Romans 13... it's all about the love
Fluffy bunnies, giant yellow peeps, nice hugs, rainy nights... it's all about love. These are things that I love, however that is not really what I will write about this evening. Something more.. say.. edifying will be written tonight.
Honestly I have been reading alot about the 10 commandments and how they bring about the knowledge of sin. If you are a doctor you can't necessarily tell a patient that they have to take a certain medicine to save their life if they didn't even think they were sick. would some believe this? Yes.. But is it right? NO. So lets look at the verse that caught my eye.
I have heard many a pastor preach on love and I would say most of these guys would take this verse to say that the 10 commandments are not relevant now. That now we must love everyone. But I don't see this at all. By upholding the 10 commandments then you are showing love to your neighbor. Love is the true test of the commandments. Think about it. If you loved your wife (or husband) would you steal from them (8th commandment), would you lie to them (9) would you want their stuff (10), would you use their name as a curse word (3). This is just a few of the commandments and no your love would not be demonstrated to your mate if you did these things.
So lets think about love in the context of God. If you love God with all of your heart you will always put him first (1), you will not worship any idols (2), you would not use his name as a curse word (3) you would keep his day holy (4) you would honor your parents because that is what He would want you to do (5) you would not kill anyone because this would be be killing His creation (6) you would not commit adultery as this would bring shame upon his name (7) you would not steal anything as you would be stealing what God has given someone else (8) you would not bare false witness or lie to someone else (9) and you would not want someone else stuff (10). True love and adoration for the creator and the giver of the air that you are breathing would simply not allow you to do these things. They are not ugly rules that were written in moses time. The commandments, written by God, are relevant to any situation today.
So in this passage if you were to love you neighbor as yourself then you would be fulfilling all the commandments of God. But do we. Do we really love God? Do we really try to please Him every waking moment? By how we spend out time? By how we talk to other people? By our thought life? I too am convicted by these words... I hope they convict you too.
Romans 13:8-14
8Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Honestly I have been reading alot about the 10 commandments and how they bring about the knowledge of sin. If you are a doctor you can't necessarily tell a patient that they have to take a certain medicine to save their life if they didn't even think they were sick. would some believe this? Yes.. But is it right? NO. So lets look at the verse that caught my eye.
9The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
I have heard many a pastor preach on love and I would say most of these guys would take this verse to say that the 10 commandments are not relevant now. That now we must love everyone. But I don't see this at all. By upholding the 10 commandments then you are showing love to your neighbor. Love is the true test of the commandments. Think about it. If you loved your wife (or husband) would you steal from them (8th commandment), would you lie to them (9) would you want their stuff (10), would you use their name as a curse word (3). This is just a few of the commandments and no your love would not be demonstrated to your mate if you did these things.
So lets think about love in the context of God. If you love God with all of your heart you will always put him first (1), you will not worship any idols (2), you would not use his name as a curse word (3) you would keep his day holy (4) you would honor your parents because that is what He would want you to do (5) you would not kill anyone because this would be be killing His creation (6) you would not commit adultery as this would bring shame upon his name (7) you would not steal anything as you would be stealing what God has given someone else (8) you would not bare false witness or lie to someone else (9) and you would not want someone else stuff (10). True love and adoration for the creator and the giver of the air that you are breathing would simply not allow you to do these things. They are not ugly rules that were written in moses time. The commandments, written by God, are relevant to any situation today.
So in this passage if you were to love you neighbor as yourself then you would be fulfilling all the commandments of God. But do we. Do we really love God? Do we really try to please Him every waking moment? By how we spend out time? By how we talk to other people? By our thought life? I too am convicted by these words... I hope they convict you too.
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