Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.                                                                          

                                                                                                            Romans 13:8-10

I have to admit that this is another one of those passages that has had a profound effect on my spiritual life. Certainly the Bible speaks against legalism in the life of the believer, but even if we have an interest in following the letter of the law, it can be summed up in love. There are three statements made in today’s passage and they all point to a single truth: that love fulfills the law of God.

Do not owe anything to anyone except to love them. When we love our neighbor, we have fulfilled the law. Notice it doesn’t say that if you love your neighbor “you’re on your way to fulfilling the law” or “you’re taking a step in the right direction in fulfilling the law.” “He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” Mission accomplished! Of course, no one loves others perfectly all of the time, but this passage reminds us where our focus should be. Christians should always be looking for ways to redeem relationships through a patient attitude, gentle speech, and kind actions. Patience, gentleness, and kindness are not only descriptions of love; they are also attributes of the fruit of the Spirit of God. Said another way, people living by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, will exhibit these characteristics in their day-to-day activities, fulfilling the law and purposes of God.

So what about the commandments? Any commandment you can think of can be summed up in loving others. This is what Jesus was teaching when He was asked which commandment was the most important. Jesus said that loving God and loving others was at the heart of the law and that all of the law and prophets (writings in the Old Testament) can be summed up in those two commandments (Matthew 22:36-40). Today’s passage echoes that truth. Adultery, murder, stealing, coveting, and any other commandment can be summed up in loving others like we love ourselves (Matthew 7:12).

Love does no wrong to anyone. If you love someone, you must have a positive disposition toward that person. You should also desire to see good come into their life and be willing to do what is necessary to help them along the way. He who loves His neighbor has fulfilled the law. All commandments can be summed up in loving others. And just in case we missed it, the passage concludes with clarity: love is the fulfillment of the law. So why are we waiting? Go out and fulfill the law of God today!