1. Romans 13:8-14 July 22, 2007 Bob Eckel 1 Love – The Fulfilling of the Law Rom 13:8 NKJV “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. ” –Let’s again acknowledge that this is what the new- founded Rom 12:1-2 life looks like in us – Positioned as holy and acceptable unto God! –Notice the contrast between ‘owe’ and ‘love’ Which is the fullness of the Law (Mosaic)? –Is it unscriptural to have debts? OT - Lev 19:13, Deut 15:1-11, 23:19, II Kings 4:1-7, Psalms 37:21, Prov 22:7

2. Romans 13:8-14 July 22, 2007 Bob Eckel 2 Love – The Fulfilling of the Law –NT – Matt 5:42 – Sermon on the Mount I Cor 7:3 – same word but here, sexual indebtedness –So how do we apply this ‘law’ to our lives today? Owe is imperative present active – do it! –Do we toss our credit cards? –What about borrowing on our home - appreciating? –What about borrowing for a car - depreciating? –Hal’s ‘narrow view’ - the kind of debt spoken of here could refer back to Rom 13:7 - tribute, custom, fear, honor –Hal’s ‘broader view’ – any interest, loan payment, promise

3. Romans 13:8-14 July 22, 2007 Bob Eckel 3 Love – The Fulfilling of the Law –A reasonable and scriptural position, that is not under law, is that we shouldn’t borrow on anything we can’t pay back – and let’s not make this too legal e.g. your 1 st home –The emphasis here is to exchange the law of ‘owe’ for the law of ‘love’ – an entirely different principle Notice the word ei (except) is after owe, - this implies unless we love one another these debts can never be repaid Remember the ‘dues’ – tribute, custom, fear, honor And what does this ‘love’ response look like here? –And remember, now we’re talking about ‘no man’ »Government, boss, workmates, neighbors, family, believers, non-believers

4. Romans 13:8-14 July 22, 2007 Bob Eckel 4 Love – The Fulfilling of the Law Application - the new commandment of John 13:34 – “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Rom 13:9 NKJV “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." –How are you doing on this last one here? –By the way, also commanded in the OT Lev 19:18 -`You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.’

5. Romans 13:8-14 July 22, 2007 Bob Eckel 5 Love – The Fulfilling of the Law And what about James 2:8 – ‘If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;’? Rom 13:10 NKJV “Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law.” –The principle restated – fulfillment is God’s love in and through the believer And here it’s law not The Law –The article before law is lacking –Matt 22:37-40 "Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.‘ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets This is the first and great commandment,”

6. Romans 13:8-14 July 22, 2007 Bob Eckel 6 Love – The Fulfilling of the Law –Let’s now take a look at I Cor 13:4-7 A big task in the flesh for sure. Rom 13:11 NKJV “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” –Why was/is now the high time to awake, and what aspect of our salvation is Paul (the HS) speaking? Time is kairon – an occasion or set and proper time –Is it now because we all need to heed the truth of who we are in Christ, or is it that His 2 nd coming and/or our earthly existence could be over soon? »Knowing is eidotes or factual Our salvation – was, am being, will be In context - I Thess 5:5-7 or Matt 25:5-7 or both?

7. Romans 13:8-14 July 22, 2007 Bob Eckel 7 Love – The Fulfilling of the Law Rom 13:12 NKJV “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” –Either interpretation fits here too. is far spent – aorist active indicative is at hand – perfect active indicative –has drawn nigh »1 John 2:8,9 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. –‘casting off’ and ‘putting on’ – Col 3:8-12 –The armor of light – Eph 6:11-18! Rom 13:13 NIV “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

8. Romans 13:8-14 July 22, 2007 Bob Eckel 8 Love – The Fulfilling of the Law –as in the day – daytime Considering what follows - is not this the contrast between light and darkness? –‘behave’, ‘walk’, ‘be’ – whatever, it’s the life!! honestly – decently, in a seemly manner –I Thess 4:12 – ‘That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and [that] ye may have lack of nothing.’ –Col 1:10 ‘that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;’ –The contrast orgies – ILG (rioting), drunkenness, sexual immortality (chambering), debauchery (lasciviousness, filthiness), strife (contention), jealousy –1 Pet 4:3-5 ‘For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles - when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.’

9. Romans 13:8-14 July 22, 2007 Bob Eckel 9 Love – The Fulfilling of the Law Rom 13:14 ILG “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not give forethought to the flesh, for lusts.” –Now what’s this ‘put on’ the Lord Jesus Christ Aorist middle imperative – done and commanded –Gal 3:27 ‘For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.’ »Col 1:27 ‘To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ Sinking into, invest, clothe as with a garment –Let’s reflect on the armor in v 13 and Eph 6:11-18 –‘and give no forethought to the flesh’ What does this mean in our day to day existence? –Describe what these forethoughts could be about Is it a choice or a life? –Gal 5:16 ‘I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.’