Love Fulfills the Law

Hopefully my struggle a little bit with my voice. So pray that my voice would hold on for another three or four hours to sermons today in. I told Barbie this morning. I'm on the downhill stretch. So God is good. Romans 13 8 through 10

Paul tells us to owe no one anything except to love each other for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law for the command for the 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 love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Let's pray.

Other thank you for this beautiful morning. You've given us father. Thank you even more for this morning of gathering together. As I pondered this week father what what a beautiful thing you have done in us what a beautiful thing that you have done joining it joining each of us bother as adopted Brothers and Sisters in Christ. How precious is our family father how precious is precious is each person who knows you that's joined here together this morning Father. Father and in effect it's for those who know you it's as if every Sunday, we have a family reunions with those most precious to us. So father. Thank you for that. Thank you for the strength that comes in recognizing that and father. Thank you above all and pre-eminently. For the work your son Jesus Christ did on the cross. I'm making right making just that adoption.

father as I've pondered

How blessed we are how how good you are father how just you are this week. How how gracious you are. How merciful you are. How patient you are.

Father I pray this morning you would remind us of those things. That understanding you rightly and deeply understand your father that our hearts would be softened. That as we looked at last night that our hearts will be obedient. My father this morning our hearts wouldn't be hardened. But that your Holy Spirit would soften our hearts make them pliable. help us to see and understand your truth father because You're the only one worthy of Our Praise. You're the only one worthy of our worship and you're the only one worthy. I've devoted my life to. Father we thank you. We ask that you would draw. So this morning in Jesus name. Amen. amen Let me let me read one more time that scripture and I'm Paul tells us or scripture tells us or even we could say God tells us to owe no one anything except to love each other for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the Commandment you shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You should not steal. You shall not covet in any other commandment are summed up in this word. You shall love your neighbor as yourself love does no wrong to a neighbor and therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Nothing interesting to know that any time that I read scripture that includes the word love or tells us to love or or describes love if if you've studied scripture or studied the original languages, you'll know that there's several words that translate into the English word love and so I'm always curious to see what what what Greek word. Did they use what Greek word is written in scripture when it says when it has that word love this Greek word as a form of Agape. It is the the unconditional love. It's the love that God has towards Those whom he draw. That's the love that God has for Humanity. It's it's unconditional. It's it's one-sided. It is if it's the love that God calls us to have in our marriage is that love that God calls us to have to our children. In fact our culture when I think of love that usually in a two-sided manner, but I've got a love is one-sided. It says I love you in spite of what you do. I love you in spite of how you behave. I love you in spite of even if you love me back remember scripture says while we were yet sinners while we were yet enemies of God Christ loved us and died for us that when he went to the cross it was he went there in a deep devoted love that in essence. We had nothing to offer back and in fact equally today. Those who come to understand what Christ did for them those that come to understand how they sinned against God how they have broken his Commandments and those who recognize when Jesus went to the cross that everything that you committed. If you're in Christ was placed upon him and the wrath of God the Bible says it pleased God to pour out his wrath upon his son. Why because God is righteous the Wrath that you deserved Jesus Took upon himself. Not only did he take it upon himself, but he did it and when you had nothing to offer.

I think about that. You have nothing to offer him. We still have nothing to offer. Why he's the Creator everything that I have is his anyway, every finger that I have is his anyway, he created me. I have nothing to offer him there. I think it was John Piper that said the only thing you contributed to your salvation was the sin that made it necessary.

That's what we have to offer God. We're reminded of that further and scripture when it says our works are as filthy rags to God, even our best works. Even those who have lived seemingly the best lives throughout history, even those who devoted their lives to feeding the poor and doing all these things. All of these works are still yet, but filthy rags to a holy God

his love is uncomprehending bull. Hey, man. Messed up definition if we go to a Bible dictionary and we look up this. It's a cop Ayo, its to have a strong non-sexual affection and love for a person and they're good as understood by God's moral character, especially characterized by a willing forfeiture of Rights or privileges and another person's behalf. This love when we talk about love, it's not the same as what the culture would consider love. We we understand that as God as the Creator. He has the right to determine he has the right to Define what words are what things are he has the right to determine what love is and in the scripture we find that the one who loves another has fulfilled the law in another way that we can look at it with all those definition e languages that to love means that you wish for God's law to be fulfilled in another person's life and you're willing to lay down your life to make that happen. That's the deepest love that I can have for my family is to lay down my life for them. No matter how they treat me in return and it's also to lay my down my life into the lessons that I would teach them God wall, but that my deepest desire would be to see my children come to Christ. My deepest desire would be to see them discipled to know Christ better into that end as a father. I'm called to lay down my life that they are primary next to my wife next to discipling my wife next to teaching her God's law. I'm called to lay down my life that she might know him better that she might fulfill his law now. Obviously, we can't fulfill his law but that she might glorify him in the the loving others as I've also loving God. So what does this mean when we look at our culture?

I'm on a little sidetracked not a bunny trail Dave. You don't have to put the bunny graphic up there but not a rabbit Trail, but other side note this love means that we don't get to Define. What love is we don't get to say well if two people love each other why should anybody have a problem with them living together or getting married together? Even though it would be outside of God's law because in a sense I cannot love you outside of wanting God's law to be fulfilled and you That is not love. It may be a strong emotion, but it's not wanting what's best for you. 1st John 4:21 says in this commandment we have from him whoever loves God must also love his brother. Now, if you remember that the one Jesus summarized the Commandments. They said what Jesus what is the that what's the most important commandment? And what did he say? He said to love the Lord your God with all your heart mind soul and strength and he said the second is is like it to love your neighbor as yourself. And in fact, all of The Commandments all of Allah God could be summarized into these two statements to love God with everything you have into love your neighbor as yourself. We find that Jesus even though he's the son of God chooses to go back to the Old Testament to make the summary. Look at Leviticus 19:18.

This is actually the most referenced scripture of the Old Testament in the New Testament. It says you shall not take Vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people. But you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord that Jesus wasn't bringing any kind of new teaching. He was simply showing what they should have seen in the Old Testament to love your neighbor as yourself and Matthew 5 43 through 44. We see what he says you have heard that it was said You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

In Matthew 19:19 honor your father and mother and you shall love your neighbor as yourself and Matthew 22 37 through 39 and he said to him you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment and the second is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself Mark. 12:31 II is this you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these Mark 12:33 until love him with all the heart and with all the understanding with all the strength and the loved one one's neighbor as oneself is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. Galatians 5:14 for the whole law is fulfilled and one word. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. James reminds us again and James 2:8 if you fulfill the Royal law according to scripture you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You are doing well. So the question on this morning, we understand overwhelming evidence all throughout scripture that God has called us to love our neighbor as ourselves and we could go down the path and we could take a bunny trailer Rabbit Trail. You guys are going to understand I have kids when I keep calling them bunnies right way to go down a rabbit Trail we can talk about the Good Samaritan we can talk about the the The my mind's failing me a little bit we can talk about the the Pharisee who asked who is my neighbor. What is an we could go down some of those roads, but I think that we all understand those that our neighbor isn't just our friend down the street. In fact, if we look at the scriptures, we just read Christ would even call us to love our enemies that it's even the person across the street that we might not get along with that. They might not do the same things. We do. They might not live the same way that we live and yet God has called us to love our neighbor as we think about the world. What does it truly mean to love our neighbor? If we love our neighbor and we know that the way they're living that God will be righteous and sending them to hell do we love them enough to put swallow our pride and share the gospel with them share the good news that through faith or faith might come by hearing or are we more concerned that they're going to think you're that weird neighbor? Do we really love them as ourselves? Why do we not do this? Naturally? That was the question I was getting to

The reason we don't do this naturally is found in Exodus 20 verse 3. We're back to the Commandments again. It says you shot. This is the second commandment. You shall have no other gods before me. so the problem is

Are people in general? Have Idols before God? In fact you and I if we were honest with ourselves and everybody within the sound of this especially before Christ before God has saved us we have lived everyday serving our Idol. We've had him at every meal. At every meal he was very important to us. He determined what we would put on our dinner table. That's Idol determined where we would spend our time does idle determine how we would interact with even those most love to us. He wouldn't he would determine how I would interact with my wife and my children he would determine how I interacted with my parents.

In fact every morning I would wake up and I would I would search to see what what does idle want me to do today. I would go to bed at night thinking how was my idol served. Well today offended my idol today. I would hold grudges against those who wouldn't give my idol what it wanted.

And this morning you're looking at me and you're thinking who is this guy? He carries an idle around with him. Do you know who this great Idol is before we come to Christ? Before I tell you who this great Idol is before we come to Christ. I'll let you know that God is a jealous God if we come to Christ thinking that we're going to carry our Idol with us and that God is going to be okay with us still clinging to our idle and yet still trying to have some sort of a relationship with God. It's going to be extremely difficult that if God has saved us he will put us through severe discipline severe suffering until he can get this Idol cast away from us and gotten rid of

How many of you would think well, I don't have any little carved statue in my pocket. I don't have a golden calf. What's this crazy guy talking about? but this idle is us It's me. I am my idol. I want things how I want them to be. I want the food that I like on the table. I want the I want to do the things that I want to do today. It's about me and in fact as we've grown up in our society. We've been taught that things are about me. If you question that go to the self hell if you've they have book stores anymore go to the self-help section of a bookstore pick any book out at random and look at the advice that tells you Do what's right for you do what makes you happy and ask sense. If we if we read between the lines it says feed your idol feed your idol make your idol happy. If you could just make your idol happy everything will go well with you stand up to anyone who would make your idle unhappy that's modern self-help. Man has a great Idol. This idle makes it impossible for us to love our neighbor as ourselves. I think it was Paul Washer that said in modern evangelism when we leave out the righteousness of God and the wrath of God and the justice of God. We we water our message to saying God loves you and he he dramatizes a little bit and he says and the person hearing this as really that's great because I love me too.

This morning, you will never love your neighbor as yourself unless you can cast out this Idol.

Unless God can become number one unless the real God of the universe and less you can turn from your sin and trust in him alone that he Now guide your life. Not your stomach. Not what you like not where it what you want to be. Not what you where you want to go but it's him that he is number one. And your idol that you've held you must for the rest of your life constantly cast it into the fire and say no I will not succumb to what this flesh tells me. I am. Not number one. He is number 1 a man.

It was Timothy McVeigh who thought of himself first on his own he decided that he had the right to plan a bomb at a government building in Oklahoma City that act took the lives of many people including a number of children who McVeigh callously described as collateral damage. He died self-centered and self-absorbed and never showed any remorse at all. His last statement was from a handwritten note that included the words from an 1875 poem which concludes with a lion's I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul. Burien cries the idol of man. It says who's to tell me where I will go who's to tell me where I will spend my time who's to tell me what what how much devotion God's going to require of me. I am the captain of my soul.

but when we understand The work of Christ when we understand what Christ has done for us to take the punishment for us and asses shaking our fist at God saying I'm in charge here you created me but I am in charge I will do what I want when when he took the punishment for the Commandments that I have broken against my neighbor when every time that I love myself more than my neighbor every time that I I turn my back on God every time that I told him you have no right over me. In fact, it's every time we do that. We we look at God we say God you may teach that you are sovereign, but in fact, I believe that I am sovereign. And I'm not going to be imposed what you have imposed on me.

Man is very Wicked. Towards God God has every right to punish man. Every one of us if we examined our hearts. God would be very just and punish punishing us for all of eternity.

In fact, if God didn't punish lawbreakers, he would not be a good God at all. That's all I shared this two nights or last night or two nights ago. I said if the story ended there if the story ended at the law of God if it ended there if Christ never came and we're still under the law then God would have every right and still has every right to wipe out all of humanity and send us into an eternal punishment Beyond Comprehension and I did after he had finished it all the Angels would have every right to sing and praise and sing glory to God because he is good. He would be good for doing it. Give me just for doing it because he is giving us exactly what we deserve and yet God and His kindness in his in his glory wanted to demonstrate that he is he is more than just just that he is more than just raffle that it's more that he is the perfect judge but God wanted to demonstrate his patients and his mercy and his kindness and God Before Time began already had his will and place that he would send his son to come and take his wrath upon himself that what you deserve was poured out upon him. And if you would turn from your sin and Trust in Christ, if you would turn to God if you would turn away from your idolatry and turn to him and make him first the Bible says that your Prime has been paid for that. God isn't a judge. I can just a quit you that can just say, you know what I kind of like you I'm just going to write this off God can't do that because he is a good judge but he comes to you and he says you have turn from your sin and trusted in Christ the crime that you committed. Although it was grave and end in serious and terrible. It's been the prime has been the fine has been paid by my son. He has paid it in full. Guess. He's still a perfect judge because the crime has been paid for it's not that it's just been overlooked but it's been paid in full. The fine has been paid in this morning. If you don't know him if you say that I am still living for myself and I'm still living for this idle. In fact, we could we could explain it in a way that we can apply the scripture that we are slaves to our send that in fact, I am a slave to myself before Christ. I'm a slave to whatever I wanted when I don't get what I want. I'm angry. Romans 5:10 for if we were if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more now that we are reconciled shall be saved by his life and John 3:16. It says for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Luke 22:42 says same father if you are willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but yours be done. I share the scripture this morning because Jesus gave the ultimate expression the ultimate illustration of what it means to lay down my life for my neighbor to love. My neighbor as myself here is the Son of God In The Garden of Gethsemane knowing exactly what he's about to go through knowing that he is going to be to the cross that he was going to be. He is going to have a crown of thorns put into his head. But he's going to go through excruciating pain.

And all of that all of that is secondary to knowing that the wrath of God is about to be poured out upon his soul.

He knows what's to come?

He rightfully.

Is in fear of God's Wrath? Look what he says father. If you are willing remove this cup from me if you're willing. What's what's what's forego this?

But nevertheless not my will but yours be done. apply that to us sometimes it's hard to love our neighbor. Sometimes. It's messy to love our neighbor. Sometimes I come home from work, and I'm I'm just wore out. I don't get me wrong. I like to listen to people but some days I've listened to people for most of the day and I get home and my wife is ready to talk to me.

And there are times in my head and she just won't offend her because she knows me well enough to know this is true. There's times in my head where I would even say, you know, if if if possible I would not that. Not that her cap is bad, but if possible I wish I wish this would just not wish this would go away. I just want to rest India if I'm a good husband, I would say not my will but yours be done. God doesn't matter how this makes me feel. Because feeling is my idol myself myself says I'm tired. My cell says I just want a break. I just want some silent. I just want to to go in the hammock. Get away from everybody in and have the wind blowing on my face and and just rest and silence. Yeah, if I love my neighbor. I should be saying not my will but yours be done father now is the time to love. My neighbor. My wife is my closest neighbor. Amen. Your wife is your closest neighbor your spouse is your closest neighbor. My kids are my second closest neighbor.

Romans 13:9 for the Commandment you shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall not steal. You shall not covet in any other commandment are summed up in this word. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

See if we love our neighbor. We want what's best for them? We don't we no longer our control about what we want.

We don't desire. Their spouse we don't want to murder them. We don't want to steal their stuff. We don't want to covet the things that they have why because I care about them. If illustrate this further many, why is it here? I'm sure because I see this in in a number of wives in here who have children and my wife has no exception I go to the store and I go to the hunting section and and if if I was paid exceptionally, well, I would come out of Walmart or farm and home with a whole shopping cart full of stuff every single time because they're just all kinds of good stuff there. You know what my wife when she does have some extra money. Maybe she make some money by doing something or making somebody some cupcakes and stuff. I don't know that I've ever seen my wife ever by herself anything.

But she buys my kids school books. She buys my kids things that they might want. My wife is so much better at this than I am.

She loves her children. She loves herself. Why I believe probably every mother in here has probably very similar to this. But you love your children as much as you love yourself. And with the same love God has called you as a Believer to not just love your children. But to love your neighbor, even the one you don't like even the one that that's up all night partying and keeping you up from work. God has called you to love them as yourself.

This morning. I almost said this evening. It was in Reverse. I've been saying this morning all week in the evening. but this morning I would encourage you. The love your neighbor enough to share the gospel with them. Love your neighbor enough to have patience with them to forbear with them when they're doing things. You don't like love your neighbor enough. I love them as Christ would love your family enough to love them as Christ would. Fur is sums up the law very easily. A couple of nights ago. We went very deep into the law.

I pray that the Holy Spirit would break Hearts. I pray that people would be quivering under the law of God that they might then reach out to what he has provided to save us from his Wrath. But in reality you could be summed up and love God with everything you have. Love your neighbor as yourself. Amen. Amen. Let's pray.

Father we we come to you. The one who? Set the example the one who loves perfectly.

one who loves behind comprehension In fact God love isn't just something you do father. Love. is you

Father I pray that you would draw our hearts to love our neighbors.

Other because that love is fulfilling the law father also keep in our minds keep reminding us that to love someone is to do it within the biblical definition of love. Love doesn't

support someone in breaking your law but love desires for them to come to know you love desires for them to them full fill the law.

The greatest desire that any of us should have for our children father is that God they would live for you that they would fulfill your law that they would be your Ambassador your representative to this world father.

survivalist put legs to our love Let us love our family is enough that when we're tired.

We're still laying down our life for them. Let us love those that live next to us enough that when they're doing things. We don't like father. We still love them. Let us love the world enough father and let us love you father. I believe both, both summarize Commandments. Let us love you enough to be obedient and let us love you. Love the world enough to share the gospel.

I pray that that would become ever increasingly important in our hearts father. Father that they are those here who don't know you I pray this morning they would turn from their sin. trust in the work of Christ

They might be saved that they would flee from the wrath of us to come. The guide you would set them free from the idol of self. Father if there are those who do know you who are struggling with this idle that this idyll of cell that the flash continues to throw in our face day after day after day after day father. I pray that you would help us to overcome that God. You said we're no longer slaves to sin God. Let us be strong and discipline ourselves to overcome this Idol. Let us be willing to lay down our lives for you. And for our neighbors I pray in Jesus name. Amen. Peace and we'll we'll sing a song together if I could pray for you for anything. Feel free to come forward. I'll be blessed to do that.

Then Jesus blood and righteousness.

I do not trust the sweetest frame.

trust in Jesus name

I hope things.

Menchie's

Hispanic snake cries

When darkness seems to hide his face stop changing.

Asia cup with straw

Just Dance Just Dance

have some mushrooms come

Related Media

Related Sermons