Introduction
1 – The law reveals our sin and misery.
“But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.”
Romans 7:8, 13 NKJV
Love requires action. The law is like a mirror to let is see ourselves. The law is also like a measuring ruler. It shows us that we’re crooked. Some people think the law is done away with. Or they think we have no use for it.
“I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.”
Romans 7:9-10 NKJV
The law is a rule of faith. Jesus reconciled is apart from the law but the law remains as a rule of faith. We show our thankfulness. God saved us to restore us to Himself. We can say as David did that we can now delight in the law.
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” Philippians 3:12 NKJV
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Hebrews 8:10 NKJV
With our new hearts we delight in His law and desire to keep it. We love because He first loved us. In our lost sinful nature we would never love God.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
I John 4:7-8 NKJV
Galatians 5:22
2 – the work of the Holy Spirit by which we can fulfill the law to love. Rom 5:5
3 – A response to Christs love for us in redemption.
Christ commands us to love one another just as He has loved us. Eph 4:22
Phil 2:1-10
We need Christ the only mediator that can stand in our place. It is imputed to us and it satisfies Gods law. If not for Christ we could never approach Gods commandments to love.