LOVE is the ULTIMATE FULFILLMENT of GOD’s LAW!
November
19 Bible Reading: Romans Chapters 13-16
LOVE is the ULTIMATE FULFILLMENT of GOD’s LAW!
Owe no one anything except to love one
another, for he who loves another has
fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit
adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not
steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not
covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this
saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does
no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is
the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)
In the above
passage, Apostle Paul tells the Roman believers that it is their privilege to
fulfill God’s law by loving others. They should subjugate their
beliefs/convictions to the ‘law of love’
for love truly fulfills the law by
leading everyone to peace and mutual edification.
Love is a debt that is never paid in full
considering the fact how much Jesus has loved us and given His own life for us.
Love is the final summary of God’s moral
laws. If we truly understood and completely followed the command to love
one another, we would fulfill every social duty and would especially observe
those commandments that are most fundamental in human relations (v. 9).
There are two kinds of debts: those with the lender’s consent and those without his consent. It is the
second kind of outstanding debt that Paul refers here as our obligation to love
(agapē), which signifies a deep,
unselfish, superhuman affection for others. This love manifests itself in giving, and generally in sacrificial giving. Thus, God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son (John 3:16), and Christ loved the church and gave Himself for
her (Eph. 5:25).
Love is primarily a matter of the ‘will’
rather than ‘emotions’. The fact that we are commanded
to love indicates that it is something we can choose to do, and it can only be
exhibited by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Love enables us to perfectly fulfill all our obligations, whether
to the state, to the citizens, or to God. Love for God and for our neighbors is
our highest motive for obedience and
the ultimate fulfillment of God’s law!
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well. (James 2:8) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Gal 5:14)
