817 Rom.13.8-14 Love Pays Off the Law in Full
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· 8 viewsWhen love is exercised as a continual "debt", the law of God is "paid off" and fulfilled.
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A famous quote resounds with clarity for us today: "All the water in the world, no matter how hard it tries, can never sink a ship unless it gets inside. All the evil influence of the world, no matter how hard it tries, can never sink a Christian's soul unless it gets inside."
Love Pays Off the Law in Full
Love Pays Off the Law in Full
Date: 16-12-18 817 Echuca
A famous quote resounds with clarity for us today: "All the water in the world, no matter how hard it tries, can never sink a ship unless it gets inside. All the evil influence of the world, no matter how hard it tries, can never sink a Christian's soul unless it gets inside."
- When addressing the matters of love this little poem is fitting
- The evil of the world is there – we know that – but it won't impact us unless we let it get inside
- Just as a ship stays afloat on water as long as the water doesn't get into the boat, so too, the Christian will stay afloat, providing the evil is kept outside
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- What we will find in this passage is the Christian's charter & it stands in distinction from the world's ways
- Now we do find that there are those in the world that truly love & show love
- I'm not saying that they don't do this, because we know that many do
- However, there are a vast some of people that make up the majority of the world who are more interested in self-love than love of others
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- They, personally, crave love & loyalty, but they fall short of finding it
- I was saying to Pauline this week that it becomes difficult to identify with the world if you have been a Christian for many years
- You tend to forget about what it was like to be void of the Spirit & of life
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- However, when I do think about it, I do remember the hopelessness & the emptiness of my life without the Lord
- Life, to me, was so empty & it seemed vitally non-existent
- Perhaps, that came from my parents divorce & I'm sure it had some bearing
Q. But what is life like without the Lord?
Q. What is life like without His presence in it?
- I could say that, deep inside me, I was like a zombie – the living dead
- Seriously, I'm not making this up or stretching the truth
- Sure, I had my fair share of fun & of laughter, but when it's all said & done, you can have all that stuff & still be empty or dead inside [totally]
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- You want to know why our drug culture thrives – there you have it in a nut shell
- The emptiness people feel so acutely cannot be removed & so they attempt to fill it with drugs – or anything really – just to try & find life, purpose & meaning
- They want to feel alive with meaning & purpose & existence, but nothing satisfies
- As Pascal implied in his writing, that we have a God-shaped vacuum within us that can only be filled by the living Lord
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- The people of the world tenaciously hold on to their independence, of course, & refuse to relinquish it
- That is their problem & that was my problem until the graciousness of God overruled my stubborn heart
- Sin, from a general perspective, is the infection of the soul & when I talk about sin, I'm not strictly taking about the acts of sinful people
- Sin is the state a person is in – it's what makes the person a sinner
- The sinful acts they do are merely the outworking of a diseased heart
- Not only does sin rob you of life, it also actively deadens any responsiveness to God
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- But as says, the Christian is not dead, but alive in Christ
- He or she is filled with God's presence – that is His Spirit & the Spirit enlivens the Christian
- Sins are forgiven, but more than this, the diseased heart is renewed & restored
- Sin & it's scrawny tentacles are cut off for it no longer has any root
- The root has been changed & infused with the image of Christ
- The Christian is more powerful than he or she could ever imagine
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Q. But David, why do I struggle with sin?
- Paul told us why in chp. 12
- We are still thinking as if we are a part of the fabric of the world
- We haven't transitioned
- We have allowed our mind to be seduced by the ways of the world – we have allowed the water to get into the boat
- Instead, we are to be transformed by the renewing of the mind
- To start with, that renewal must begin with who you now are in Christ
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- Since we have an untapped power within us, then we need to release it
- Here in this passage, the apostle makes it clear that this power is love, the love of Christ which has been poured into our hearts
- We have been transformed & infused with the love of Christ
- Know who you are – stop thinking that you are just the same person you were before you became a Christian
- God has made changes – He has & is doing renovation work
- Release what God has done for you & in you
1. An Endless Obligation to Love
1. An Endless Obligation to Love
1. An Endless Obligation to Love
1. An Endless Obligation to Love
- I want us to see that the key word in this section is “obligation”
- The obligation to show love, act in love, practise love
- There is a saying about things that are certain in life
Q. You know it, don't you? The things that are certain are death & taxes
- I could add another one but, of course, it is not certain that everyone will get one – but that is a home loan
- Most of us, at one period in time, have had a bank loan of some sort, perhaps, a home loan
- That debt is there for many years, until it is paid off
- Our aim is to pay it off
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- However, there is one debt or obligation that the apostle says we SHOULD never be paid off & that is the debt of love
- One commentator makes a very interesting observation... He says, that the continuing debt of love...
“from one point of view is an outstanding debt is, from another, a full payment to the law” — Donald Garlington
- He's suggesting that we are obligated to the law's demands because it is the good will of God, but when we continue in this never ending debt of love, the law is fulfilled – it's demands have been met or the law's debt is “paid off”
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- The Christian, instead of being overcome by evil is to overcome evil with good – to overcome is to act in love or to be loving
—6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
—1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
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- Notice what the apostle raises here:
—9 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.”
9 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.”
- These are from the last half of the 10 commandments & they relate to our relationship with our fellow man
- The first 3 are clear enough in the impact they have on other people, but the last one has more to do with one's motives than anything else
- You shall not covet
- Probably the reason for this is that all other sins tend to stem from wrong motives
- The apostle is just using this selection here as an example of how love is the positive side to these negatives
- In other words, love is not exercised, for example, when a murder is committed
- So when love is in full flight, the law's demands are met
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- This is where the Jews fell so short in understanding the Christian's position
- They thought the rejection of the Law of God meant that Christians were lawless
- The combination of God's grace for the worst of sinners & no need to be under the law, meant that Christians promoted lawlessness
—8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.
8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.
- In the Jews desire for family supremacy, as in “we alone are God's special people”, they blinded themselves to the true reality that had come with Jesus
- Through the cross sins were not only forgiven, but the power of sin was broken
- As the power of sin is broken & the power of love comes to life, the true fulfilment of the law has come about
Q. Is this not what the prophet Jeremiah foretold?
—33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
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- We ought to remember that love is defined by God & must take into consideration more than just an individual
- For example, Paul pronounces an anathema on the false teachers of Galatia
- The apostle Peter & John speak of wicked people who have infiltrated the church community
- Paul speaks to the Corinthian community & shames them for not kicking out of their community the man who was in a relationship with his step mother
Q. How is this love, the modern person would say? It is love because...
1. The Individual Does Not Trump the Majority
1. The Individual Does Not Trump the Majority
1. The individual does not trump the Majority
- Biblical tolerance has no resemblance with postmodern notions of tolerance
- As we have seen in previous messages, love has certain rules
- For example, slander damages many people in the church & causes loss to a person or person's reputation
- False teaching can cause the forfeiture of salvation for that teacher & of those who hear them
- Love means protecting the body of Christ & if we are careful enough to see, tough love also works for the individual
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- Paul said to the Corinthians to hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh – meaning put him out of the church & into the world where Satan rules, where there is no hope, no purpose & no meaning so that this man might wake up to his reality as a child of God & repent & return
- That is what the destruction of the flesh means – the destruction of that which drives him to act contrary to God's will
- So even here, in the tough circumstances of expelling the man from the congregation, it is ultimately, that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord
- That would not happen if tough love had not been exercised – for the sake of the body of Christ & for his sake
- Remember, as Paul says, a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough
- You let such sin exist in the church to the detriment of the whole
2. Love Is Defined by God & Includes...
2. Love Is Defined by God & Includes...
2. Love is defined by God & includes...
2. Love is defined by God & includes...
a. Love abhors what is evil & clings to what is good
b. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth
- In transforming our minds, we need to think & not feel our way to the truth
2. Living In & For the “Day”
2. Living In & For the “Day”
2. Living In & For the “Day”
2. Living In & For the “Day”
- When our Christian life is not going as well as we think it should, we think of things that can correct it
- If I only had more zeal; if we only had more enthusiasm; if we only had revival etc..
- All these things are good, but that is not what Paul says to bring correction to our Christian lives
- The correction is love – to show love, to act with love
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- Interestingly, here the apostle talks about an “awakening” as such
- The hour has come for you to “awaken” from your sleep
- The night is gone & the day is near
- But what this awakening is all about, is to live a life of love
- This is what is characteristic of the new creation of God
- This is the reason God has sent Jesus into the world
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- Love is the fulfilment of the law – love has paid it off in full
- If you want to get back on to the bandwagon, this is how it is done
- Spiritual disciplines like prayer are good & we should keep them up, but the centre piece of our life as a Christian is the practise & exercise of love
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Q. How can Paul say that the night is almost gone & the day is near?
Q. What is he referring to?
- Most likely, he is referring to the day of Christ
- The finish line after years of persevering in the faith; when the crown of life will be given
- When sin will be no more & struggles will be over, for the resurrected body is a powerful, incorruptible body that sin cannot seduce
- This age will be gone & all its weaknesses & temptations
- Look ahead & make the practise of love a reality
3. Living in the Appropriate “Age”
3. Living in the Appropriate “Age”
3. Living in the Appropriate “Age”
3. Living in the Appropriate “Age”
- I want to revisit something I said a few sermons ago
“You have been made a child of God, therefore, you no longer belong to the world. Bow wow says the dog, meow says the cat, quack quack says the duck. Animals act according to nature, you act according to your new nature. - become, what God has made you to be!”
- God has made a substantial change in the fabric of the universe
- In the Christ event – His death & resurrection – a change came over the world
- The governing powers of this fallen age, as it's called, had been broken & the dawning of the “age to come” has begun
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- This was the very statement of Christ when the religious leaders of Israel accused Him of using the devil's power to make people well
- He said to them
—20 “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
20 “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
- The kingdom or rule of God has come upon you – God is taking back His world from the evil powers that had taken it captive
- Those powers – the principalities & powers in the heavenly places are still at work & the world has no power to resist them
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- Only in Christ, can a person stand against them
- His kingdom has begun in the hearts & lives of His people
- In Revelation it talks about Satan being the deceiver of all the inhabited earth & we can see how that is still a reality
—12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
- The church is then instructed to take up the full armour of God & you'll find that that armour is found in Christ
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- In living a life of love, the Christian must be aware of the danger around him
- The first danger is himself – “v.14 “make no provision for the flesh in regards to its desires”
- In other words, don't be catering to sinful desires
- This happens if we let our “feelings” dictate truth to us
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- No doubt, you know that I have spent much time speaking about emotions & feelings
- I don't have anything against them, except for the fact that they are very untrustworthy & can cause us great trouble
- Emotions are fine when they are our servants, but they become tyrants if we let them master us
- The problem is, our emotions are so wrapped up in who we are as a person, we often, do not discern when our emotions are acting up against us – we don't see it
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- This is why we must transform our minds & the best help for us is the Scripture – it will help put us, in front of a mirror, so that we can truly see whether our emotions are playing with us
—19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Q. Who are we going to believe? Are we humble enough to accept God's word in Scripture? Or will we insist on listening to how we feel?
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- In contrast to this is the fruit of God's work in us – the work of His Spirit
—22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
- We have looked at that phrase, “crucified the flesh” when we talked about the significance of baptism in - “buried with Him in baptism into death”
- Identifying with Christ in His death & resurrection
- We embarked on a transition – from death to life
- From the present evil age, into the “age to come”
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- Since we have transitioned, our behaviour ought to transition with us
- If we have been crucified with Christ, then we are different
- Monkeys act differently to dogs; ducks act differently to cats
- The Christian who has been crucified with Christ – buried with Him in baptism into death – comes out the other end – raised with Christ to newness of life
- Of course, this assumes that genuine faith is what motivates the person to follow Christ
- The important point here in living in the appropriate age is to live a life of love – this is what we have transitioned to
Out of this
- Out of this present evil age into the age to come
Summary
Summary
Summary
Summary
- Love brings order out of chaos; truth out of falsehoods; a new creation out of corruption
- To live for the desires of this present evil age, as Paul calls it in , is to disobey the truth, reverse God's new creation & represents a return to chaos
- We live a life of love when we put off the deeds of darkness & chaos & we put on a life of love in Christ
- Love, then, is truly the fulfilment of the law