There’s something utterly revolutionary about the way God’s love works inside us. It’s not just a feeling or a nice thought reserved for hymnals and Sunday mornings. No, the love of God is something fierce and alive, invading our hearts and scattering grace every which way, especially once it’s been “shed abroad” there. The phrase, plucked straight from Romans 5:5, packs this gravity that sometimes melts away when we gloss over it. The love of God isn’t politely located on the outside of us, waiting to be earned or measured—it’s poured out deep inside, making us new.
I want to chat about this truth, but from the perspective of grace, the unearned favor that keeps everything right where it belongs: in God’s good hands, not ours scrambling for control. Paul tells us the love of God has been put in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who’s been given to us. That’s huge. Not our feelings. Not our effort to try harder. The Holy Spirit actively deposits this love, a love that doesn’t try to make us better—it simply loves us, crumbly, flawed, and broken. It transforms from the inside out.
What Does It Mean That God’s Love Is Shed Abroad?
When I hear “shed abroad,” I don’t think of a quaint drizzle. The imagery is more like an overwhelming flood—a love so enormous that it can’t be contained, bursting forth from the very core of our being. It’s something God does, not something we muster up. I remember wrestling with this for years—how can I “have” God’s love in me without doing a thing to deserve it? Listening to pastors or well-meaning believers who piled performance on me, I always felt love was conditional. But Paul’s words turn that on its head.
This love is active, dynamic—God’s Spirit is constantly pouring it out in us, no strings attached. It’s a stark contrast to the Old Testament understanding that love was often tied to obedience and sacrifice. Now, in Christ, we experience a love that doesn’t say “prove it,” but gently says, “you already are loved.”
The Holy Spirit: Love’s Divine Courier
The Holy Spirit is the real MVP here. Grace believers understand this: the Spirit is not just a passive helper but the enabler of all spiritual realities within us. He is the vessel through which God’s love is not only imparted but experienced firsthand. The Spirit indwells us, the very presence of God in us, making it impossible to live divorced from that love. We aren’t left to guess what love looks like or how to find it; the Spirit makes love real and tangible inside our hearts.
Think about it. If you had a letter from a friend, wouldn’t it feel different from any random words? The Spirit’s love is like that letter from God—personal, intimate, unmistakably genuine. This changes everything about how we relate to ourselves, others, and yes, even God. We can’t force love, but the Spirit lovingly compels our hearts toward truth, peace, and freedom.
Grace Is Not a Feeling, But This Love Is Real
Ever notice how “love” is tossed around so easily these days? We say we love pizza more than people and call that profound. But the love the Bible talks about—it’s different. But here’s the catch: God’s love in our hearts because of the Spirit isn’t primarily an emotional rollercoaster either. It’s the surety of God’s commitment to us. It’s a supernatural reality that assures us of who we are in Christ.
Grace believers rightly divide the Word and understand that while the law brought knowledge of sin, grace brought us life and the Spirit. Without the Spirit, we might know about God’s love, but not actually experience it in a way that changes us. The love “shed abroad” is what changes the internal atmosphere of a believer’s heart, so the fruit of love naturally follows.
It’s practical and profound all at once. When that love fills your heart, you stop trying to earn God’s favor because you realize it’s already been won. That love breaks chains of condemnation and guilt like nothing else can.
How Does This Love Impact Our Daily Walk?
Here’s where it gets interesting. If the love of God is living inside us by the Spirit, how does that actually change what happens day-to-day? For starters, it gives us an identity that no struggle can shake. When we face criticism, failure, or doubts, the love pouring out isn’t dependent on our performance. It anchors us.
This love encourages us to love others—not out of duty or obligation but from overflow. When the Spirit’s love fills your heart, it breaks down walls: walls of bitterness, pride, or fear. Suddenly, loving your neighbor feels less like a chore and more like a natural outworking of what God has done within.
I often remind myself that loving others reflects God’s love shed abroad inside me. You cannot give what you do not have. If you’re still trying to love from your own strength, it’ll feel like lifting a boulder uphill. Trust me, I’ve been there. But when you rest in the Spirit’s love—when you stop demanding your heart to comply and simply allow God’s love to be your source—it shifts everything.
Does This Mean We Never Struggle with Love?
No. The love in our hearts isn’t a magic charm wiping away all daily struggles. It’s a power source, a divine reservoir that sustains us in weaknesses, temptations, and even spiritual dryness. Even when our emotions falter, the love of God anchored in the Spirit remains steady. As grace believers, we don’t rely on feelings to define God’s love, but instead on the Spirit’s ongoing work in us.
Romans 5:5 is a comfort and a challenge. Comfort, because it assures us that love is a gift given, not earned; challenging because it calls us to live out an identity rooted in divine love that transforms us from the inside.
Living Out the Reality of God’s Love
So how do we actually live in this reality? First, by acknowledging the Spirit’s presence in us and inviting Him daily to pour God’s love through us. It’s not about trying to manufacture love or positive vibes but tuning our hearts to the Spirit’s work.
Second, by walking in grace—forgiving ourselves and others because God first forgave us lavishly. Paul’s words in Romans make it clear: Since God loved us while we were still sinners, our love isn’t a prerequisite but a reaction.
Finally, by standing firm in the identity given by this love, bold against the accusations of the enemy or our own inner critic. The love shed abroad in us is our lifeline and armor.
If you want to dive further into enriching scriptures about God’s love, this page of daily encouraging verses might be just what you need to keep your heart fueled.
This love is a mystery and a reality wrapped in one. It’s God’s wild, relentless grace invading your heart. No checklist of worthiness can add to it or subtract from it. It’s simply there, a wellspring forever flowing, forever sufficient. That’s the kind of love that changes everything—not by pressure but by pure grace.