Grace equips you to fulfill God's law by loving your neighbor.
Romans 13:8-10 (NIV)
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 25: The Fulfillment of the Law
We believe
that the ceremonies and symbols of the law have ended
with the coming of Christ,
and that all foreshadowings have come to an end,
so that the use of them ought to be abolished
among Christians.
Yet the truth and substance of these things
remain for us in Jesus Christ,
in whom they have been fulfilled.
Nevertheless,
we continue to use the witnesses
drawn from the law and prophets
to confirm us in the gospel
and to regulate our lives with full integrity
for the glory of God,
according to his will.
Summary
One of the best feelings in life is to finally pay off a long standing debt. Once the debt is satisfied, you can spend the money you had been using for payments for whatever you want.
We often apply this same principle to our relationships. If someone does you a favor, you're indebted to them until you reciprocate. Once you're even again, you can use your time however you'd like.
The Bible has no room for such an attitude. Since loving others is the fulfillment of the law, and love "is not self-seeking" and "keeps no record (1 Cor. 13:5)," you'll never completely fulfill God's law. You'll always be seeking to reflect the holiness of God that the law points to in the lives of those you have relationships with. In that sense, be glad to let this debt to one another never be paid in full.
As Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount, the Law is much more than a collection of do-nots. In other words, although not killing people who cross you will keep you out of trouble with the civil law, you will not have fully complied with the sixth commandment until you "love your neighbor as yourself."
Dig Deeper
One of the major truths of the Bible comes near the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus indicates that the righteousness of His disciples must surpass that of the Pharisees (Matt. 5:17). We understand this doctrine two ways.
First, praise God that Jesus has already fulfilled your coventantal obligation to perfectly abide by God's Law. In this way, everyone who trusts in Christ alone has the all surpassing righteousness that God requires from those He's in communion with.
Secondly, the grace that included you in the righteousness of Christ also equips you to live out all of the implications of God's law. In this way, you're personal righteousness must surpass the Pharisees. Whereas they were content to just follow the letter of the law, you must make every effort to not only avoid breaking the commandments, but also look for ways to love those around you in every situation you face.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who calls us to love others the way that He loves us;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will see opportunities to love your neighbor as yourself and have the desire to follow through;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 8
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