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Have you encountered God’s love? It’s something you need to confront and experience. Perhaps you have not known God’s love because you do not understand what it’s all about.

There are two important aspects to the love of God. On one hand, we have the historic objective demonstration of God’s love. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This is the great display of God’s love. Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty due to others for their ill will, evil thoughts, unkind deeds, and heinous acts.

On the other hand, we have the subjective experience of God’s love. This is the love of God applied to our hearts. “The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5).

These two sides of God’s love are complementary. To encounter God’s love within, God’s Holy Spirit must apply it to our hearts. How do you know this work has been accomplished? You see the beauty of the death of Christ. You trust in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross as the only adequate payment for your sins. When this happens, you experience God’s love. The Holy Spirit subjectively applies the objective demonstration of God’s love to your heart.