning 'joint to' (like ligament joining two bones). 'Joint to' what? Joint to 'perfection'! And what is this 'perfection'?
In 1 Corinthians 13:8-11, Paul wrote, 'LOVE never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things'.
Notice 'when that which is perfect has come', and see the word 'perfect' here? This 'perfect' is none other than God's LOVE! By the way, the words 'love', 'loved' or 'loving' appear in New King James Version (NKJV) Bible about 500 times! Interestingly, the number '500' in Hebrew speaks of 'the fullness of God'. 'To be perfect' is therefore 'to be filled with the fullness of God's LOVE'!
The 'childish things' here can be anything that isn't LOVE. You can see that in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 which Paul wrote, 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not LOVE, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not LOVE, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not LOVE, it profits me nothing. LOVE suffers long and is kind, LOVE does not envy; LOVE does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endure all things. LOVE never fails...'
In 1 Corinthians 13:12-13, Paul continued, 'For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE'.
Right after that, Paul put everything else into perspective, and showed us LOVE is foremost. In 1 Corinthians 14:1-2, he wrote, '(Therefore) Pursue LOVE, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries'. You see, without LOVE, ministering with spiritual gifts will be empty. But with LOVE, ministering with spiritual gifts brings forth a whole new meaning to ministry!
Beloved of God, receive the impartation of God's LOVE in your life today! And your life will never be the same again. Amen!
