The Law of Love

Romans 13:10 “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

I recently came across a lesson on the above Bible Verse that stated how many people today see love merely as a feeling or as a sentiment that lacks objective content. In other words, there is a widespread belief that love consists mainly in a feeling of warm affection and, essentially, means whatever one wants it to mean. Many people believe it is OK to divorce their spouses merely because they do not feel in love anymore. Others justify all manner of illicit relationships by their understanding that love has no true definitive boundaries.

We do not deny that love has an emotional component; however, as Paul teaches us in Romans 13:9–10, we may not define love according to whatever feels right to us at the moment. Love, the Apostle tells us, consists in the fulfillment of the commandments against murder, adultery, theft, covetousness, and “any other commandment”. Given the context, Paul has in mind primarily the commandments that regulate our relationships with other people. Christians must follow the law of love, but the concrete guidance as to what the law of love demands is the moral law of God revealed in Scripture.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “love” as: An affection of the mind excited by beauty and worth of any kind, or by the qualities of an object which communicate pleasure, sensual or intellectual. It is opposed to hatred. Love between the sexes, is a compound affection, consisting of esteem, benevolence, and animal desire. Love is excited by pleasing qualities of any kind, as by kindness, benevolence, charity, and by the qualities which render social intercourse agreeable. In short, we love whatever gives us pleasure and delight, whether animal or intellectual; and if our hearts are right, we love God above all things, as the sum of all excellence and all the attributes which can communicate happiness to intelligent beings. In other words, the Christian loves God with the love of complacency in his attributes, the love of benevolence towards the interest of His kingdom, and the love of gratitude for favors received. The love of God is the first duty of all men, women and children, and this springs from” just” views of Hs attributes or excellencies of character, which afford the highest delight to the sanctified heart. Esteem and reverence constitute ingredients in this affection, and a fear of offending Him is its inseparable effect.

The lesson points out that the Apostle Paul does not specifically mention love for the Lord in these verses, but he certainly does not exclude it. In fact, by citing the commandments of God specifically, the Apostle inextricably ties love of neighbor to love of our Creator. If we love the Lord our God, we will keep His commandments, striving to do what pleases Him. If you really love [God], you will be pleased by what pleases him, and what pleases him is revealed to us in his law. God’s law, therefore, remains relevant to the Believer. It is opposed to faith in the matter of justification—we cannot be declared righteous in the Lord’s sight by keeping His commandments. Only through faith does this occur. Yet God’s law guides our sanctification, our walk as living sacrifices according to the renewing of our minds. This guide says true love—as defined in the commandments—does no wrong to our neighbors. He who is endued with true love will never entertain the thought of injuring others. Why would they?

Augustine of Hippo writes, “The rule of love is that one should wish his friend to have all the good things he wants to have himself and should not wish the evils to befall his friend which he wishes to avoid himself.” Doing no wrong to neighbor is more than just refraining from harm; it consists in working for the good of others, in doing for them that which we would want them to do for us (The Golden Rule - Matthew 7:12). Only God’s Spirit can generate such love in us.

Blessings