Wednesday: Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 26th of March 2025
The relationship between love and law cannot be overstated. Indeed, according to Scripture, to love is to fulfill the law.
In Romans 13:8-10, Paul teaches that “he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8, NKJV). After listing many of the last six of the Ten Commandments, Paul declares that these are “all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ ” (Romans 13:9, NKJV). Indeed, Paul teaches explicitly, “Love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10, NKJV). Again, in Galatians 5:14, Paul explains, “All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ ” (Galatians 5:14, NKJV). But what kind of love is that which fulfills the law? What does such love look like?
Read Matthew 23:23-24. What are the “weightier matters of the law”? Read Deuteronomy 5:12-15 and Isaiah 58:13-14. How do these passages demonstrate the relationship between the law (particularly the Sabbath commandment) and God’s concern for justice and deliverance?
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Jesus identifies the “weightier matters of the law” as “justice and mercy and faith.” And in relation to one law in particular—the Sabbath—we can see in Scripture that the Sabbath itself is integrally connected with deliverance and justice.
In Deuteronomy 5:1-33, the Sabbath commandment is grounded in relation to God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery. That is, the Sabbath is not only a memorial of creation but also a memorial of deliverance from slavery and oppression. And in the context about turning from one’s own pleasure to call the Sabbath a delight by taking delight in the Lord (Isaiah 58:13-14), the emphasis is on works of love and justice for others—doing good, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless (see Isaiah 58:3-10).
Given all of these teachings (and many others), those who wish to fulfill the law through love should be concerned not only about sins of commission but also about sins of omission. Love as the fulfillment of the law involves not merely keeping the law in the sense of refraining from committing sins but also consists of actively doing good—doing the works of love that faithfully advance justice and mercy. Being faithful to God is more than just not violating the letter of the law.
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I know that I have used this illustration many times and some people may think old age is catching up with me. On the other hand, this topic has come up many times too so maybe someone else is getting old too.
As you probably know I grew up on a dairy farm in New Zealand where the contented Jersy cows feasted on rich pastures of ryegrass and clover and produced beautiful creamy milk. Each paddock was surrounded by a barbed wire fence. The "cow law" was to keep inside the fence. Most cows were quite happy to keep inside the fence and either ate grass, or lay contentedly in the shade chewing the cud. Some cows tried the fence. They saw some shiny grass outside the fence and would reach for it. All they could think about was that the fence was keeping them from what they wanted. We knew what they were up to because when we collected the cows for milking, they would sometimes be on the wrong side of the fence.
Fences are great, but they only keep the good cows in. The good cows probably do not even know the fence is there.
It is not a perfect illustration but sometimes Christianity focuses on the fences, reiterating what we should not do. Christianity should be about doing rather than "not doing". Like our cow paddock, inside the fence, there is a rich pasture of love to feast on and grow. Focussing on the fence tends to destroy our vision of the good things that God has prepared for us.
I reiterate with a verse I have used earlier this week:
The Christian paddock is full of rich food!
Love and law are inseparable in Scripture, with love being the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:14). Jesus highlights that the “weightier matters of the law” are justice, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23-24). The Sabbath, as seen in Deuteronomy 5:12-15, is not only a memorial of creation but also a symbol of deliverance and justice. Isaiah 58:13-14 emphasizes that true Sabbath observance involves acts of love and service, such as feeding the hungry and helping the needy.
Fulfilling the law through love goes beyond avoiding wrongdoing—it requires actively doing good and promoting justice. True faithfulness to God is not just about avoiding sin but about living a life of love, mercy, and righteous action.
Part of Jesus’s farewell discourse with His disciples was a heartfelt appeal before His crucifixion, “If you love me keep my commandments” (John 14: 15). Jesus was not compelling His disciples to keep the commandments, but He was appealing for obedience based on love. He was simply telling them, “If you have a relationship (love) with me, keep my commandments”. It is out of love that we have for God that we keep His commandments. Jesus was making a critical point that obedience to God’s law is a manifestation of genuine love. We fail to keep God’s laws because there is no God’s love in our hearts. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not burdensome."(1 John 5:3).
It is important to note that Jesus’s statement, “If you love me keep my commandments”, it is a heart felt appeal by Jesus to His disciples to reflect the character of God in all their dealings. Keeping God’s law is living by the moral foundation which binds our relationship with Him and with our fellow human beings. This is a higher calling. We have been called to be children of obedience (Matthew 5:16).
In the statement, “If you love me keep my commandments”, Jesus was telling His followers to exhibit the mark of true discipleship. Loving God (including fellow human beings) and keeping His commandments are reflectors of true discipleship. "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35). It is impossible to love one another if we fail to keep God’s laws.
While salvation is a gift of grace through faith ((Ephesians 2:8-9), obedience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit which demonstrates a transformed life. Children of obedience are children born of the spirit. Keeping God’s law is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit working in us and preparing us for eternal life.
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” – Jeremiah 31:33 (NIV).