LOVE RULES
Susan Murray
Today’s Scripture: “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10, ESV
Theme: Be a good neighbor. Following Jesus means treating your neighbors with love – even when they don’t “deserve” it.
RULES
We have many laws that govern our lives. When we obey them, life flourishes. Think about it... If everyone followed the Ten Commandments all the time, there would be no murders, no affairs, no stealing, no lying, and no oppression or injustice in our community or families. We would not need police to enforce laws or judges to hand down sentences because there would be no criminals and no jails. We would not have divorces and broken families. If we all just followed all of God’s rules, we could flourish in every way possible. But we just don’t because we can’t do it on our own power.
BROKEN
So why do we break the rules when following them would make life good? Sin, right? Sin has a hidden root cause - a failure to love God and others. The first of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 says; “You shall have no other gods before me,” meaning that God is to be the first priority in our lives. It means that we are to love God more than anything else in this world. The last six of the Ten Commandments are about loving others. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments’” (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV). Breaking any of God’s laws starts with breaking the commandment to love God first.
OCEAN OF LOVE
Love is what enables us to follow God’s laws. So how can we love? Society says we need to love ourselves more before we can love others. We know to look at Christ’s example instead: “We love because he first loved us” (I John 4:19, NIV). How did He demonstrate loving us first? “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV). He died so we could have life – eternal life. So your love for God, others, and even for yourself does not originate from within you; it comes from seeing His love for you demonstrated on the cross. Jesus also said, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me” (John 14: 21, NIV). Keeping the laws doesn’t earn God’s love, but heartfelt love for God is the power source to keep the laws. Jesus said, “...apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NIV). Picture a bucket labeled “Laws” at the bottom of an ocean named “Love.” Love fulfills the law. (That’s our verse for today! Read it again.)
Make It Personal: Make a list of your sins, your failures to love. Now listen to the prophets: “’Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool’” (Isaiah 1:18, NIV). “’I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me’” (Jeremiah 33:8, NIV). Now listen to Jesus: “’Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’” (Matthew 11:28, NIV). “’Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing'” (Luke 23:34, NIV). Focus on Jesus' love for you, and only then will you be able to follow His example and genuinely love others from the heart keeping God’s laws.
Pray: Abba Father, You are love, a love that is deeper than any ocean. Open my eyes to grasp even more how deep, long, high and wide Your love is for me until I am fully satisfied. For only when I feel the full force of Your love will I be able to follow Jesus loving others by keeping Your laws. Forgive my imperfect efforts. Amen.
Read: Romans 13:8-14
Weekly Memory Verse: “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Romans 12:9, ESV