God has been giving me a deeper understanding of the love that truly fulfills His law, and I hope you’ll be blessed as I pass it on to you. In Romans 13:8-10 Paul wrote, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law”. Love fulfills every commandment because it “worketh no ill to his neighbor”. A lot is being said and done in the name of Jesus, but are we working no ill to our neighbor? Most of us know that God’s love is unconditional toward us, and we gladly accept it. But, do we really understand that the love we are called to exercise toward our neighbor, the love that fulfills the law, is unconditional, too? It works no ill to its neighbor whether he is just or unjust, nice or mean, rich or poor, clean or unclean. Do we so readily accept this truth? 1 John 4:10 says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins”. Through this verse, you and I can have our eyes opened to see what love really is in that Jesus didn’t come because we loved God, but because God loved us. He came to reconcile us to God while we were His enemies — “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10). Now we, the body of Christ, have the same ministry of reconciliation — “And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Love fulfills God’s law because it does what is right even when it is treated unjustly.

The body of Christ is called to suffer for the sake of our neighbors. The apostle Peter wrote, “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently? But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously: Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose striped you were healed” (1 Peter 2:19-24). Our highest calling is to patiently suffer emotional and physical pains inflicted upon us by the unjust actions of others. Jesus didn’t return evil for evil, but rather endured the emotional and physical blows of sinners so sinners could be saved. This is the suffering of Christ. Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. Our bodies truly become a living sacrifice, and we are no longer conformed to this world, when we partake of Christ’s sufferings and respond to evil with blessing. This is what proves the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God, and constitutes our highest calling, because it fulfills the law of love.

Jesus speaks about us partaking of His sufferings in Matthew 5 where He says, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, that you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (vs. 38-48). You and I partake of Christ’s sufferings when we turn the other cheek, go the extra mile and love our enemies; bless those who curse us, do good in return, and pray for them. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us, among other things, that love does not seek its own. It doesn’t seek its own rights, comforts, or convenience. Love seeks the best interest of others regardless of the situation. We may have the right to strike back at an unjust boss or co-worker, but love will suffer their blows, emotional or physical, and turn the other cheek. Love won’t harbor bitterness and unforgiveness. It will forgive, speak blessing, and pray for those who hurt us. Religious duty may go one mile to help a person in need, but love will suffer the inconvenience and go two. The law may require us to give our shirt, but love will give up the coat as well in order to pursue peace with our neighbor. Those who hate, despitefully use, and persecute us may not deserve compassion, but love will bear their abuses, have compassion, and seek their best interests anyway. In one of his sermons, Oswald Chambers said, “Never look for right in the other man, but never cease to be right yourself. We are always looking for justice: the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is — never look for justice, but never cease to live it”. 1 Corinthians 13 also tells us that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. In addition to taking and patiently enduring pains inflicted by the unrighteous, love hopes and believes that it won’t fail to procure good for its enemies

This brings us to our ministry of reconciliation. The scripture previously quoted from 2 Corinthians 5 says that, “God was in Christ, reconciling to world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation”. Now, Christ is in us, reconciling the world to God; He is the vine, we are the branches, we are dead, and our life is hid with Him in God, we are crucified with Him, nevertheless we live, yet not us, but Christ lives in us (John 15:5, Colossians 3:3, Galatians 2:20). The point is this — we, the body of Christ, are vessels for Jesus to reconcile the unrighteous to God when we partake of His suffering by responding to evil with blessing, not counting their trespasses against them. This works reconciliation because Jesus, who lives in and through us, has authority on earth to forgive sins. When one who was sick of the palsy was lowered through the roof to be healed, Jesus said, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee”. Some accused Him of blasphemy and said, “Who can forgive sins but God only?”. In His response, Jesus said, “Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (He saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house”. Of course, the lame man got up and went his way (Mark 2:1-12). Before ascending, Jesus said to His disciples, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:22-23).True believers have the Holy Ghost in them with power to forgive sins. Those we forgive are forgiven; those we don’t forgive are not forgiven. By partaking of Christ’s sufferings, forgiving, and blessing our enemies, we literally become vessels of reconciliation. In 1 John 5:16 the apostle wrote, “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it”.The sin unto death is blaspheming the Holy Spirit for which there is no forgiveness in this age or in the age to come. Read Matthew 12:31-32. For every other sin, God tells us that our forgiveness, loving response, and prayers will obtain life for the unrighteous.

Reconciliation between God and man is what love and forgiveness are all about. We are not only called to Christ’s sufferings, love, and forgiveness, but we are also commanded to walk in these virtues, and they are not an option. Jesus says, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).And, speaking of forgiveness, He says, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15). Finally, while closing his exhortation on sharing in Christ’s sufferings, Peter wrote, “Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:8-12). Everlasting life only belongs to those who are compassionate, pitiful, courteous, and who don’t render evil for evil but instead respond with blessing. Any time we act for the sake of self, harbor unforgiveness or bitterness, and return evil for evil, we are judging the very people Jesus has died for. This is what James is referring to when he writes, “If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment” (James 2:8-13). He goes on to write, “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judges the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who are thou that judgest another?” (James 4:11-12). Are we merciful and loving or are we judging people for whom Jesus has died?

Typically, as we consider all of these things, it seems impossible to walk it out as God has commanded us to do. The problem is that we are calculating the possibility based upon human perception of ability and inability. Jesus says, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Fulfilling the commandment to love is not based upon our ability or inability. It is based upon the work of God in our heart. The gospel provides for us to be made anew with God’s nature (2 Peter 1:4). The hereditary disposition of Jesus is put into us by the impartation of the Holy Ghost — “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5).True believers keep the royal law by the love that God puts in them. The purity and love He demands is impossible unless we are remade from within, and that is what Jesus has accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection. Writing about love, the apostle John says, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God” and “If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit” (1 John 4:7, 12, 13). Believers love as God loves because we have been born of Him. The Spirit of God dwelling in us generates the love we are commanded to walk in and perfects us in that love. We saw in the last verse of those quoted from Matthew 5 that we are to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. Perfected love is not the result of our doing, but rather the result of God’s doing in us. Our part is to be willing, to be surrendered, and to believe God.

1 Timothy 1:5 says, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith”(NKJV). The sum of what I’ve been sharing with you is this — if the gospel is not producing love out of a pure heart in us, we are missing the mark. None of our religious work and busy activity in the name of Jesus are worth anything if our bodies are not being offered daily, as a living sacrifice, to walk in love and be used as vessels for reconciling others to God. This is the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!