(reworked from 2012)
SCRIPTURE: Romans (NIV) 13:9 The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.
OBSERVATION: One could say that the law was given to us to protect our neighbors from evil in our hearts.
The law does not judge our thoughts, but the actions that may come from those thoughts. When the Spirit of God lives inside, He helps us control our inner thoughts which are the stimulation for our outward actions. With the Spirit of God living inside, we no longer need the law controlling our outward actions.
APPLICATION: The Spirit of the Loving and Holy God living within me now works on the inside. I do not have to focus on the law that says, “do not commit murder.” The Spirit works on my thoughts and helps me love the one I once wanted to kill. The Holy Spirit helps me lovingly give to the one from whom I once wanted to steal. His work on the inside helps me fulfill the law on the outside .
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, how I appreciate your presence! Without you I would be unable to live a life that pleases my Heavenly Father. Amen.
Pastor Leon
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