KEEP THE ‘ROYAL LAW’ AND FULFILL ALL THE LAW!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 29, 2024.

SUBJECT : KEEP THE ‘ROYAL LAW’ AND FULFILL ALL THE LAW!

Memory verse: " If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well.” (James 2 vs 8.)

READ: Romans 13 vs 8 - 10; Galatians 5 vs 14:

13:8: Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

13:9: For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

13:10: Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Galatians 5:14: For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 

INTIMATION:

The ‘royal law’ is the law of loving one another. It was given by our great King Jesus Christ, who said, “Love one another as I loved you” (John 15 vs 12). This is the principle upon which human relationships are established. One does well if he or she manifests loving concern for his or her neighbor as he or she does for himself or herself. To love others was not a new commandment (see Leviticus 19 vs 18), where it was originally summarized, and was the basis for all the laws of how people should relate with one another. 

However, to love others as much as Christ loved us is revolutionary, and absolutely very rare in a world dominated by selfishness—“me first.” Now we are to love others in consonance to Jesus' sacrificial love for us. Jesus is a living example of God's love—Who gave His only Son as a propitiation for us, we are to be living examples of Jesus love as well—bearing one another’s burden (Galatians 6 vs 2). 

Jesus summarized the law as ‘Love for God and neighbor’ (Matthew 22 vs 37 - 40). The royal law holds us accountable to God, and devoted to others. In the the passage we read today, the apostle Paul said that love demonstrated toward a neighbor would fully satisfy the law. Therefore, when we fail to love we are actually breaking God’s law. 

A heart of love, both toward God and your fellow human, is a fundamental requirement in our relationship and fellowship with God. Jesus gave us a commandment in John 13 vs 34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another." His unique and unequalled love for us caused Him to give His life for us, hence He said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15 vid 13).

We must treat all people as we would want to be treated. This is a debt that all believers in Christ owe. Why? Because we are permanently in debt to Christ for the lavish love He has poured out on us. The only way we can even begin to repay this debt is by fulfilling our obligation to love others in turn. Because Christ’s love will always be infinitely greater than ours, we will always have the obligation to love our neighbors. 

The love for our neighbor is limitless and has no boundaries. It doesn’t ignore anybody, because ignoring anybody, whether rich or poor, is tantamount to withholding our love. But we must not favor the rich for what they can do for us, while ignoring the poor who can offer us seemingly nothing or so little in return. The Scripture recognizes love for one another as a demonstration of love for God; "If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" (First John 4 vs 20.) Therefore, love your neighbor you are seeing before you can claim your love for God you do not see.

Christians must obey the law of love, which supersedes both religious and civil laws. It’s quite easy for us to excuse our indifference to others merely because we have no legal obligation to help them, and even, in some circumstances, justly harming them if our actions are technically legal! For instance, if our actions are legal and beneficial to us, we may not care how it affect others. But Jesus does not leave loopholes in the law of love. Whenever love demands it, we are to go beyond human legal requirements and imitate the God of love. 

When we believers lose the motivation of love, we become critical of others. We stop looking for good in them and see only their faults. Soon we lose our unity. Have you talked behind someone’s back? Have you focused on others’ shortcomings instead of their strengths? Remind yourself of Jesus’ command to love others as you love yourself. (Matthew 22 vs 39). When you begin to feel critical of someone, make a list of that person’s positive qualities. When problems need to be addressed, confront in love rather than gossip.

It’s noteworthy that we need self-love that can influence our love for others. But even if you have low self-esteem, you probably don’t willingly let yourself go hungry. You take care of your body and may even exercise. You clothe yourself reasonably well. You make sure there is a roof over your head. You try not to let yourself be cheated or injured. This is the kind of love we need to have for our neighbors. 

Now, do we see that others are fed, clothed, and housed as well as they can be? Are we concerned about issues of social justice? Loving others as ourselves means actively working to see that their needs are met. Interestingly, people who focus on others rather than on themselves rarely suffer from low self-esteem.

Examine your attitude and actions toward others. Do you build people up or tear them down? When you really criticize someone, remember God’s law of love and say something good instead. Saying something beneficial to others will cure you of finding fault and increase your ability to obey God’s law of love.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of love for You and my neighbor that I may keep the royal law, and consequently fulfill all the law to the glory of Your name, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!