Romans chapter 12 and I will
continue doing as I have been for the past two or three times
Romans chapter 12 verse 1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the
mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice
holy Acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service now
jump down to chapter 13 in verse 8 we've covered Not in detail
of everything, but we've covered from chapter 12, verse 2, all
the way through 13, verse 7, but let's continue on now in
verse 8. Owe no man anything but to love
one another. For he that loveth another hath
fulfilled the law. For this thou shalt not commit
adultery. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt
not bear false witness. Thou shalt not covet. And if
there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in
this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor.
Therefore, love, I'll restate it again, slightly different
way. Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, the time,
that now it is high time to awaken out of sleep, for now is our
salvation nearer than when we believed. You see that? Now is
our salvation nearer than when we believed. All right. A title this morning, and it
comes directly from Paul's words here in chapter 13. It's actually,
it's an astounding statement. Love is the fulfilling of the
law. And now notice, I'm not gonna
deal with this distinction that much. I may mention it again
and talk about it a little bit. It doesn't say love is the fulfilling
of, or love is the keeping of the law. It said love is the
fulfilling of the law. That is an amazing thing. So
Paul continues in this letter, with instruction on presenting
our bodies a living sacrifice. So let's just get right to it.
Paul introduces, first of all, I have three main points to give
you directly from this passage. And I'll try to move through
those briefly because I have a few other things I want us
to look at once we've looked at this passage. First of all,
first thing, Paul introduces a profound truth about love between
believers. Now, this is about love between
believers. Now, we've already seen that
we're to love our enemies. So don't get me wrong. I'm not
saying believers are to love one another exclusively, but
believers do love one another. By this, all men know you are
my disciples. If you love one another. But this does not discount that
we are to love our enemies. To do good unto them doesn't
spitefully use us. But Paul here is narrowing this love down now. You see what I'm saying? Narrowing
it down between the body of believers. First of all, unto this thing.
Paul introduces a profound truth about love between believers.
Two things here. Believers, one obligation. Our one obligation is to love
one another. Owe no man anything, look at
it, you see it? Owe no man anything but to love
one another. Now, briefly on this. There are
those, and I was born and raised in a denomination, and when they
would talk about something like this, and I do remember in Sunday
school class, being taught something along this line, owing no man
anything, and they would say, well, that means you can't borrow
money, because you're gonna owe no man anything. That's nonsense. That's not what this is talking
about. This is not a prohibition against borrowing money. Most
of us have no option at times but to borrow money. How many
of us could go out and just buy a house on our own for $120,000,
$130,000? It doesn't happen. Nobody's talking
about it. Now, this phrase, owe no man anything, and specifically
the word owe, when it speaks of in a monetary sense, like
money or bills or debt, it's not saying you can't have debt,
but it's saying fulfill your obligations. If you're talking
about, but that's not Paul's meaning here, but it covers all
of this is, owe no man anything. That is, keep up with your obligation,
make your payments. Make them on time as the agreement
was. And you all know all that, we understand this. But that's
not really Paul's meaning. What he said, believers, one
obligation, owe no man anything but to love what we owe one another
love. You see that? We are to keep
that obligation. When we love one another, our
obligations, plural, to one another will follow. It will, if and
when we are truly, now we always love the brethren, but we don't
always show it now, do we? We don't always show it. We always
do have it, but Joe, we don't always show it. But we ought
to show it as well. So again, here's what he's saying.
When believers love one another, are all the other obligations
we have one to another, they will follow. Because love produces
that thing. You see, you don't do all these
things and then say, ah, I've proved that I love the brethren. We don't often do that, do we?
The second thought under this, Paul introduces this profound
truth about love between believers. Believers loving one another
constitutes a fulfilled law. It constitutes a fulfilled law.
Now here's the second thing. Paul illustrates, and I emphasize
that word, Paul illustrates this by the law's true import. Okay? By the law. How do I say
it? Paul is not telling us here,
by love we will then keep the law. If we love one another,
we'll keep the law. We cannot keep the law. Because the law
deals also with our flesh. And our flesh never loves one
another, but we were, as flesh is what? Hateful and hating one
another. And sometimes it pops out on
us, doesn't it? It still pops out back on us.
No, Paul is illustrating by the law's true import. And he compares
that in verse nine, so let me paraphrase these phrases he gives,
and then we'll look at verse nine in detail. Think about the
six things that Paul mentions about this love. Spirit wrought
love, and I'm not going into that, because this is spirit
wrought love. This is not fleshly motivated love under the law.
This is love wrought in the heart of God's people by the Spirit
of God. The love of God is shed abroad,
abroad, in our hearts, by what? Or more truthfully, by the Holy
Spirit, which is given to us. So, he illustrates this by the
law's true import. Spirit wrought love in believers
promotes fidelity in marriage. Simple enough. Secondly, spirit
wrought love in believers promotes respect for physical life. Spirit
wrought love in believers promotes integrity. Spirit-wrought love
in believers promotes honesty. Spirit-wrought love in believers
promotes contentment. This is offering our bodies a
living sacrifice. But its total mode, its power,
its enabling thing is love and love only. That's the amazing,
love is the fulfilling of the law. Think about it. Then, as
I said, it promotes fidelity, it promotes respect, it promotes
integrity, it promotes honesty, it promotes contentment. Then,
Paul, spirit-wrought love in believers amongst one another
is summed up by the second greatest commandment, the last part of
verse nine. And briefly, comprehended in
this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. If you love your neighbor as
yourself, you're not gonna step out with his spouse or her spouse,
right? If you love your neighbor as
yourself, you're not going to kill. If you love your neighbor
as yourself, you're not gonna steal from your neighbor, right? If you love your neighbor as
yourself, thou shalt, you will not bear false, you won't lie
on him. You won't lie on him. If you
love your neighbor as yourself, you won't covet, you won't be
desirous, overly desirous of that which God has given them
and has not given you. Okay. And he says, if there be
any other commandment is briefly comprehended in the same, namely
thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Now, let me talk
about the true important of this, the true important of the law.
It doesn't say love your neighbor like you love yourself. I will
paraphrase it. Love your neighbor as if your
neighbor were you. That's what it's talking about.
That's what the true importance of that commandment of the law
is. Not, okay, I love myself this much, so I gotta love my
neighbor that much. You see what I'm saying? Most people think
of it that way. Because we all, after all, we like to love ourselves.
Don't we? This ain't about I love myself,
therefore I'm supposed to love my neighbor like I love myself.
That's not what it says. It's to love thy neighbor as
thyself. Be him. Him be you and you be
him. That's the true import of the
law. But love covers all that. All five of those laws. You remember
that time when this certain individual came to Christ and said, which
is the greatest commandment in the law? He said, the greatest
commandment is to love God with everything you are. Heart, mind,
soul, body, strength, everything, right? He said, in the seconds
like it, love your neighbor as yourself. Love your neighbor
as yourself. So, seventhly then, Paul concludes
this law illustration. Verse 10, love worketh no ill
to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
So if I do any of these other things, Joe, if I covet, if I
steal, if I kill, any of these other things, then that was not
love. But if I love, these other things
will follow. under the spirit of God, not
under legal obligation. All we got, and I'm gonna put
it this way, all we got to do is love. The rest of it will
fall in order. But oh, how difficult that is.
How difficult that is. So again, Paul concludes this
illustration. Love works no ill to his neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfilling
of the law. And when I really read that, Joe, and it dawned
on me, I thought, that is so astounding. It doesn't say love
will enable you to keep the law because it doesn't. It doesn't. But love is the fulfilling. It doesn't say love will help
you fulfill. It says love is the fulfilling
of the law. All right, so here's the third
point. We're just looking at these words,
this instruction of presenting our bodies a living sacrifice.
Here's the third thing. Let us not be slumberers. You
see that? Let us not be slumberers when
it comes to love for one another. We all have the end of this life
coming, and our final deliverance is nearer than when we first
believed. Some of us are getting right
near, and I'm saying this as Earl used to say, you know, just
all things being equal, some of us are right close to the
stepping off point. And now all of us are heading
toward that stepping off point. And what does Paul say? And that,
knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep. You see it? For now is our salvation
nearer than when we believed. And he's talking about our first
initial believing. but we're getting closer and
closer to the end of these things. Therefore, because, you know
what, the body, I've said this before, Ellen, the body becomes
weaker. The mind doesn't function as
well. But we're still to love. And if we love, these other,
whatever sound doctrine, Joe, love will bring it about. Even
faith is what? The KJV puts it, worketh by love.
Faith, worketh by love. What's that mean? Faith is energized
by love. Love for Christ first, love for
the brethren comes with that. So again, the third thing, let
us not be slumbers when it comes to love for another. We're all
at the end of this life, it's coming, and final deliverance
is nearer. Now, let us concentrate on love,
the rest will follow. Perfection will not follow. I'm
talking about moral perfection. This is not about perfection,
it's about loving. The other stuff will come in
line, it'll fall in line. Okay, let me give you seven things
about love. Our salvation was purposed by
God because God loved us. For God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten son. He didn't give him just so he
could love the world. He gave him because he did love
the world. And what does this love for the
world do? That he gave his only begotten
son that whosoever believeth in him. This does not include
unbelievers. It includes believers. That whosoever
believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Aren't
you glad God didn't have to love you because of something lovable
in you? For God so loved the world. I know people try to make
that an amount, like a total thing. It's a description of
the people he loves. Joe, what'd you quote? In the
world. the fallen cosmos, you see it? God loved sinners. That's the whole point of that.
For God so loved the world, not the earth, not all the planets,
although that's all included, for God so loved the world, and
the world has sinned, and all the world sinned, and come short
of the glory of God. So that's the first thing. Our
salvation was purposed by God because of God's love for us.
Joe, this love we're talking about is as eternal as God is. It's not something, therefore
it's not something we have to work up or muster up. As a matter of fact, it is called
the fruit of the spirit. More about that in a moment.
Number two, our election by God is founded upon his love for
us. We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren,
Beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth. The reason this small group of people here, anyone
else that hears me later, the reason that you right now are
set apart by God Almighty and you believe the truth is because
God loved you before the world began. Number three, God's love
for us assured our spiritual life and it wrought propitiation
for our sins. I want you to turn to that one.
First John chapter four. Now I realize religion says these
words, they talk about these words, but they really don't
preach the truth behind these words. First John four, turn
and get there if you're following along. Now, I'm gonna begin the
word, I'm just gonna read two verses, but let me give you the
phrase again. God's love for us assured our spiritual life,
and it wrought propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4, verse 9.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us. You see it?
Manifested. It's made known. It's out there
in the open, Joe. It's not something you gotta
find back in some dark recesses of some kind of special knowledge. Ellen, this is declared right
here in this book. This book tells us of the reality of this.
Look, in this was manifested the love of God toward us because
that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might
live through him. You see it? herein is love, not
that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son, the
propitiation for our sins. Joe, Christ didn't make it possible
for our sins to be propitiated. He is the propitiation and wrought
it. That's what modern day Christianity
doesn't teach. They say he made it possible
for sins to be propitiated. He offered the, no, he accomplished
propitiation for our sins. Thirdly, no, that's number three. Number four, love, wait a minute,
I just turned, stay right there in 1 John 4. I didn't drop my
page. Think about it here, number four,
love is a hallmark. I said a hallmark because there
are two or three hallmarks. Love is a hallmark of being born
of God. Look at chapter four, verse seven,
just the previous words to what we just read. Beloved, let us
love one another, for love is of God. And everyone that loveth
is born of God and knoweth God. Do you see that? He that loveth
not knoweth not God. It is that clear cut. But this
is not something that I can watch you and tell you whether you're
in the love of God or not, or something that you could do and
watch me, because it doesn't come from outward sight. It's
what's really down in here through the spirit of the living God.
And that don't always appropriately manifest itself out here, now
does it? But it's there. And only the Spirit of God can
witness with your spirit that you are a child of the living
God. I can't give you that witness
in yourself. Only the Spirit can. But look, he that loveth
not knoweth not God, for God is love. You see it? All right,
number five. Now, let me preface what I'm
about to say. Number five, this love is not something, again
I've said it before, this love is not something we work up. Look at verse 11 through 13.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another.
Somebody said, but so and so's got so many faults. Didn't we?
Aren't we glad God didn't not love us? Aren't we glad God did
not love us because of our faults? He loved us in spite of our faults. And that's the way we're to love
one another. In spite of, in light of, even though our faults
still exist. You see it? Beloved, if God so
loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man has seen
God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us and
his love is perfected in us. It's complete. I don't need more
of it. God just helped me to walk in
it. Is that it? Well, if I just had more love,
it ain't about more. You have that love, it's the fruit of
the spirit. It's not what we're working up.
It's what God's given us when he gave us his spirit. Look at
it, hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he
hath given us his spirit. and a given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify
that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world,
and He is. He is. When it's all wound up,
the world will be saved. But not everyone in the world
will be saved. But there gonna be at least somebody
of every tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation under heaven. Mac,
that's the world. That's the world. Whosoever shall
confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him,
and he in God. And we have known and believed
the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth
in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Here is our love
made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment,
because as he is, so are we in the world. Joe, we just have
to believe that, even when we don't see it. Really, even when
we don't see it, we have to believe it. All right, here's another
thing. I've done mentioned this, number five. Love energizes faith. You see, a faith that's apart
from love is of no value whatsoever. Whatsoever. I mean, if you believe
God, just because you're trying to keep out of hell, it's a mighty
puny love. Is it not? Mighty, we believe
God and we love God because he deserves to be loved. And I don't have to be told,
thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with
all thy soul, with all thy mind, with all thy strength. I just
love him. I just love him. Love energizes
faith. Number six, the love of Christ
constrains us. Second Corinthians five, let's
look at that one. Second Corinthians chapter five. And I remember, I don't remember
the specific message or the specific day by any means, but when I'm
about to say, when I say what I'm about to say, but I remember,
at least for me, I remember the first time actually hearing that
and Earl was preaching on this verse. 2 Corinthians chapter
five, and let's see, let's look at verse 14, just a couple verses.
For the love of Christ constrains us. You see that? Let me put
it this way. If we truly love God, that love
for God will constrain us. It will not just let us give
up, will it? It will not just let us go. We
cannot and will not fall away, or you could say we will not
and cannot. Ellen, I don't know which one's
the correct order. I don't know if there even is an order. But
if we love God, we cannot and will not abandon Jesus Christ
the Lord. We will not. We may fall miserably
just like Peter did when he denied him, but he still knew he was
the Christ, the son of the living God. What he did, he did out
of fear. How often do we fail because
of fear, the fear of man? Though we ought not fear men,
but Joe, we do sometimes. But aren't you glad that he prays
for us, that our faith fail not. All right, here is number seven.
Love is the primary facet of the multifaceted fruit of the
Spirit of God. And you know this passage, Galatians
chapter five. Galatians chapter five, let's
get a little bit of context here. Galatians five, verse 11. And
I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet serve
a persecution? For then is the offense of the
cross ceased. I would that they were even cut off, which trouble
you. And they were troubling with
this circumcision thing. They'd pick circumcision. It
could be anything else. It don't matter. Look, for ye
brethren have been called unto liberty. That's liberty from
the law. We're liberated from the law,
Romans chapter seven. We're dead to the law by the
body of Christ. The law is not dead. But we're dead to the law
by the body of Christ that we should be married to another. Look, for brethren, you'd be
calling to liberty. Oh, but listen, because we're so prone to take
a wrong angle with it. Look, only use not liberty for
an occasion to the flesh, but by what? Love. Serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled
in one word, even in this. Thou shalt love thy neighbor.
as thyself. But if you bite and devour one
another, take heed that you be not consumed of one another.
You go down that path, trouble will ensue. Isn't that what he's
saying? Trouble will ensue. This I say
then, walk in the spirit, not in the law. Walk in the, but
that can't be enough. God wasn't, the spirit of God
was enough to bring you out of the spiritual grave. You think
he's not enough to guide you and to lead you in the right
way of the Lord? Come on now. Man, oh how the
mind can easily wonder from the truth of God, isn't it? Look,
for this I say then, walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill
the lust of the flesh. Now, it doesn't say you're not
gonna have the lust of the flesh. And that lust of the flesh may
be a pride in your own morality, or it may be immorality, but
it doesn't matter, Joe, it's still flesh. Walk in the spirit and you'll
not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against
the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. These are contrary
to one to another, so that you cannot do the things that you
would. The flesh would just have you give up and just feed it
constantly and only. The spirit of God won't let you
do that. The Spirit of God also moves us to walk in Him, but
the flesh is still there constantly fighting against it, fighting
against it, fighting against it. Look, but if you be led of
the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now, how much plainer,
Matt, can it be? If you be led of the Spirit,
you're not under the law. Now, the works of the flesh are
manifested. They're easy to see. Which are these, adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
envies, murders, drunkenness, revilings, and such like. The
list could go on and on and on. Of the witch, I tell you before,
as I've also told you in time past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God, but the fruit,
and it's singular, It's singular. God don't give some of his people
love and not others. He gives them all love. But he
don't give some of them love and not faith. He gives them
all love and faith. But we're gonna look at this
list. Look. But the fruit of the Spirit is, and what's the
first thing? Love. Love. Love covers a multitude of sins,
doesn't it? But the fruit of the Spirit is
love. joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance. This is what the Spirit of God
works in us. Do you see it? This is the fruit
of who? Not us. The fruit of the Spirit. Against such, there is no law. and they that are Christ have
crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live
in the spirit, here it is, let us also walk in the spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain
glory, provoking one another, envying one another, and then
he, of course, continues on. You see, love is not a law keeper,
because none but Christ did that. Adam had one rule, and he in
a state of uprightness, Joe, broke that one. Did he not? Plunged us all into ruin. And
we think we can keep 10 in our fallen state? Isn't that something? But you know what? Even in my
renewed state, I don't have to worry about keeping 10. I need
to concern myself about love. Love. Love. And when I don't
act in love, what is that? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Love is not a law keeper because
none but Christ did that. But God's love shed abroad in
our hearts, here it is. I don't have the words to explain
it like I wish I could. God's love shed abroad in our
hearts fulfills the law. You know what this book says?
Fulfills the law. Aren't you glad for the mercies
of God? Now let me read you this by Jonathan Edwards and then
I'll close in prayer. This is Jonathan Edwards. The
title of it is Charity and Its Fruits. Very brief. Envy, malice,
ill will, and bitterness of spirit are the very reverse of the real
essence of Christianity. Love is the sum and temper and
spirit of Christianity. An envious Christian, a malicious
Christian, a cold and hard-hearted Christian is the greatest absurdity
and contradiction. And that's absolutely true. And
yet, that's what I am when you compare flesh and spirit. I am the greatest contradiction
rid that ever walked the face of the earth. So are you. So are you. But our Lord's no
contradiction. We stand where? In him. In him. not only comfort us by
these words, but Lord, encourage us to walk in love. Enable us
to walk in love. May your spirit exercise his
sovereign power within us and move us to walk in love. And
Lord, when we don't, calls us to repent, acknowledge it for
what it is, corruption and sin and rebellion, and bring us to
repentance toward thee and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.
May it all be to Christ's honor and glory, amen.