Scattered thoughts on Romans 5

When humans express their love for another human -- man seeking woman to be his wife, parent to child, redneck to Sid, his hunting dog, invariably in that expression of affection a positive quality is expressed about the object of one's love. For example: "I love your blue eye, not to mention the brown one, too." "Your smile makes my day." "Your sweet attitude keeps me coming back for more." "Whenever you retrieve a duck my heart goes pitter patter."

In Romans 5:5 we are told that the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (NASB). Below are a few observations from Romans 5 as to what that looks like:

Verse 6 - While we were in a state of helplessness evidenced in being ungodly Christ died for us.
Verses 7,8 - Christ did not die a hero's death saving someone who was righteous or good but rather in love for us God slaughtered His own Son in the place of sinners (See also Romans 8:32; Is. 53).
Verse 9 - The act of killing His own Son was an act of substitution -- Christ was punished in our place --thus satisfying the righteousness of God and saving us from the wrath of God.
Verse 10 - Enemies of God -- that is us -- were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.
Verse 11 - Exultation in God is through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Evidence of the Holy Spirit in one's life: The Spirit glorifies and bears witness of Christ (see John 15:26; 16:14). Because He is the Holy Spirit of God, He causes us to see ourselves apart from Christ as separated from God: helpless, sinners, ungodly, enemies of God. He reminds us when we are wandering that we have been bought with a price, that we are not our own.

Evidence we have or are coming to a proper understanding of salvation: We exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ (see also I Peter 3:18). To exult in God is to have a higher estimation of God. Salvation through Jesus Christ causes a higher view of God, a delight in God not our specialness or uniqueness. We see the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus through the gospel (2 Cor. 4).

Boasting in the Lord