The Role and Function of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Romans

Throughout Paul's writing of Romans it is inherently obvious that he is building a Theological Argument, with each element fitting systematically between those which precede and follow. With this in mind it is important that we initially consider Romans 5:5, as Paul's first fragment of discourse concerning the role of the Spirit in the life of the believer...
"...and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."
Here, comments Fitzmyer, "the gift of the Spirit is not only the proof but also the medium of the outpouring of God's love;" and Stott agrees in stating, "The proof that our hope will not disappoint us in the end is the fact of the amazing generosity of God's love for us - a fact which we have been enabled to know and understand by the gift of His Spirit to us." The love the apostle speaks of here is an active love - "it is a love that gives to us and takes possession of us" through Spirit indwelling and possessing our lives.
This statement of guaranteed hope through the outpouring of Divine Love in the Spirit is inexorably connected to the assurance of hope and future glory so clearly laid out in 8:22-23...
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