LOVE FULFILLS THE LAW

Romans 13:8-10 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 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 neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

In order to fulfill the will of God, all obligations we have now, and will have in the future, should, and must, be paid. All tribute, ...custom, ...fear, ...(and) honor that are due, are to be paid (Rom. 13:7). All debts must be paid so that we owe no man any thing. So begins this inspired lesson text from the apostle, Paul. Here he tells us of another obligation - the debt of love that we all owe to one another. All mankind are included, and each is referred to as our neighbor. As Christians, our neighborhood has no geographical boundaries - all people of the world make up our neighborhood. In order that we owe no man anything, the debt of love must be paid, just as the debts of taxes and respect must be paid and satisfied. Why? Because it is God's will that we do so - it is necessary in order that we satisfy, or fulfill the law (of God).

The law of love was stated in the Old Testament: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Lev. 19:18&34). There are numerous references to the law of love in the New Testament. This question was asked of Jesus by a Jewish lawyer, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matt. 22:36-40, also see Mark 12:28-31 & Luke 10:25-27). Although the lesson text deals with the debt of love owed to our fellow man, the teaching of Jesus states that the primary commandment assures us, that all mankind has this obligation - to love the Lord thy God. This, the greatest debt of all, must be paid in full. Jesus then said that our love for our neighbor must also be demonstrated, just as it was to God. It, too, becomes a debt that must be fully paid with a sincere and willing heart. Regarding our debt of love to our fellow man, Paul adds this teaching in his letter to the churches of Galatia: for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Gal. 5:14).

Love worketh no ill to his neighbor. No one desires ill will to come into his or her lives. The word "ill" is most frequently used in regard to health, with "ill health" meaning unwell, sick, or diseased. However, "ill" is used in the lesson text to describe what is morally bad or evil; it is misfortune, pain, and any form of discomfort; it means harshness, cruelty, and unkindness. The debt of love, as it should be paid to one's neighbor, will never result in any thought or deed that will bring any of these "ills" to his neighbor. The reason is because we do not want these "ills" in our own lives. This is how God measures our love for our neighbor - we are to love thy neighbor as thyself. O, how the world needs to understand, accept, and practice this commandment of true love for God and for our fellow man.

Paul also lists some, but not all, of God's commandments regarding sins that can, and often are, committed against our fellow man. If the debt of love for our neighbor were paid in full, the following sins would never occur. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Covetous seduction would cease; all acts of fornication and adultery would end; separation, divorce, and the heartaches they bring, would be eliminated; and loving family unions would remain intact. Thou shalt not kill. The life of your neighbor would be just as precious to you as your very own. Hatred, grudges, and spite that results in malice, would come to an end. Wars would cease. Thou shalt not steal. The desire for that which belongs to others would never occur. There would be no fraudulent, dishonest plots or schemes for ill-gotten gain of any kind. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Truth would always be spoken; our conversation would be void of slander, gossip, and backbiting. Trust would be found in our words. Thou shalt not covet. The inordinate greedy, avaricious, and envious desires, especially for that belonging to others, would end and be replaced with charity. For Christians to conduct themselves in a manner acceptable to God, the debt of love for our neighbor must be paid. It is God's law. We must obey His commandments, because Love Fulfills the Law!