Origen on the subjective and objective meaning of "the love of God" in Rom. 5:3-5

 "But it seems that I must consider whether here that love which, he says, "is shed abroad into our hearts through the Holy Spirit," is that by which we love God or with which we are loved by God. Now if, indeed, that love by which we love God is to be understood here, the statement needs no confirmation. But if the love by which we are being loved by God is instead to be understood here, since he said, "the love of God is poured out into our hearts," it is certain that he is putting down love as the highest and greatest gift of the Holy Spirit so that, just as the gift was first received from God, through this [gift], by which we are loved by God, we are able to love God himself. For Paul himself names it "the Spirit of love," and God is called love, and Christ is designated "the Son of love." Now if "the Spirit of love" and "the Son of love" and "the God of love" are found, it is certain that both the Son and the Holy Spirit are to be understood as springing from the one fountatin of paternal deity. From the fullness of the Spirit, the fullness of love is infused into the hearts of the saints in order to receive participation in the divine nature, as the apostle Peter has taught, so that through this gift of the Holy Spirit, the word which the Lord said might be fulfilled, "As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us." This is, of course, to be sharers of the divine nature by the fullness of love furnished through the Holy Spirit." (Comm. in Rom. 4,9,10).