Topical Bible: Love to God: Produced by The Holy Spirit

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Love to God is a central theme in Christian theology, reflecting the believer's response to God's love and grace. This love is not merely a human emotion or decision but is profoundly influenced and produced by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Trinity, plays a crucial role in enabling believers to love God genuinely and deeply.

Biblical Foundation

The Bible emphasizes that love for God is a commandment and a natural response to His love for us. In Deuteronomy 6:5, the command is clear: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." This command is reiterated by Jesus in the New Testament, highlighting its enduring importance (Matthew 22:37).

However, human effort alone is insufficient to fulfill this commandment. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, underscores the role of the Holy Spirit in producing love within believers: "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us" (Romans 5:5). This verse illustrates that the love of God is not self-generated but is a divine gift imparted by the Holy Spirit.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit's work in producing love for God is multifaceted. First, the Spirit regenerates the believer, bringing about a new birth that enables a person to love God (John 3:5-6). This transformation is essential, as the natural human heart is inclined towards sin and self-centeredness (Jeremiah 17:9).

Second, the Holy Spirit indwells believers, continually working to sanctify and conform them to the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). This ongoing process involves cultivating the fruit of the Spirit, of which love is paramount: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness" (Galatians 5:22). The presence of the Spirit ensures that love for God grows and matures over time.

Third, the Holy Spirit empowers believers to obey God's commandments, which is an expression of love for Him. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). The Spirit provides the strength and desire to live in obedience, thus demonstrating love for God in practical ways.

Expressions of Love to God

Love for God, produced by the Holy Spirit, manifests in various expressions. Worship is a primary expression, as believers are drawn to adore and glorify God for who He is and what He has done. The psalmist declares, "I love the LORD, for He has heard my voice; He has heard my cry for mercy" (Psalm 116:1).

Another expression is service. Love for God compels believers to serve Him and others, reflecting His love in action. The Apostle John writes, "If anyone says, 'I love God,' but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20).

Finally, love for God is expressed through a life of holiness and devotion. The Holy Spirit leads believers to pursue righteousness and to set their hearts on things above (Colossians 3:1-2). This pursuit is a testament to the transformative power of the Spirit in producing genuine love for God.

In summary, love to God is a divine work initiated and sustained by the Holy Spirit. It is a profound and dynamic relationship that encompasses worship, obedience, service, and holiness, all of which are made possible through the Spirit's indwelling presence and power.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Thessalonians 3:5
And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek

4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness
... always a , and something that can be produced by people ... and knowledge and in all
earnestness and in the love. ... hold faith to be the knowledge of God's will toward ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4102.htm - 18k

Library

Of the Union of the Blessed with God in the vision of the ...
... person, Who with the Father and the Son is one only God. And because this love is
produced by manner of breathings or spirations, it is called the Holy Spirit. ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xiii of the union.htm

The Benefits of Christ Made Available to us by the Secret ...
... and inflaming our hearts with the love of God ... In like manner, he says to the
Thessalonians, "God has from ... reminding us, that faith itself is produced only by ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 1 the benefits of.htm

On the Holy Spirit Respondent: James Mahot
... grace of' the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God ... and of "the Spirit who is of
God;" and by ... All those passages of Scripture which have been produced in the ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 6 on the holy.htm

The Gift of the Holy Spirit is the Principle of all Good Actions ...
... cast herself into the fire: the love of Christ ... will co??perates with the actual aid
of God is, as it ... learning, how great soever, could have produced, the which ...
/.../chapter vi the gift of.htm

The Holy Scripture.
... Among the divine works of art produced by the Holy ... us as sinners, in order to glorify
God, love our neighbor ... soul; rather it is the instrument of God to awaken ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xii the holy scripture.htm

The Favourable Testimonies of More Recent Divines
... of Christ do not afford unto us powerful succour, this love of God and consent ... All
these effects are produced by the law, but through the corruption of our ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/v the favourable testimonies of.htm

On the Holy Trinity
... Chapter 8.--Different Modes of Conceiving. Chapter 9.--Species is Produced by
Species in Succession. ... The Worship of God is the Love of Him. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/on the holy trinity/

Letter xvi. --The Operations of Grace.
... created things, secondly to allow God to act, for He alone produced these effects ...
can, and ought to desire, and to ask for a greater love of God, when you ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter xvi the operations of grace.htm

Letter xii. --How to Make Use of Trials.
... those who understand the value and advantages of pure love. ... by the good and immediate
effects they produced in you ... Only God can impress souls to such a profound ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/letter xii how to make use.htm

Letter ii. The Importance of a Thorough Knowledge of the Doctrines ...
... Thus, sorrow may be produced by the fear of hell, without any sense of ... this will
produce joy; we may exercise a carnal or selfish love to God, because we ...
/.../letter ii the importance of.htm