The law part 2: Love and the law

We know the law cannot save. But we also know that the law is good. We know that the law is abolished, yet it still speaks truth. To get our heads around law, we need to pull these pieces of the puzzle together, each stage of these blogs begins to answer questions but each also raises new questions. I find one of the most remarkable statements is found in Romans.

Romans 13:8-10 'Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the law. The commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: love your neighbour as yourself. Love does not harm to its neighbour therefore love is the fulfilment of the law'.

This is a remarkable statement, bare in mind this is the same author who wrote that the law is abolished. Here, he unpacks a principles, which is that the law is love, love fulfils the law. This ties in with the greatest commandment: Love the Lord you God with all your heart soul mind and strength, and love your Neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40) Jesus even goes so far as to say in verse 40 'All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments' (NIV 1984). This pretty much agrees with what Paul is implying here. This is actually profound, the root of all the law and all the prophets, is tied up in the greatest commandment- love God, love your neighbour (for reference Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18).

Which raises the question: If the law and the prophets are connected to love, it has not lost its value as it is an outworking of the love of God. Paul felt that it was important enough to emphasise in the life of the believer. But in balance, he was not encouraging us to go back to law, but emphasising the value of law to gentile believers, and reminding Jewish believers that love is the ultimate core of the law.

So the law, is in a sense, simply a break down of what love means. This is even more so when we consider the law in terms of the full Old Testament revelation. When we also add to this the prophets and the wisdom literature it breaks down love even more fully and completely.

The prophets get to the heart of the law. And the heart of the law is actually love. But this is all connected in Christ. Jesus said not only do I fulfil the law, but the law AND the prophets. But this makes perfect sense, if Jesus reveals the Father, and God is love, by fulfilling the law and the prophets it shows that Jesus must perfectly love God and his neighbour. He explains this idea himself in this:

John 14:31 'I love the Father and I do exactly what my Father has commanded me' In fact John 14-15 regularly link listening to God, following him, to love.

The relationship between love and obedience is shown no more profoundly connected in the life of Christ and in the Death of Christ. His love for the Father, and his love for us. In this he fulfilled the law. He lived a perfect life, not only the letter of the law, but the heart of the prophets. He loved the Lord, with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength, and loved his neighbour as himself. He showed us a sinless life through his loving obedience to the Father.

While he demonstrates loving obedience, and we know that love fulfils the law we also know that with his life Romans 10:4 'Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes'. Also in

Romans 3:20b '...rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known to which the law and the prophets testify.'

So, by going down one road, we could almost be convinced that we should return to following the letter of the law, which some try to convince us of (as they did in the time of Christ). But now we can become righteous through Christ, not the law. Jesus' fulfilment of the law meant that Christ was perfectly righteous as he was perfectly love, both to the Father and towards us. So in him, we now gain his righteousness.

When looking at the law and the prophets and love, scripture connects the two intimately. The law doesn't just contain a law to love, the law and the prophets actually simple, unpack what it means to love God and our neighbour when understood and applied properly as Christ did. This is why he fulfilled them both. So this teaches us the value of law and the prophets. All laws and guidances and advice flow from love. Not defined by man, but defined by God. When you read or study the law and the prophets, you are seeing a breakdown of love.

The law is abolished for the sake of salvation, Christ is the way, not the law, but the law hasn't changed either. The content hasn't shifted, it hasn't become bad, it still shows love. This hasn't changed. But is that all there is to it? More to come in part 3.