William Verses of the Day – Romans 13:8-14
Fulfilling the Law Through Love – Romans 13:8-14
Rom 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:9 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.”
Rom 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Rom 13:11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.
Rom 13:12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Rom 13:13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
Rom 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
v8 – After discussing the believer’s responsibility as concerning the government and civil magistrates, he moves on to our responsibility to our neighbor. We are to owe no man anything but love. We should have no obligations to anyone but to love them. If we do not pay back a person, then we possibly hurt them and cause them to think wrongly themselves. Plus, owing others may restrict what we may be able to do for our fellow man.
vs9-10 – We are to do love everyone, and if we do, then we will not deprive them of anything that is theirs, neither his wife, life or any of his possessions. And if we truly love them, we will not even desire, or covet, what he has for we will want him to enjoy what he has. He then ends this with reminding them that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.
vs11-14 – These things should be our focus, knowing that the time is getting close for the return of Christ. We must lay aside all our deeds of darkness that do not show love and do those that please the Father and show love to everyone. We must live the live out the life that Christ lived, through to the point of death. Our salvation from the life is almost over, the new life with God in His kingdom is at hand.
We must show all who see us that this what we believe is true and there is little time left in this present life. And the only way they will see it is if we live it. Therefore we must be a light in this dark world, showing them the beauty of living in the light and ridding themselves of the darkness. Therefore we must put on Christ, live the life He showed us, and make no provision for the lust that the flesh pushes on us.