You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
5 And [de] hope [elpis] maketh [kataischuno] not [ou] ashamed [kataischuno];
because [hoti] the love [agape] of God [theos] is shed
abroad [ekcheo] in [en] our [hemon] hearts [kardia] by [dia] the Holy [hagios] Ghost [pneuma] which [ho] is given [didomi] unto us [hemin]. KJV-Interlinear
5 and hope
does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. ESV
Here is the spiritual process. Doctrine which comes from God, enters into our soul, by means of the Holy Spirit. Love, ‘agape,’ is a reference to the word of God, its content, its principles, its precepts. There are several words used in the Greek, for love, and most people mistake this for the emotional feelings of personal or friendships or intimacies between people. And this is not one of those words.
‘Agape,’ refers to the content of the scriptures, namely the word of God.
There are basically three words for love, used throughout the New Testament.
They are, 'phileo', a love that has to do with feelings of the heart. This connotes more emotional response or reaction to something or someone, as between a parent and child, or between friends, or even at viewing extraordinary scenery, or hearing music to which you either respond or react.
'Agapao', another word for love, deals with the mind. It has to do with ones attitude toward society, dealing more with tolerance, than emotional feelings of passion.
The third word for love is 'eros' which is used in connection with intimate love as between a husband and a wife.
God has varying degrees of love ‘agape’ (a policy love) toward people. For unbelievers there is great concern that they should lose out in eternity by their rejection of Him (rejecting the doctrine of the gospel). For believers there is love with regard to their spiritual growth and thus the rewards that will be given out (a daily study of Bible doctrine).
We have studied the three words used for love in the Bible. This word, ‘agape’ in its various forms, is the word for the principle of doctrine, or the policy. It stands for tolerance of others in general. This world is full of people and with as many different ideas about life as there are people. Not everyone will think alike, as that is the nature of the jungle environment apart from Bible doctrine.
This is the use of the word ‘agape.’ This is an act of responsibility, of accountability, of maturity in the spiritual realm.
The word for love is ‘agape,’ which is a reference to the principle of love or tolerance or recognizing the principles of truth and abiding by them rather than compromising ones life for the sake of expediency.
We treat our children with ‘agape’ love when we discipline them. They are taught right from wrong. We do not love them any less when they are bad, nor when we discipline them. The discipline is for teaching and training in the principles of manners, and teaching right from wrong, and so forth.
God possesses a prefect love. One that is not complicated with emotion, nor the confusion of deception and uncertainty. This same love (agape or Bible doctrine) is made available to each person, as Jesus herein prays for just that. That all who believe in Him (believers), that all who are positive toward Him and reside in fellowship and are advancing toward spiritual maturity, and are in compliance with His commands, that these will be the recipients of His perfect love (doctrine), of His perfect stability, of His perfect happiness, of true and genuine prosperity, for all of these things are wrapped up in the love of God.
And so, continuing our study in this verse, we should learn that doctrine is poured out, ‘ekcheo,’ which means literally that, to pour out, to scatter profusely. And doctrine is made available in huge quantities, to humanity, such that no one has any excuse, no one can say that they did not know, did not hear, did not have any chance.
Bible doctrine is made available through the Bible of course, but it is made available in so many places, in church, online, on the radio, on television, in written material and on and on and on. The entire world has the contents of the Bible available to everyone.
It is poured into our hearts, by means of, or through, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the conduit by which we learn and come to understand spiritual content and phenomena. You cannot learn or know anything of the spiritual realm apart from the function of the Holy Spirit. And no, you cannot feel the Holy Spirit. He is a part of the spiritual function and is not a part of your five senses. So, you cannot feel or taste or hear or smell or see the Spirit.
And anyone, anyone, who insists that they can feel the Spirit or Ghost or whatever, moving within them is stubbornly holding onto emotional feelings and not objective instruction. Retaining the idea of learning by osmosis, or feelings, which is a blatant rejection of Gods process, rather than by instruction. It is nothing more than a neat trick to excuse oneself from an objective daily study by instruction.
The Holy Spirit, is one of the three members of the Godhead (Father, Son, Spirit). And he was given to us for several reasons, one of which is as a deposit for eternal life, but more so, He was given in order that we might learn and hold and grow and function within our spiritual life. He is the principal communicator and sustainer of truth, through our human spirit and therefore into our soul.
And so, our spiritual life is fueled by Bible doctrine, the information from God to us, for life.
It is poured out in abundant quantities. You have no excuse for not learning. Not learning simply means that you do not want to learn. And that is a problem of your attitude which you would need to resolve lest your life end unfulfilled and empty.
And, doctrine comes to us by means of the Holy Spirit. You have to be in fellowship, 1 Jn. 1:9, in order for your spiritual life to function properly.
Note, that doctrine, salvation, the spiritual life, the Holy Spirit, everything that is of a spiritual nature, comes from God and due to Gods effort. None of it comes from our effort. Mans works is not and never will be, a part of the spiritual realm.
These studies are a part of the massive daily study web site at DailyBibeStudy.Org, and are written, so that you can come to Christ if you have not done so already, and therefore not be lost forever.
And if you have already believed in Christ, then these studies are written so you can learn and understand and grow in your spiritual life, so that you can come to the full knowledge of Christ, so that you can fulfill your meaning and purpose in life as God intended for you, and so you can qualify for a phenomenal eternal reward which you will have forever.
To ignore this opportunity to pursue a daily study means you will be incomplete, unfulfilled and you will lose out, big time.
The Daily Bible Study is online, making it possible as never before in all of human history, to advance in ones relationship with God, through Christ, and to complete yourself beyond your imagination.
But you have to decide to make that commitment. No one else can study for you. You have to do that yourself.
