The conclusion: Christ like love is the fulfillment of the law

When Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden, they only had one commandment to keep. They were not allowed to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was really simple for them. In a similar way, I believe the Lord has made it as simple for us now under the New Covenant. The new commandment Jesus gave us is to love the Lord with all our heart, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We don’t have to memorize 613 laws, we just have to walk in pure Christ like love.

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8 NKJV

Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 13:10 NKJV

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.

1 Timothy 1:5 NKJV

In all these instances where the word “love” is used, it is always referring to agape love. In some bible translations, the word charity is used instead of the word love, but it is still referring to agape love. This is the kind of love which God has for us and it is a pure, undefiled love. It is a perfect Christ like love.

It is important to understand that Christ like love is not an emotion. It may accompany emotion in some cases, but agape love itself is not an emotion. Love is expressed in our actions when doing good for others, regardless of how we feel. If we wait until we feel some sort of emotion before acting in faith, we may wait a very long time. It is about wanting what is best for others according to the will of God, and being willing to then move in faith and obedience.

To get a good understanding of what biblical love is, we can study 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. I have just offered a brief summary of my current understanding, however I am sure that even more can be added to each point. Perhaps you would like to pray over each point and ask God to give you even greater revelation and understanding.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NKJV

• Love suffers long (patient in enduring hardships)
• And is kind (friendly, generous, considerate)
• Love does not envy (resentful; longing for someone else’s possessions or jealous)
• Love does not parade itself (love is humble, not attention seeking or boastful)
• Is not puffed up (it is humble, being the least or last)
• Does not behave rudely (a lack of consideration and respect for others)
• Does not seek its own (it is not selfish, it is putting others needs before your own)
• Is not provoked (not easily angered, or overly sensitive/defensive, or critical of others)
• Thinks no evil (tries to look for the best in others, does not take into account any wrongs)
• Does not rejoice in iniquity (does not cause others to sin or condone sin, but in gentleness corrects them)
• But rejoices in the truth (is honest, and delights in God’s commandments and the truth of the word of God)
• Bears all things (love perseveres through trials, difficulties and persecution)
• Hopes all things (confident expectation for good based upon God’s eternal word and promises)
• Endures all things (endures hardship and suffering for the kingdom)
• Love never fails
• Love keeps no record of wrongs (God showed me to include this one)

We understand that love is the fulfillment of the law, but how then do we practically live it out?

The first thing I had to do was change my way of thinking and change my focus. In the beginning of my journey, I had my mind set on trying not to sin, but the problem with that is that it made me sin conscience, which is a bondage in itself.

The Holy Spirit then helped me understand that I needed to let go of constantly worrying about sinning. The Lord then taught me how to focus my mind on those things which please Him, thus helping me to renew my mind. I can tell you from experience that it takes a bit of time to change a current thinking pattern, but it can be done. It is hard to do so at first, but over time it becomes our go to thought process.

In order to change our focus from trying to keep the law to walking in Christ like love, Scripture tells us to walk according to the Spirit:

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Galatians 5:16-18 NKJV

How do we walk according to the Spirit?

To keep it simple, I just remind myself daily to walk in the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

I have also come to realize that it is a decision we make every day. We can choose to let the old fleshly nature control us, or we can choose to love others as the Lord loves. We choose to walk just as Jesus walked by doing good for others and helping them. When we love others and walk according to the Spirit, we have peace knowing that our Father in heaven is well pleased with us. This is how we fulfill God’s commandment to love.

True change comes from within

When the law was given, it also revealed God’s standard of holiness, however it was powerless to change a hard sinful heart. However, when we have been born again, God changes us from the inside out. Under the New Covenant, God has put His laws in our minds and He has written them on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10). We are still expected to obey His commands, but once He has changed us, we willingly obey because we love Him. We obey from the heart.

God, in His lovingkindness and mercy has made a way for us to love just as Jesus loved, but without striving (struggling). We know that our old sinful nature was crucified and buried with Christ, and God has made us into a new creation in Christ. In addition to this, God told us in Ezekiel chapter 36 that He would take out a heart of stone and give us a new heart (a heart of flesh). This new heart is sensitive to the leading of His Holy Spirit. This heart wants to obey and please Him. This heart feels guilt and conviction from the Holy Spirit if we have sinned, so that we can quickly repent. The Lord also tells us that He gives us a new (faithful and steadfast) spirit. He also fills us with His Holy Spirit, so that instead of relying on our own strength, we rely on His Holy Spirit to help us, strengthen us, and encourage us.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit (a faithful and steadfast spirit) within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 NKJV

The Lord changes us from the inside so that we can love, and care for others as He did. Thank You precious Jesus!

With the understanding I have shared, may I encourage you to walk by faith in your true identity in Christ. If you are struggling with a law mindset, please pray and ask the Lord to help you renew your mind and set you free from any old ways of thinking, or from any bondages. Keep it really simple by just reminding yourself to walk in love, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Let go of worrying about sinning, and believe the Lord’s promise that His Holy Spirit will bring the conviction of sin. There is freedom in letting go and trusting in the Lord’s goodness and promises.

Blessings in Jesus’ precious name.