God’s love fulfilled the law. Jesus in His birth, death and resurrection fulfilled the Old Testament promises to the Israelites. In Him and the power of the Godhead we are able to love others as much as He does.
Romans 13:9-10 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Without God’s love in our hearts and in our good works for others we are just making noise. Carla
This verse is not a command to love ourselves. It is a recognition that we do love ourselves, and commands us to love others just as genuinely and sincerely as we love ourselves. Love excludes murder, adultery, stealing, and lying. Therefore when we love, we automatically fulfill the prohibitions of the law. If we attempt to live by the law, we quickly discover that we are breaking the law (7:5). But when we act in accordance with God’s love, without being under the law, we fulfill it. The NKJV Study Bible
Love to others includes all the duties of the second table. The last five of the ten commandments are all summed up in this royal law, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; with the same sincerity that thou lovest thyself, though not in the same measure and degree. He that loves his neighbour as himself, will desire the welfare of his neighbour. On this is built that golden rule, of doing as we would be done by. Love is a living, active principle of obedience to the whole law. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Matthew 19:18–19 He said to Him, “Which ones?”Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
Matthew 5:43-44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
As long as success is measured by keeping score (weighing or honoring the wrong stuff), we lose track of most everything that makes us human and therefore, glad to be alive:
--small gestures of kindness
--acts of inclusion or community or dignity to someone left out, or someone on the fringes (extending a hand of healing or acceptance to someone who hurts)
--reveling in the gifts of the senses and resting in a moment of gratitude
--sharing laughter, a smile, camaraderie, joy or hope
“You can change or stay the same; there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.” Benjamin Button (Movie voice over; letter to his daughter) “Sabbath Moments”
The promise: "The LORD will fight for you" (Exodus 14:14).
This is the very first verse in Scripture that says God Himself will battle on behalf of His people. The Hebrew word for "fight" here is lacham, and it implies not just a physical battle but also an act of engaging in spiritual warfare for the sake of victory on someone else's behalf. This promise points to God as a divine warrior who defends and delivers those who trust in Him (Deuteronomy 1:30; Isaiah 42:13).
The command: "Be silent" (Exodus 14:14).
This command doesn't imply inaction but rather active faith. The Hebrew word used here is charash, and it implies the intentional action of holding one's peace. We see this word used elsewhere in Scripture, like in Isaiah 41:1 and Job 33:31-33, as a call for silence before God, discouraging interruption and emphasizing the importance of listening to Him and His wisdom. God invited His people to resist the urge to fix their circumstances in their own strength and instead anchor themselves to Him, the One who holds all circumstances in His hands.
Jesus parted the curtain that once separated people from God (Hebrews 10:19-22), and He secured eternal victory over sin and the grave (1 Corinthians 15:57). Like the Israelites could not save themselves from Pharaoh's army, we cannot save ourselves from sin. But Ephesians 2:8 reminds us that "by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."
In Christ, victory has been secured on our behalf. He is our salvation! First5
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