Romans 13:8-10
Scripture: Romans 13:8-10 (ESV) “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled 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.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Devotion
When you read the Old Testament law, it is lengthy, complex and likely to put you to sleep! Don’t believe me? Just have a read through the book of Leviticus… The problem is, even as complex and detailed as the law was, it didn’t cover every aspect of life. When the command says “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, on it you shall do no work”, what does that mean? What constitutes work? How far can you walk before it becomes exercise? These kinds of questions mattered to the Israelites who wanted to live righteous lives.
So to help them answer these questions, the Pharisees developed a whole new set of interpretations of the law, to help them keep the law. But even these extra laws didn’t cover every aspect of life. That is a problem, because no matter how many laws there are, they cannot possibly cover every circumstance you encounter in life. So what are we to do? How can we actually live lives that please God?
In Romans 13, Paul helps us by focusing us. He turns our attention from a heartless and mindless robotic form of keeping the law and points us to the the heart of the law: love. He reminds us what Jesus says of the law. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus taught that the entire law is fulfilled in loving others as we love ourselves. This is how the law is truly lived out in practice. This isn’t a way to bypass the requirements of the law, or to water down the law. Loving our neighbor as we love ourselves IS the way we live out the law. When we love, we naturally avoid harming others—there’s no room for adultery, theft, or any form of malice when love is at the core. Love seeks the best for others and, in doing so, aligns perfectly with what the law aims to achieve.
Imagine if we approached every situation with the question, “Is this loving towards my neighbor?” When we live this out completely we will look at our neighbours when they crucify us and say “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing”.
Prayer
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Lord, thank You for showing us that love is the fulfillment of the law. Help us to internalize this truth so deeply that it transforms all our actions. Teach us to love others the way You have loved us—freely and fully. May our lives reflect Your love in all that we do, making Your law a natural expression of our actions. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge
Today, try to view each decision and interaction through the lens of love. Ask yourself, “Is this the most loving thing I can do?” Whether it’s in conversation, at work, or even in traffic, let love guide your responses.