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Romans 13:8-10
The Apostle John teaches us in 1 John 4:8 (ESV), “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” The Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 13:8 (NKJV), “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Paul quotes commandments from Exodus 20:13-15, 17; Deuteronomy 5:17-19, 21; and Leviticus 19:18 to show us that these commandments can only be followed/fulfilled by having love for one another. This is directly in line with the teaching of Jesus in John 13:34-35 (HCSB) as He states, “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” The Apostle Paul declares in Romans 13:10 (NKJV), “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
This is a command to have love for one another – in Christ.
This love that Paul speaks of is not a love that you and I have within ourselves apart from God; as God is love, this love that Paul speaks of is the love of God that fills our hearts in newness of life in our salvation in Christ Jesus. As Paul states in Romans 13:10b, “therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”, knowing then that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), God is the fulfillment of the law – in Christ Jesus as God’s gift to man through His sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus is God in human form – Jesus is God’s love poured out on humanity to save us from sin – to save us from what we cannot save ourselves from to show us our need for Him unto salvation that we would put Him first in our lives and love our neighbor as ourselves as Jesus commands in Matthew 22:37-40 quoting from the Law in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 in being the fulfillment of it. To have this love – the love of God through Christ Jesus in our hearts is the fulfillment of the Law – in Christ.
Dear LORD,
None of us can keep all the Law – the commandments that You gave through Moses, but through Christ Jesus we are more than conquerors as the Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 8:37-39 (NIV), “…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus teaches us in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to You LORD except through Him. He is Your love that conquerors all and gives life eternal to all who will put their faith in Him. Thank You LORD for Your great love for us. In Jesus name I pray, amen.