Romans 13:8-14 Love and the Law (30-06-2024)

Romans 13:8-14
We often think of God’s law as a list of do’s and dont’s! The shall not’s! You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal...
When the apostle Paul urges us to live our life in peace and in harmony with one another, as law abiding citizens, in submission to our governing authorities, he is urging us to walk in love.
This, Paul says, is the fulfilment of the law! (Rom 13:10). As we love people, we desire to do good for them and not to harm them, thereby walking in love, inadvertently fulfilling the law. (Righteousness apart from law)
The law, with all its do’s and do not’s, therefore, is not the main thing to keep our eyes fixed upon, for when we do, there comes a danger to become legalistic and self-righteous.
Remember when Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment by one of the scribes? Jesus’ response was that we ought to “…Love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and with all our strength” Jesus then gave a bonus answer, (a second greatest commandment) “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus then said…“There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31)
Basically, Jesus’ command can be summed up this way, “Love God and love people” For if we do that, we are really fulfilling the requirements of the law indirectly, as a by-product of simply walking in love!
Fulfilling the law does not mean we are given a special super-hero power to never sin again. Receiving the Holy Spirit does not enable us to live a sinless life, no matter how hard we try. But rather, we are given the righteousness of Christ. Declared righteous through faith in Christ.
Now when Paul urges the Roman Christians to walk in love, he commands them to cast off the works of darkness. (Rom 13:12)
We look to Jesus, love one another, and to put away the sins of darkness, because we are children of the light.
We see the law in a new light. (Love! Rom 13:8-10)
We wake up, lest we sleep in the light. (the urgency of the hour! Rom 13:11-12)
We learn to walk in the light. (Not in darkness! Rom 13:113-14)
That’s living a transformed life motivated by the gospel!