PODCAST
Love Fulfills The Law
June 16th, 2013
Romans 13:1-14
Romans 13:1-7 remind us that we are obliged to pay our taxes to stay out of trouble with the government. It does not say, “Love paying your taxes.” Just do it!
Romans 13:8-10 list five commandments critical to community life. These are briefly summarized in Leviticus 19:18: “‘Love your neighbor as yourself’”–the most frequently quoted passage from the Pentateuch (the five books of Moses) in the New Testament.
All our social obligations as Christians are expressions of the one central command to love sincerely (12:9). Love, not obligation, is the basis for our life together: “Owe no one anything, except to love one another” (13:8, NRSV). Love fulfills the Law because those who love do nothing law forbids, and more than Law requires (13:10; see Galatians 5:23; Matthew 5:43-48).
Romans 13:11-14 is one of many biblical reminders to live in constant readiness for the end. We are living on borrowed time.
Author: George Lyons
