Our Changed Relationship to the Law Romans II Series [20] Romans 13:8-14 2

OUR CHANGED RELATIONSHIPS [ROMANS 12-13] To God (12:1-2) To Ourselves (12:3-8) To One Another (12:9-16) To Our Enemies (12:17-21) To Government (13:1-7) To the Law (13:8-10) To the Present Time (13:11-14)

OUR CHANGED RELATIONSHIPS [ROMANS 12-13] To God (12:1-2) To Ourselves (12:3-8) To One Another (12:9-16) To Our Enemies (12:17-21) To Government (13:1-7) To the Law (13:8-10) To the Present Time (13:11-14)

HOW DOES LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR FULFILL THE LAW? 1) Love is our continuing debt that we can never pay back enough. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. (v.8) NOTE: The command is NOT against borrowing anything—BUT it is about paying back our debt when it is due, which requires our sober responsibility in WHEN as well as AFTER we borrow/owe.  

HOW DOES LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR FULFILL THE LAW? 1) Love is our continuing debt that we can never pay back enough. “Debt of love” does NOT mean: our debt of love is not from what we do for each other in love; also, our debt to love each other is not only for Christians or the lovable but also for all people. What it means: our debt from God’s love, which is infinite and cannot be discharged; consequently, we are now indebted [= obligated] to love all whom God loves—not just people like us but people unlike us. We are to keep paying back this debt of love to others; in so doing we fulfill the Law (i.e., Love doesn’t replace the Law—Love enables us to keep the Law).  

11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:11-12   This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 1 John 3:16

HOW DOES LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR FULFILL THE LAW? 2) Love sums up all the demands of the Law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."” (v.9)  

HOW DOES LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR FULFILL THE LAW? 2) Love sums up all the demands of the Law. Love sums up the Law this way: If we truly love our neighbor, we will not cross the boundaries of the Law (adultery, murder, covet, etc.) Who is my neighbor? The word [pelision] is one who is near; in the broader sense, neighbor is all fellow human beings who are created and loved by God. [G. Campbell Morgan] Love and the Law are not antagonistic to each other; The Law is expression of love; love is the fulfillment of the Law. Love should be the silver thread that runs through all your conduct. J. C. Ryle

HOW DOES LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR FULFILL THE LAW? 3) Love enables us to fulfill the Law. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (v.10)  Negatively, love DOES NO WRONG to a neighbor [i.e., what love would NOT do], which keep us within the demands of the Law. Positively, love DOES GOOD to a neighbor [i.e., what love would DO—“do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31) Therefore, love goes far beyond the demands of the Law (which defines the prohibitions)—love completes the Law. How, then, can we love our neighbor as ourselves?

HOW DOES LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR FULFILL THE LAW? 3) Love enables us to fulfill the Law. Negatively, love DOES NO WRONG to a neighbor [i.e., what love would NOT do], which keep us within the demands of the Law. Positively, love DOES GOOD to a neighbor [i.e., what love would DO—“do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31) Therefore, love goes far beyond the demands of the Law (which defines the prohibitions)—love completes the Law. How, then, can we love?

How Love Fulfills the Law How do you live the Christian life? What do you pursue? What do you focus on? Do you say, “Now I am forgiven by faith alone, and now I have the imputed righteousness of Christ by faith alone, and now I have the Holy Spirit within me by faith alone, so now I will go back to the law—the ten commandments, and whatever other commandments there are (Romans 13:9)—and I will focus my new God-given ability on the these commandments and fulfill them”? No. I don’t think that is the way Paul guides us. I think he wants to speak rather like this: “Now I am forgiven by faith alone, and now I have the imputed righteousness of Christ by faith alone, and now I have the Holy Spirit within me by faith alone, so now I will continue to make my focus Jesus Christ every day, and I will look to him for everything my soul craves. And from my union with Christ, nurtured hour by hour by focusing on Christ as my great Savior and mighty Lord and infinite Treasure, I will love people. Christ will be my focus, love will be my fruit.” - John Piper

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE Take the sober responsibility to live A DEBT-FREE LIFE. Say NO to consumerism—choose simplicity and modesty. Prioritize paying back toward your debt intentionally. 2. Make CHRIST YOUR FOCUS DAILY to bear the fruit of love. Realize that your infinite debt to Christ’s love cannot be paid. Realize that Christ’s infinite power is now the source of your love for others. 3. Commit yourself to LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF and go beyond what the Law requires. Choose LOVE as your way of life as one who is after God. Be positively active in loving others–do to others as you would have them do to you.