The Sensation of The Love of God

 The Sensation of The Love of God


To personally experience the love of God has got to be the greatest and most-exalted "sensation" possible.  This love is communicated by the Holy Spirit, it is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ, and it emanates from our eternally-benevolent Heavenly Father.

 

Anyone who truly and sincerely wants to know and "feel" the love of God might indeed--(if God sees it to be to their advantage)--be the recipient of this most-glorious dynamic--so long as it is sought in God's one and only way.  That "way" is the way of faith in the divine/human Second Person of the blessed Holy Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself--who is received in the preaching of the gospel of grace.

 

Once we are "in" Jesus, firmly and securely situated in His Person, His atonement, and His church, we are free to enjoy God's love, as it is copiously poured-out on us in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

 

The Spirit of God communicates the love of God to us, God's children, through the "means" or "instruments" our Father has bequeathed to His redeemed church.  These "means" or "instruments" are, first, His Word, as it is inscripturated for us; and as it is preached to us (in the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit).  Also, the Spirit employs God's (and His church's) signs and seals of His covenant love, namely, Baptism and The Lord's Supper.  Finally, to make this love always "available" to us, on a "daily" basis, the Holy Spirit also inspires, encourages, and engenders our prayer lives.

 

Our sense of God's love to us is most-keenly felt when the Holy Spirit sovereignly chooses to reveal this affection to our hearts, in ways that we can literally "sense" or "feel."  These sensations (or feelings) are always in perfect accord with God's Holy Scriptures.  The closer we walk with Christ in humble and happy faith, love, and obedience, the more we might expect to "sense" God's love--though this is not always the case; and God knows how to sovereignly-administer these sensations of His love in ways that most glorify Him and benefit us.

 

Nonetheless, the sensed love of God is always analogous to the fullness of the Holy Spirit within us.  No one will have a sensation of this divine affection who is devoid of a sincere desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  (A Christian may be filled with the Spirit simply by asking God for this blessing, [see Lk. 11:13].)

 

The "sensed" love of God is a lot like being in heaven already.  It is the experience of appreciating all the benefits of the New Covenant promises, now generously lavished on Christ's church by a most-"prodigal" Father.  Just two of these promises are these: Jn. 7:38: "Whoever believes in me [Jesus], as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water' "; and, Jn. 16:24: "Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full," (both ESV).

 

Joy, abundance, satisfaction, and contentment all characterize the sensed love of God, which is the same thing as to say, the perception of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

It is wise, pastoral, and (most-importantly) scriptural, to insist that the sense of the love of God is not to be our ultimate aim, nor our standard for evaluating the reality (or lack thereof) of our Christian professions of faith.  Christ Himself is to be our primary goal; and faith in Him and faithfulness to Him is to be our steady guide.  Still, if and when God chooses to bestow a sense of His love, it is a precious gift, indeed.

 

Ironically, the goal in God's displaying His love to us, is that we will love Him even more, that we will desire more than ever to glorify Him, live for Him, obey Him, repent of sin, loathe and hate sin, and do all His commands (by His gospel and sovereign grace).

 

Love from God melts the heart in love for God.  Still, we must never become complacent with regard to God's tender mercies to us.  Who we are in ourselves apart from Christ is so totally corrupted and debased, that we are capable of forsaking the God that we sincerely love.  (As a matter of fact, except for the grace of God in Jesus Christ, we would abandon Him in a heartbeat.)

 

Still, those churchmen who have experienced (personally) the love of God really should encourage others to become partakers of such heavenly glory.  To fail to do so, is to fail to broadcast some of the sweetest blessings of the gospel of grace.  None of this is to deny that the Christian life is sometimes accompanied with great afflictions, trials, troubles, and tribulations--but the Scripture's gospel promises of the effulgence of the Holy Spirit bursting our hearts with the sense of the love of the true God--is a great "counter-weight" to life's struggles.

 

Also, we should try to remember that all human beings are created in God's image; and that, because of this, we all have an innate need to be loved, and to experience love.  We should seek to inform poor sinners that this real and true love is available--and that it is all had in the Person and gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Rev. Mark J. Henninger

Treatise #27

7 October 2025

https://theologicaltreatisesinretirement.blogspot.com

https://henningerdevotions.blogspot.com/

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