Introduction

(Read Text) When I began meditating on this passage, I figured this should be an easy passage to preach. Afterall, everyone loves to talk about love. We all like the ideas that God is love, that he loves us, and that we should love each other. So, who is going to do anything but cheer over a passage that challenges you to love your neighbor?

But here’s the problem. Loving your neighbor is really hard. It will demand tremendous sacrifice, and it will make you vulnerable to deep hurt. You know that. Your enemies and the people you barely know don’t keep you up at night with grief and fear or exhaust you as you try to help them. No, it’s real Christian love that ends up hurting the most.

As a result, most people don’t want to love that way. Instead, our society has created many cheap imitations. We talk all the time about love, in our movies, our songs, and our books. But most of it is just talk, a cheap imitation that is more about loving myself than about truly loving others.

But we cannot settle for a cheap imitation because “God is love.” And he proved it at the cross. I John 4:10 says, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” The gospel is all about love. Therefore, v. 11 commands you, “If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

When you seriously consider what that means, it is overwhelming. It’s scary. In fact, it is impossible. Except for the fact that we are united to Christ and indwelt by the Spirit. We don’t just know love; it indwells us. Christian, you can love like Jesus. Yes, it will hurt. But you don’t have to fear that hurt because God will give you the grace to endure.  So, my central challenge is, Love your neighbor the way Christ loves you.

If you do not know the love of God in Christ, I pray that today you will see the love of God like you have never seen it before and receive that love in Christ. And if you are saved, I want you to raise the bar. And do so knowing you can get there by the grace of God.

To do that, I want to work from principle to practice. You must appreciate the standard before you can reach it. So, please hang with me a bit at the beginning as I explain what Christ demands because it’s important for appreciating the application. Notice first…

I.  Love is the Christian ethic.

This passage makes 3 big statements about the priority of love. Verse 8 says, “He who loves…” Then 9 says that the 10 Commandments and the entire OT Law “is summed up…” And just to be clear, v. 10 closes the text by saying, “Love is the fulfillment of the law.” Is love for neighbor important? You better believe it.

But to truly appreciate how important it is, you must understand how love is the “fulfillment of the law.” You may assume Paul simply means that love for your neighbor is simply a major summary of the OT law.

And you would be partially correct. Jesus said the entire OT law hangs on loving God and loving your neighbor. The law showed Israel how to love God and love their neighbor. But Paul is doing more than simply challenging you to obey what the Law of Moses taught about love. That’s because…

Christians are free from the OT Law (7:4–6). Notice that Jesus compares the Christian’s relationship to the law to the death of a spouse. The OT law is dead. Instead, we have been joined to Christ. We live “in the newness of the Spirit.”

Galatians 2:19 adds, “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.” And Galatians 5:1 states, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free (from the OT law); therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

We should celebrate this reality. Christ has freed us from the Law, he has given us grace, and he has adopted us into his family!

But does it mean that we aren’t bound to any law at all? No, the NT teaches that we are under “the law of Christ.” And it consistently teaches that…

Christians are (especially) bound to the law of love. Galatians 5 is especially helpful. Again, v. 1 commands you, “do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery (i.e., the OT Law).” But 5:13–14 add, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only donot turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Paul is very clear. Hundreds of laws have been boiled down to one. Christians are bound to the law of love. And this love is the center of NT godliness. Jesus set the standard just before his death, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35).

And, James 2:8 agrees that love is the defining standard of Christian godliness, “If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.”

So, the NT teaches that one result of the cross is that Jesus has boiled hundreds of OT laws down to one. Love your neighbor as yourself. Rather than getting caught up in the technicalities of the law, we simply focus on loving like Jesus. And the Spirit has given us the capacity to love. So, by his grace focus all your energy on loving your neighbor well. Now, you might think, “That sounds simple! Just love people the way I think is best.” But it’s not simple. Christ hasn’t lowered the bar; instead, he has raised it.

Christ is the standard of Christian love. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). Loving your neighbor is not new, but loving like Jesus, that’s more than the Law demanded. But that’s what Jesus expects. He says it again in John 15:12, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” Think about that. God demand that you love the people of our church the same way Jesus loves you.

BTW, that means that you are not free to define love for yourself. Despite what so many claim, you do not “choose love” when you approve of lifestyles or choices that God calls wicked. And Christian love will never drive you into immorality or adultery.

That’s because what the world wants to call love is often sin. And it sends people down a path toward the wrath of God. True love always pursues the eternal best for its object, not what is most comfortable for me or them in the moment.

And Christ’s love is always anchored to truth, righteousness, and holiness. Therefore, you can’t love well unless you obey every other biblical command about how to love. We just studied several of those commands in 12:9–21. Loving like Jesus demands that you obey everything he has commanded.

But the big idea I want you to get is that under the law of Christ, it’s no longer enough to merely meet the external standards of the Law. No, by the resurrection power of Jesus, you must “love one another just as (Christ has) loved you.” That brings me to the second truth I want to hammer.

II.  Love is the highest standard.

Let’s start to get more practical. What does it really mean to obey our text? What does it look like to love your neighbor the way Christ loves you? First…

Love without limits. We like to put limits on our love. “I tried.” “I did my duty.” “It just got too painful.” “It was too hard.” But Jesus never places those limits on our love. No, he said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”

You may think, “He can’t possibly expect me to go as far as he did.” Except he adds in the next verse,“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12–13). Jesus commands you to love the brethren even at the greatest cost. And John is even more blunt, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). That is an incredible verse when you really face what Christ demands.

Yes, even though your love should have no limits, you have limited time and capacity. You don’t have the capacity to meet every need. If you are striving to love like Jesus, you will have to make some hard priority decisions. So, I am not saying you must say yes to every need, neglect your family, empty your checking account, and neglect your job to love like Jesus. Be wise.

But Jesus died for you, and he commands you to “lay down your life for the brethren.” So, the fact that loving people is hard does not excuse you from loving them. Jesus never says, “Love people unless it really hurts or it infringes on your comfortable and happiness.” He never says, “Only love the people who are easy to love and who appreciate you.”

He never says, “Love people unless they are jerks.” No, Jesus loved you when you hated him. So, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Don’t worry about being loved in return. Don’t idolize your comfort over the children of God. Love without limits. 2^nd…

Focus on the heart, not on technicalities. Verse 9 quotes 4 of the 10 Commandments. Of course, these are important expressions of true love. But let’s be honest, they aren’t that difficult to obey. I’ve never been seriously tempted to commit adultery or to murder. I probably have stolen something, but stealing is not a major temptation. And while I at times covet what others have, envy and jealousy are not a daily, major challenge.

Therefore, we are all tempted to define love by meeting these kinds of standards because they are manageable. We essentially become legalistic “I did these things; therefore, I have loved well.”

But Jesus takes a hammer to that thinking in the Sermon on the Mount. He says that avoiding murder is not enough. You must eradicate anger. It’s not enough that you avoid adultery. You must love so well that you never look at woman with lust. It's not enough that you love your friends; you must love your enemies.

Therefore, 9 is not merely calling you to obey the 10 Commandments or to satisfy your conscience by meeting technical standards. No, God is calling you to truly love people. God is calling you to something higher.

That’s so important because very often we only think of love only in terms of duties. “I said hi.” “I liked her Facebook post.” “I sent him a card.” “I didn’t lie.” “Of course, I love my wife. I provide for her, I’ve never hit her, I’ve never cheated on her, I take her on dates, and I buy her a birthday present. I’ve done everything God demands.” It’s legalism, and God is not impressed. No, 1 Peter 1:22 commands you, “Fervently love one another from the heart.” Do you feel overwhelmed? Don’t despair. Rather…

Rely on limitless power. I understand that most people don’t talk this way. We just assume there’s no way I can love like that. But Jesus can demand unending love because he gives unending grace (8:3–4). If you are in Christ, you have a power that no one else knows. You have the Holy Spirit. You can love your neighbor as yourself.

Yes, if you do that, you will be vulnerable to overwhelming disappointment and hurt. How can Jesus expect you to keep loving a spouse who gives you no love in return? How can he expect you to keep pursuing meaningful relationships in the church even after you’ve been deeply hurt? Why can’t you just cut all the “toxic” people out of your life?

Jesus can demand that because he will be with you every step of the way. Do you believe his grace is sufficient? And do you believe that he might have something better for you on the other side of that pain than the fleeting comfortableness of avoiding it.

I understand. Being a pastor and truly loving the sheep is hard. I used to focus a lot on protecting myself from the pain of pastoral ministry. But I’ve come to believe that pain is my God-ordained calling to love. And I really believe God’s grace will sustain me. Sure, I need to set wise boundaries, but I’m not going to waste my time worrying about burnout; I’m going to trust the grace of God and go make a difference.

I want to challenge you to do the same. Love like Jesus and don’t be afraid of the path ahead. God will sustain you. He will sanctify you, and he will use you. The fruit will be worth far more than anything you lost in the process. With the rest of our time, I’d like to focus on two practical expressions of this love that our text highlights. My 3^rd major truth is…

III.  Love keeps no ledger (v. 8a).

Paul begins with a practical aspect of love and righteousness that could merit an entire sermon. He just said in v. 7 that you must pay your taxes to the government. Now he expands that by saying, “Don’t just meet your obligations to the government; meet them with all people.”

He’s not saying it is always wrong to have debt because the Bible frequently leaves room for responsible debt and for giving loans to people who are in need. Rather, the point is that a Christian must never be negligent in paying those debts. Why? Your word and your honor are at stake. Christians must keep their commitments. And love demands that we repay what we owe lest we put someone else in a difficult spot.

So, as much as possible avoid debt. Be content with what God has provided. And if you must take out a loan, pay it back. Keep your commitments. Be the kind of person who when you sign your name or give your word, people have no reason to doubt what you have said.

But in this context, “Owe nothing to anyone” is mostly a set up for the statement, “except to love one another.” This is a fascinating statement. Paul says it’s okay to owe someone love. But why is this kind of debt okay? Clearly because this is a debt that you can never fully repay. Your love debt is limitless. You can never say, “I met my obligation. My love debt is paid!”

We’ve already talked about this extensively. Christian love knows no limits. God says you can never say, “I did my part. I tried. God doesn’t expect me to love this person anymore.” Why? Because your debt is limitless.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that if someone refuses to respond that you chase them endlessly. Sometimes, the best way to love is to draw a line in the sand. Sometimes, you must prioritize other people or other obligations. But God clearly means that we must never view love merely as a legalistic duty. No, you must be ready to “lay down your life for the brethren.”

So, don’t become calloused toward your difficult spouse. Keep loving and keep serving. Some of you have quit on a difficult relationship because you think you satisfied your obligation. Others have folded your arms and said, “I’m not going after him. It’s his turn to reconcile.”

Understand that you are guilty of turning love into a financial ledger that is about credit and debt. It’s as if you are saying, “I gave you $50; now you owe me $50.” But God says that’s not how love works. There’s no ledger because your debt is endless.

I understand that it hurts when you pour your soul into someone, and he walks all over it without any gratitude. Very often hurting people take their hurt out the most on the people who have loved them the most. And what do we often say in that moment? “Don’t you understand all that I have done for you?” Whether we say it or not, we believe, “You owe me.”

But that line rarely lands like we think it will because it’s not true love. The moment you start thinking of love in terms of credit and debt, you’ve begun to love yourself, not the other person. It’s about you, not them. People can see right through it. It’s miserable, and it kills relationships.

Do not keep a mental ledger, much less a written one against your spouse. Don’t think, “I did this, so I deserve this.” That thinking ruins many marriages. Just love sacrificially. The same goes for people in the church, extended family, and every other connection. True love keeps no ledger. Finally…

IV.  Love never tolerates evil (v. 10a).

Verse 10 begins with a bold statement (read). Paul is especially thinking of the kinds of sins he mentioned in v. 9, things like adultery, stealing, or coveting. True love is always a holy love. It never sinks to the level of harming the other person. True love is always obedient to biblical righteousness.

Maybe someone has hurt you deeply, or they have betrayed you. It feels really good to rip on that person to other people. It’s gossip, it’s slander, and it needs to stop. Maybe someone has sinned against you, and you have taken it on yourself to get vengeance. You don’t call it that, but you are bitter, and you have your ways of sticking it to them.

Ladies, your husband did something unthoughtful. Instead of talking about it or giving grace, you give him the silent treatment or withhold intimacy. Men, you bang around in the garage or outside. You didn’t yell at her, but you made sure to ruin her evening. Or maybe you hide behind the computer, and you look at stuff that God says is evil. Teenagers and children, some of you don’t let your siblings get by with anything. If they hurt you, you get angry, and you make sure they pay.

Aren’t you thankful that God doesn’t do that to you? His love never changes. His grace is limitless. His love is always holy and righteous. So, “love does no wrong to a neighbor.” Do not compromise your convictions. Be holy. Even when others fail, do not sink to their level. Love like Jesus. Lay down your life for your friends. Paul said, “spend and be spent” whether people return your love or not.

Conclusion

God is calling you to love your neighbor the way Christ loves you. First, do you know the love of God in Christ? God loved you so much that he sent his Son to die on the cross for your sin. And he will forgive every one of them if you simply come to him in repentance and faith. It’s the best decision you can ever make. Admit that you have sinned against God, and you need forgiveness. Believe that Christ is the Son of God and his death is sufficient to pay for all your sin. And receive him as your Lord and Savior.

And once you are saved, commit to loving your neighbor the way Christ loves you. Maybe the Spirit has put a specific person on your heart. You don’t want to go there. You’re scared of the pain, and you aren’t sure you can do it. Believe that God’s grace is sufficient and then obey. You will find joy in loving others that you will never find serving yourself. And whether that love is returned or not, God’s grace will be sufficient, and you will come forth as gold.