Romans 13:8-10
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” and “You shall not murder,” and “You shall not steal,” and “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.
Devotion
In the text above, Paul is clearly communicating that as believers we are to owe no one for anything but love. As believers, we are to always owe the debt of love to our neighbors. In this passage, Paul is saying that our love for one another is revealed in what we do rather than in what we say. By quoting the commandments, Paul is not saying that we must live under the Old Testament Law. What he is saying is that love reveals itself in not committing adultery, not killing, not stealing, and not coveting. If we say that we love as Jesus loved and commit these acts against our neighbors, we are kidding ourselves and the love of Christ is not in us. Loving our neighbor is the fulfillment of the Law.
It also is important to note that love is the first attribute listed in the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. Paul writes, “Against such things [fruit of the Spirit] there is no law.” Genuine Christian community practices the principle of “the continuing debt to love one another.” This means that because Jesus demonstrated His love toward us while we were still sinners, we have an obligation to love others in the same way. This can be difficult in a society where conditional love is the rule rather than the exception. Once we experience God’s love through Christ, we have the honor and privilege to love others as He loved us.
Questions to Ponder
What does it mean to say that love is the fulfillment of the Law? In what ways has God expressed His love toward you? What is Paul referring to when he wrote, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another”? How do you show love to those who might offend you? When asked about the greatest commandment, how did Jesus respond? In what ways does your love for Jesus show in the church family? In what ways does your love show to those outside of the church family?
Spend some time in prayer meditating on what God revealed to you today.