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The Book of Romans – Part 30, Fulfilling the Law Through Love

[Study Aired April 23, 2024]

Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth  another hath fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt  not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be  any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou  shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the me, that now it is high me to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in riong and drunkenness, not  in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the  flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

In Romans 13: 8-14, Paul ventures into the essence of Christian living, emphasizing the centrality of love in fulfilling God’s law. He begins by urging us to love one another, asserting that love encompasses all of God’s commandments. Listing  specific directives, like avoiding adultery, killing, falsehoods and covetousness, Paul emphasizes that these are all encompassed in the overarching principle of loving our neighbors as ourselves. Love, he contends, inherently refrains from causing harm to others. Urging vigilance, Paul underscores the urgency of awakening from spiritual slumber, likening the time to the fading darkness of night and the imminent arrival of dawn. He encourages believers to cast off the works of darkness and embrace the virtues symbolized by the armor of light.

Furthermore, Paul warns against indulging in behaviors like excessive revelry, drunkenness, promiscuity and discord, advocating instead for a lifestyle characterized by integrity and a rejection of selfish desires. He exhorts believers to emulate Jesus Christ and resist the allure of gratifying sinful inclinations. These verses serve as a compelling reminder of the transformative power of love and the necessity for us to live authentically in anticipation of Christ’s return.

What is love?

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity (love) envieth not; charity (love) vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; (love)  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but (love) rejoiceth in the truth; (love) Beareth all things, (love) believeth all things, (love) hopeth all things, (love) endureth all things.

1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1 John 4:18-19 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.

These verses emphasize the qualities and actions of love. Love is patient and kind, not envious or boastful. It doesn’t behave rudely or selfishly and isn’t easily angered or resentful. Love rejoices in truth, bears all things, believes, hopes and endures.  It’s not merely expressed in words but in actions and truthfulness. Those who don’t love don’t understand God, for God is love. Perfect love removes fear, as fear involves torment. We love because God loved us first, exemplifying the essence of  love.

God’s love toward us meets all the above standards.

Unconditional Love: God’s love is unconditional and not based on our merit or actions. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” This verse highlights that God’s love extends to us even in our brokenness and sinfulness.

Everlasting Love: God’s love is everlasting and unchanging. Jeremiah 31:3 declares, “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” This verse assures us that God’s love for us endures forever.

Self-Sacrificial Love: God’s love is demonstrated through sacrificial actions. John 3:16 famously states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God’s ultimate act of love was sending Jesus to die for our sins, showing the depth of His sacrificial love for humanity.

Personal Love: God’s love is personal and individualized. Psalm 139:17-18 says, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” God’s love is intimately concerned with each person, knowing them intimately and caring for them deeply.

Transformative Love: God’s love has the power to transform lives. 1 John 4:16 states, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” When we experience and embrace God’s love, it changes us from the inside out, enabling us to love others as He loves us.

Our goal is to continually “walk in love.” This is a daily challenge and will take a lifetime to complete. Day by day, Lord willing, we will overcome everything that is against love within us. There is only one way this can be achieved.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  

Eph 5:1-21 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness,  or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk  with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart  to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.