Fulfilling God’s Law
8/23 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 15; Romans 13; Jeremiah 52; Psalm 31
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8/23 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 15; Romans 13; Jeremiah 52; Psalm 31
Romans 13:8
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
LOVE
The unbelieving world surely has mistaken notions of what love is. We, as born-again believers in Christ, sometimes err in our understanding of love, too. The Bible tells us that “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8), and therefore, true love originates in the nature and character of God; and must be defined that light. We often look at love as something sentimental, something emotional, or something physical. While these may accompany love, they are not true love in and of themselves. They cannot be. If my mind becomes confused, what becomes of sentimental love? If my fickle feelings become moody, what becomes of emotional love? If the object of my affections no longer abides with beauty or attraction in my eyes, what becomes of physical love? Well, it ceases to exist. Can God cease to exist? Absolutely not. Some will render love to a mental decision by defining love as a choice; or as a conscious action or activity by saying “love is a verb.” But God is not a choice or activity, is He? On our part, love is the appropriate response to God, as it is written,
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
By commandment, Jesus also told us we must love one another (Jn 13:34); and in that, He told us to love one another as He has loved us (ibid.; John 15:12). Paul, moreover, tells us in our verse today, that we are indebted to love one another, and thereby, fulfilling God’s law. But what does this kind of love look like? It must stem from the truth of the greatest act of love the universe has seen or ever will see: the sacrificial death of God’s only Son upon Calvary’s tree. When we “lay down our lives” for fellow believers, the greatest demonstration of that love must be so that in heaven above, and on earth below, and in hell beneath, our thoughts thunk, our decisions made, our words spoken, and our actions exercised must give glory to God through the exaltation of Christ and His atoning sacrifice. Yes, a tall order indeed, which cannot be carried out in mortal flesh unless executed in the strength of Christ and in the power of His might (Eph 6:10). And even when this is carried out in Christ’s strength by the Spirit’s power, the world will scoff, believers may misunderstand, and Satan and his minions will accuse us of wrong; yet heaven sees, Christ knows, and the heavenly Father is pleased. Hallelujah! What a loving Savior!