Yeshua In Our Place Series

Romans 5:5, “5Now 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. “6For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

When a believer comes to faith the love of the Lord is poured out through the direction of the Spirit’s presence. The verb poured out is in the perfect indication the enduring effect on the believer of the pouring out of love. He is not talking about the pouring out of the Spirit here. Rather, the Spirit is the agent through whom the love of God comes into being of the believer. The Spirit is also seen as a gift, bringing with him all the other benefits and blessings of God. Probably the presence of the Spirit is seen as a sort of pledge, the source of the assurance that the believer’s hope is not in vain. Salvation here, as in 13:11, is envisioned as having a yet unrealized future dimension. The phrase love of God is found only here and in 8:39 and 2 Cor 13:13, and in each case it refers to God’s love for us rather than our love for God which was Augustine’s problem in Romans 5:5.

It is significant that Paul is using the word love here and that he uses it in such experiential way. Paul refers not merely to the believing in or knowing about this love but also to experiencing it in the inner person in an abundant way, through the metaphor of a rainstorm. In our hearts just points out to what we have been speaking of earlier. Believers we have to enter into our hearts to experience the genuine love of the Lord. In our hearts underscores the same point since it is precisely the fact that God has effected his work at the level of their motive and emotive center through the Spirit and in fulfillment of the promise of Jer 31:31-34 (2 Cor 3:3), which Paul’s view most clearly distinguished the early Christians.

Paul’s point in vs.6 is the appointed time for when humankind was weak Chris died for the ungodly even for his enemies, which points out that this term is used for those Yeshua died for: weak,ungodly,sinners and enemies.

Love of God… poured out: God’s love for us (v.8) has been lavishly poured out to the point of overflowing within our hearts. Paul moves from the objective aspects of our security in Christ to the internal, more subjective. G-d has implanted within our hearts evidence that we belong to Him in that we love the One who first loved us (1 Cor 16:22; Gal 5:22; Eph 3:14-19; 1 John 4:7-10). Spirit who was given: A marvelous testimony to G-d’s love for us (8:9, 14,16,17: John 7:38-39; 1 Cor 6:19-20; 12:13; Eph 1:18).

The hope that believers have of their future glory with God will not disappoint them by being unfilled. They will not be put to shame or humiliated because of their hope. The reason that the believer can be so confident is that the love of God has been poured out. The moment a person trust in Yeshua that person receives the Holy Spirit (8:9), who constantly encourages them in their hope in God.

Without strength: Literally “helpless”. Unregenerate sinners are spiritually dead and incapable of doing anything to help themselves (John 6:44; Eph 2:1). In due time: At the moment G-d has chosen (Gal 4:4). Christ died for the ungodly: God’s love for His own is unwavering because it is not based on how lovable we are, but on the constancy of His own character; God’s supreme act of love came when we were at our most undesirable (Matthew 5:46).

Paul now explains the nature of God’s love. God loved us when we were still without strength and ungodly. God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us (v.8). God loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us the way we are (John 15:16; Phil 1:6).

All three members of the Trinity are involved in salvation. The Father loved us so much that he sent his Son to bridge the gap between us (John 3:16). The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit to fill our life with love and to enable us to live by his power (Acts 1:8). With all this loving care, how can we do less than serve him completely! When we are weak and helpless because we could do nothing on our own to save ourselves. Someone had to come and rescue us. Yeshua came at exactly the right time in history—according to God’s own schedule. God controls all history, and he controlled the timing, method, and events surrounding Yeshua’s death.