Romans 13-1 Christian Conduct (4) The Law of Love#
Romans 13-1 Christian Conduct (4)
- The Law of Love
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Life of Eagles)
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you for preparing this time for us to listen to your words together. Supply us with the truth we need during this time. Your words are our wisdom and a timely help in our lives. We are willing to first receive love from you and then live it out and pass it on. May the Holy Spirit renew each of our thoughts and intentions, guiding us with your truth to live a different life. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
The topic we want to share is Christian Conduct, Lecture Four: The Law of Love
Romans 13:8-10,
8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “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.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
What this chapter talks about is not about salvation, but about how to be victorious in life. God wants us to apply the truth in our lives. Let us learn to conduct ourselves like Jesus, filled with His wisdom and power. Salvation is not related to behavior, but victory is related to behavior. May each of our brothers and sisters live a sanctified life, glorifying the name of the Lord Jesus.
This article mentions the Ten Commandments. If we do not understand the intention expressed by Paul, we might think that Paul wants to change our behavior through the law, to constrain our actions by the law. Is Paul bringing people back under the law, making them justified by their works? Of course not.
Paul is not emphasizing the law here, but rather that the essence of the law is love. God gave the law not to bring death to people, but to make them aware of sin. The things that God does not allow the people to do in the law are all unbeneficial to them. Jesus did not abolish the law but fulfilled it. In Jesus, we see God's love. He did not violate the law, showing that He is sinless, while upholding the law and demonstrating God's love. Love transcends the law and fulfills it. If a person's heart is filled with God's love and they act on that love, they will not only not violate the law but will also demonstrate God's righteousness and receive rewards. The highest principle of Christian conduct is the law of love.
In verse 8, it says, "Owe no one anything."
To owe, in the original Greek, is similar to "debt." Believers should not owe anyone, which seems to imply that believers should not be in debt to others. However, based on the context, we can see that this refers to living out good behavior, setting an example. We should honor those who deserve honor; pay taxes to whom taxes are due. We need to strive to ensure that people cannot find fault in us, and we must first have the heart of "Owe no one anything."
Owe no one anything means that in whatever we do, we should not cause others to suffer loss, should not let others be disadvantaged because of us, should not take advantage of others, and should not burden others. This is what we should do in the negative aspect of practicing love. Love is giving; but before we can give to others, we must first not take advantage of them. For example, if you ask someone to help you with something, you should not let the helper suffer financially or mentally; if someone helps you buy something, you should pay them first, not make them uncomfortable. Some people even take a long time to repay money they owe, which is indeed owing others.
Let’s first look at a negative example. The believers in the Corinthian church were unwilling to suffer loss, and due to disagreements, they ended up suing each other, resulting in losses for both sides. There are indeed some people in the world with extreme thoughts: if they cannot have it, neither should others. Such people should be avoided; otherwise, one day you may truly be dragged down by them.
1 Corinthians 6:6-8
6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers! 7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren!
The believers in Corinth were not harmonious, lacking love and forgiveness for one another, and because of some matters, they ended up destroying each other, giving unbelievers a handle to criticize them. Such foolish behavior results in mutual destruction and is of no benefit.
Now let’s look at another person, David. David was a servant after God’s own heart. David's heart was also inclined towards goodness. Let’s look at a psalm he wrote.
Psalm 15:1-5
1 (A Psalm of David.) Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? 2 He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. 3 He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; 4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
In David's heart, not everyone can dwell in God's tabernacle, nor can everyone dwell on God's holy hill. David had a deep reverence for God. Because his relationship with God was right, his interactions with others were different. David walked uprightly, worked righteousness, and spoke the truth, even if it cost him. In the past, King Saul wanted to kill him and viewed him as an enemy. But David had many opportunities to easily kill King Saul, yet he refrained, believing he should not kill the anointed king of God. He would rather suffer loss himself than do such a thing. We can see from the Old Testament Chronicles that Saul's end was tragic, but David was preserved by God and ultimately exalted by Him.
When we conduct ourselves, we should learn to be like David. We must not imitate the ways of the Corinthians.
How do we do this? As Christians, we should not take advantage of others. For example, if you borrow money from someone, you should return it on time. You must not learn from some people's bad habits of deliberately delaying repayment. If this continues, it will exhaust the friendship, and when you truly need help, no one will be willing to assist you. If someone helps you, remember their kindness; do not be ungrateful. There are too many people in this world who think that others' help is a given, without any gratitude. This is indeed owing others.
What we should do is not to owe others; rather, we should be willing to suffer loss ourselves than to owe anyone. You must know that God will provide for you; He will make up for what you lack. Amen!
Many Christians are also business owners. How should they act in this regard? Do not owe your employees; do not be like those worldly bosses who delay wages for three to five months, thinking that since their hometown is far away, they cannot come every day to ask for it! This mindset is wrong. Workers deserve their wages, and you must pay them.
Do not owe others; this is what they are entitled to, and no matter what, it should be given to them. You should not make any excuses for yourself, such as "I've been under a lot of stress lately..." Remember, they also need to live. If your employees know you are a Christian and you delay their wages, they will say that those who believe in Jesus are no different from the world! You do not represent yourself in this world; you represent Jesus Christ. We must understand this point: in our interactions with others, we must not owe anyone.
The Bible also tells us in the book of James that there is a rich man, and James warns them to be vigilant and fearful because the workers who harvest your fields are owed their wages; their cries have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts (James 5:4).
Do not think that what you do goes unnoticed; in fact, God knows everything, just as Abel's blood cried out from the ground when Cain killed him. James says that when you delay paying others, that wage will cry out, and how can God not know?
The latter part says, "But love one another, and always consider yourselves in debt." You should not owe others. Conversely, always consider that you owe others. Here, we repeatedly emphasize that you do not owe God; you owe people. The debt here refers to owing, and here we also explain Paul's statement, "I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise."
This does not mean that Paul borrowed money from the Gentiles and did not repay it; he refers to the gospel. He always feels indebted to these people for not having preached Christ to everyone, which is Paul's heart. God tells you not to owe others, but to love one another. In terms of love, you should always feel that you owe others because love can lead people to Jesus Christ more than any moral or verbal teaching.
For your family and friends, they do not care what name you call your Lord, but they care whether you demonstrate love through your actions. For example, if someone says they believe in Jesus and often praises how good their Lord is, but when faced with a little trouble, they complain and curse when angry, and often take advantage of others, then others will not see what is good about your Lord. On the contrary, when there is a character, such as the fruit of the Spirit, others will be attracted to know Jesus because of you.
There was once a sister whose family underwent a huge change, and several times she felt she could not go on living, feeling powerless. But during this process, she kept praying to God, and God gave her strength. The brothers and sisters in the church also helped her. Those around her said, "If this happened to me, I would have broken down long ago; I could do nothing but cry every day. I didn't expect you could still live so peacefully." This sister said, "Because I have a Lord." Then her friend said, "It’s really good to believe in the Lord!"
Do you see? This is when our character is displayed to others, and it becomes an attraction. This attraction can lead people to Jesus Christ. When you truly love others and feel that you are always in debt to love others, helping others selflessly and loving one another, you fulfill the law.
What disputes, what scheming, have no resistance in the face of love. How do people come to know this Lord? Through us. Look at how we express Christ's love. If on one hand, we say how much Jesus loves us, but on the other hand, we show no change at all, the world will not want to deal with us or believe in our Lord. They may think Christians are a very hypocritical group, one way in church and another at home, and then we cannot say anything to others. Therefore, in this matter, we must always consider loving others as a debt, and then love one another and serve one another.
In verse 9, it says, "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet," and any other commandment is summed up in this saying, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Here, Paul does not say, "You must love God, with all your heart, soul, and mind," but he refers to the latter part of "love one another," which is about our relationships with others. The Ten Commandments have two aspects: the first part refers to loving God, striving to love God with all your strength; the latter part refers to loving others, which means you should strive to love others as you love yourself.
First, "You shall not commit adultery." How can we use love in our lives to fulfill this law and resolve many disputes and problems? Among the Ten Commandments, adultery refers to various immoral behaviors, including immoral sexual behavior, same-sex relationships, and various improper relationships, especially between men and women.
In a spiritual sense, it also refers to worshiping other idols as gods besides God. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were often metaphorically compared to an unfaithful wife, worshiping God on one hand while also worshiping Baal and other idols.
Romans 1 tells us:
Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. (Romans 1:26-29)
Relying on God is the way to overcome. When you do not rely on God and say, "I am just like this, it doesn't matter," then God can only let you be. If you are unwilling to let God change you, unwilling to let God give you strength, it is indeed very difficult to overcome.
What are the lustful things? Why are they such a great attack on us? Lustful things are evident. For example, adultery, uncleanness, and lasciviousness. I told you before, and now I tell you again, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19, 21)
This tells us that some people are trapped in lust and are willing to stay in it, unlike Christians, who do not want to live in immorality but wish to escape from it. When one cannot escape by oneself, relying on God can save them. But some people are unwilling to escape and prefer to engage in these relationships. The Bible tells us that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Let me clarify a question that some have asked me: If a Christian has already believed in the Lord but is still trapped in lust, what should they do? The previous passage has already told us that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Here, "inherit" does not mean they cannot enter heaven; it refers to the inability to receive many blessings from God.
For example, those who engage in immoral relationships will not have good families or good interpersonal relationships because if they do such things, they will suffer losses in other areas.
If you truly love your wife or husband, especially love them with the love of Christ, then you will not fall in love with a third party. It is that simple. Therefore, the love of Christ can maintain a normal relationship between you and your spouse. If you particularly love your wife and consider her the most beautiful one, naturally, the issue of adultery will be resolved.
It is actually very simple. When Jesus Christ is in your family, these problems can be easily resolved. But if you push God aside (because God is love), you will see problems with your partner; as you age, the problems will increase, as if you lose attraction. However, when Christ is among you, you will see your partner differently at all times. This is the way to overcome the law—love.
You love them, and they love you; other problems will be resolved. Therefore, the method Jesus Christ gives us is very easy. We will say less about this issue; everyone is clear about it. Just tell you how to overcome it: love your wife or partner with the love of Christ. If you say you cannot love, what should you do? First, receive His love from the Lord Jesus, meditate on how Christ loves you, how He died for you, and for your sins. Then today, you can love others, receiving love from Christ and then giving it out. This is our method.
Second, "You shall not murder." The development of this issue has a process; in a person's heart, there is already hatred or jealousy and other lustful problems. These issues escalate, leading them to feel they must kill that person to resolve the problem. If a person's heart is filled with the love of Christ, love is giving, is giving, and will not harm another's life.
Brothers and sisters, how does the Bible tell us? Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (1 John 3:15)
Brothers and sisters, when someone wants to kill another, their heart is filled not with love but with hatred or anger. If the love of Christ fills their heart, they will not harm others; instead, they will provide for and help others.
To resolve the issue of not killing, one must rid themselves of hatred and anger or condemnation. How do we do this? The Bible already has the answer. The latter part of verse 8 says, "Love one another, for love fulfills the law." Therefore, love does no harm to a neighbor. When a person's heart is filled with love, they are filled with hope and will not harm themselves or others. Thus, love fulfills the law.
When one’s heart is filled with the love of Christ, they will not harm themselves or others. How can hatred be turned into love? When people understand how Christ loves us, we can be changed. Only the love of Christ is unconditional and enduring.
We were once enemies with God, but Jesus Christ came and sacrificed Himself on the cross for our sins, paying the price for our sins and restoring our relationship with God. Brothers and sisters, the solution to hatred between people is love.
We must proclaim the love of Jesus Christ to the world, not just with words but also through our actions, allowing the world to see the character of Christ in us. Because "love" is a verb, it carries action.
1 John 4:7, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God.
Always remember, the love for others should not be your own love. If it is your own, you cannot do it because your love is selfish and conditional. You always calculate how you will suffer. It must be the love that comes from God that you use to love those around you because God will reward you and give you strength. What you do is for the sake of Christ, to love others as Christ loves you. How does God love us?
1 John 4:9-11
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
This is the definition of love. God's love for us is action-oriented. He sent His only begotten Son Jesus into the world to die for our sins; this is God's love. It is also the part we need to emulate.
People must understand how much Christ loves us, how much they have received, in order to give out as much. This understanding comes through daily meditation, reading the Bible, and listening to sermons to comprehend Christ's love and experience the reality of Jesus in life.
1 John 3:16, By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
This is the specific way to practice love. Jesus laid down His life for us because He loves us. From this, we know what love is. Love does no harm to others; instead, it gives life and benefits to others. The greatest love in the world is to lay down one's life for the brethren. May our brothers and sisters love one another.
In John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
The new commandment Jesus gives us is to love one another. Love the world with the same love that Jesus has for us. Thus, everyone will recognize that we are disciples of Christ.
You shall not steal.
Stealing, in the original language, refers to deceiving or using improper means to turn someone else's property into one's own. When a person is always aware of their lack, they will seize others' things. When a person understands the abundant provision of the Father, they can naturally break free from these bad habits.
Ephesians 4:28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
The behavior of Christians is also very important. When a person believes in the Lord, they must repent and turn to God, believing in God's abundant provision and blessings. When people believe, they can change their previous bad habits. Diligently working will lead to abundance, and they can also share with those in need.
Here, I want to extend this matter. Many people do not want to do proper work, perhaps thinking it is too tiring or too difficult, or even risky, and thus choose improper means, such as high-interest loans, using deceptive and fraudulent methods to acquire wealth. Many such scams have emerged. For example, if you invest 1500, they will return 500 to you every month for six months. People think this is too good to be true because they can recover their investment in three months, and the next three months are profit, so they start investing more money. In the end, they gain nothing and lose their principal.
Christians should engage in proper work and not acquire wealth through improper means. When you believe that God can provide, seek a proper job, a suitable job, and trust that God can change you. There is no need to use speculative means to gain blessings. God will surely provide you with abundant supply. In what you do, God will grant you wisdom and insight, making you a channel of blessing.
We must also believe that in whatever we do, when you act, pray for it, and God will surely provide for you. But do not use illegal means or theft to achieve this; that is also wrong. Follow Jesus Christ and believe that God will take responsibility for us. Another important point is that you must work hard.
Believe that God loves you and is the source of blessings. Then you will no longer need to steal; diligent labor, working with your hands at what is good, will lead to abundance. You are a child of God, a princess of God, possessing all the resources of the kingdom of heaven, and thus will become a giving person.
Next, you shall not covet. The original term means not to desire excessively, referring to human desires. In fact, greed is a desire that often arises from living in self-centeredness; greed is driven by fear of lack and loss. Why do some people work so hard to earn money? Because they feel that wealth can give them a sense of security. But our true hope and faith come from God.
The greedy person is self-centered. They will go to any lengths to obtain more for themselves, always seeing their own lack, which drives them to grab more. In reality, greed is a bottomless pit that ensnares people. Only those who recognize the love of Christ can escape from it.
In the past, I asked some people how much money they would need to earn in a month to feel satisfied. Some said, "My requirement is not high; if I earn 10,000 a month, I will be satisfied." When they earn 10,000, are they really satisfied? No. When they earn 10,000, they want to earn 20,000 a month, realizing that 10,000 is no longer enough. This is coveting. They do not see God's abundant blessings and do not know contentment.
Philippians 4:12-13
12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
How did Paul understand these things? He believed that God was his provider, that Jesus Christ would always keep and care for him. Even in poverty, he would see God's provision; in abundance, he knew it was God's grace; in hunger, he had hope in God; in fullness, he could give thanks. He always found his satisfaction in Jesus Christ.
The focus of the greedy person is always on themselves, always discovering their own inadequacies. However, a person filled with the love of Jesus Christ is willing to share; they find their satisfaction in Jesus.
Any other commandments are summed up in this saying, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
The core principle of the commandments is love. Because God loves us, He does not want us to do things that harm ourselves or others. Because God loves us, He tells us how to live victoriously in this world. Jesus came to be our example, showing us how to live a meaningful and valuable life.
Here it specifically mentions "love your neighbor as yourself." The words in the Bible are very precise; we can love others no more than we love ourselves; we cannot love others more than ourselves. If someone says they love you more than themselves, that is false. Love is the overarching principle of all commandments.
Matthew 22:34-40
34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
The Pharisees and Sadducees knew the Scriptures; they even taught others. But they had no love in their hearts. The lawyer saw that Jesus' power exceeded theirs and became jealous, always trying to find fault in what Jesus said. In fact, they severely lacked the love of God.
When they asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest in the law, Jesus summarized the law: to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus not only said this but also did it. Through Jesus' love for us, we understand the Father's love. Because Jesus is love, He shows us how to love others.
Today we have a mission: to pass on this love. Love does no harm to others. Love is giving, not taking. This is the core principle of all our service. May our brothers and sisters continually receive love from Christ every day, experience Christ's love, and live out Christ's love.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you. Because you love us, you sent Jesus to the world to die on the cross for our sins, reconciling our relationship with you permanently. This love is eternal and unchanging. Through Jesus, we know we are your beloved children, pleasing to you. We are also willing to continue receiving your love and applying it in our lives. Please grant us wisdom and strength to know you more and experience your presence.
We are willing to be messengers of the gospel, to be channels of blessing. Please use us and give us strength to manifest the glory of Christ! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!