Love Does No Wrong

Jesus' great commandment comes to us this weekend from Romans 13. "Love your neighbor as yourself" is one of the most well worn verses of all scripture. It is used as a guide by Christians to remind us of our duty to our neighbors, and it is used by non-Christians to remind us of our hypocrisy. The simple truth of the matter is that love of neighbor is commanded, but it is never complete. There is always another neighbor to love. There is always another action so that "love never ends" (1 Corinthians 13:8) until one has given away everything for another.

Given everything? Every single thing? Your time, energy, interests, reputation? All the things that make you you? Yes, all of it. This is what fulfilling the law looks like. Forgetting all about you and thinking only of the needs of others. It shouldn't take us too long to realize that love means our death, and then to realize exactly what Jesus does in loving us. He gives his whole, entire life to us; his kingdom, his righteousness, his goodness, his perfection. 

The gospel, therefore, is not a demand for you to love better. It is the simple, unbelievable message, that in Jesus Christ, God has loved the world - not to be your example, but to be your new life. Love one other, not because it is owed, but because in Christ you no longer need any of the things that make you you. 

Pastor Lars