In the Old Testament, under the Law of Moses, there were clear consequences for disobedience—death being the ultimate penalty for sin, as Romans 6:23 reminds us. The Law was more than just a set of rules; it was a mirror, reflecting God’s perfect holiness and showing humanity its desperate need for a Savior. The Law beckoned us to recognize our brokenness and our inability to live up to God’s righteous standard. As Galatians 3:24 (NLT) affirms: “The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith.” The Law acted as a tutor, guiding us through our imperfections and leading us to recognize our need for redemption. It points to Jesus, our precious Lord and Savior who would come to fulfill all that the Law required and make us right with our Creator.
We didn’t have any righteousness to call our own. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) tells us, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Through Jesus Christ, God has given us His righteousness, and when He looks at us, this is what He sees. This incredible gift is made possible because Jesus came, perfectly fulfilled the Law, and through his death and resurrection, he brought us into a new covenant, one defined by grace, love, and forgiveness. While the Law of Moses, including the Ten Commandments, were not invalidated by the new covenant that Christ ushered in, we now live under a higher law. We also experience a higher level of privilege and responsibility, no longer as mere servants of God, but as His sons and daughters.
Through Christ, we are now under the law of the Spirit of life, which brings freedom from sin and death. We are no longer bound by the fear of judgment. Instead, we are free to walk in the abundant life Jesus promised, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live victoriously. Romans 8:2 (NKJV) tells us, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” We are no longer slaves to sin; we are free to live in the fullness of God’s life, peace, and love through His precious Spirit who indwells us!
The Law of the Spirit enables believers to live out the Law of Love. They go hand in hand, working together to bring about the kind of love that only God can produce in us. It’s the Holy Spirit who makes it possible for us to love God and others the way Jesus taught. This is something we can’t do on our own. Romans 5:5 reminds us that “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” This is no ordinary love: it’s a gift, poured into us by the Spirit. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we’re empowered to love in a way that brings glory to God and blessing to those around us.
In Matthew 22:37-39 (NLT), when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, he didn’t give a long list of dos and don’ts. Instead, He boiled everything down to two powerful commandments that encapsulate the entirety of God’s heart for us and the world. He tells us: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Jesus cuts through the noise and reminds us that the essence of life, the very purpose for our existence, is love.
Loving God
In John 10:10, Jesus speaks of the abundant life that he offers, which is far more than just material blessings—it’s a life overflowing with purpose, peace, and true fulfillment. This level of abundance that Jesus promises is rooted in our relationship with God through him, and that relationship begins with loving God with everything we have—our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. We must understand that nothing less than loving God as fully and completely as we possibly can will suffice; it will not meet His requirement. We cannot offer Him our sloppy second, but sadly, this is what many of us do.
It’s natural to love the people closest to us—our spouses, children, friends, and family. We often pour so much of ourselves into those relationships, desiring to be there for them, support them, and show them love. It’s easy to think that as long as we’re loving others, we’re doing right by God. However, Jesus shows us that true love for others flows from our love for God. We are to love through Him, and this is only possible when we love Him most.
Jesus Christ teaches us this in Luke 14:26 (NLT): “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.” This is strong language, and it is used to make a point. The key to understanding this verse lies in the word “hate.” Jesus isn’t telling us to have actual hatred or animosity toward those we love. He is emphasizing the priority of our relationship with God through him. He is stressing that our commitment to God should be so strong, so all-consuming, that no other relationship, no matter how dear, can take precedence over our devotion to God. This is not negotiable. We must have this level of love and devotion towards our Creator.
He has empowered us through His Holy Spirit to return to Him a level of love that pleases Him. This is not a love we can manufacture on our own, but a love that flows from the Spirit’s work within us. It is the highest expression of the kind of mutual, reciprocal relationship that God created and equipped us to have with Him. The love He calls us to isn’t one-sided or based on obligation; it’s meant to be a vibrant exchange. As we draw near to Him in love, He draws near to us, and we experience the fullness of His presence in our lives.
When we are neglectful or indifferent in our love for God, we miss the mark of our true purpose. We fail in our duty to worship and honor Him as our Creator and Savior, and in doing so, we deprive ourselves of the abundant life He desires to give us. Loving God with all that we are is the heartbeat of our existence. When we align our hearts with His love, everything else falls into place. We not only honor God, but we also position ourselves to receive the blessings and peace He longs to pour into our lives.
Loving Others
Jesus takes it a step further by giving us a second commandment that is just as important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It’s easy to love people who love us back, but loving others, especially those who might not seem deserving or easy to love, requires something deeper. It requires empathy, patience, and humility. It requires seeing others the way God sees them—worthy of love, grace, and respect. As 1 John 4:19 (NLT) reminds us, “We love each other because he loved us first.” Our love for others is a natural overflow of the love we’ve experienced from God. When we recognize how deeply He loves us, how undeserved and yet unconditional His love is, it becomes easier to love others in the same way.
This Law of Love isn’t just about following rules—it’s about living out a relationship with God, and this relationship should shape everything we do. It’s a law that doesn’t bind us, but instead frees us to experience life at its fullest. By loving God and loving others, we are living the very life we were created for, one that reflects God’s heart and transforms us and everything we impact and influence. It’s more than a call to action; it’s a call to be different in a dark and cruel world. It’s being a living testimony of the love that changes everything. As we grow in our understanding of God’s love for us, we begin to live with that same love toward others. And in doing so, we fulfill the Law of Love in the most beautiful and life-giving way. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“The Law of Love”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2025. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.