Scriptural Love
A Sermon on Romans 13:8-10
Scripture
8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be …
Sermon Description
Vestiges of the Christian call to “love one’s neighbor” can be found throughout Western culture. What has been lost, however, is the Scriptural understanding of love and a strong theological foundation to support the command. Without Scripture and theology, love of neighbor is either reduced to sentimentality or the gospel is denied. The seriousness of the latter is highlighted in this sermon on Romans 13:8–10 titled “Scriptural Love.” Modern teaching claims sinful people are able to fulfill this important command despite the fact that they have not experienced regeneration. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines both Scripture and culture, arguing that a biblical view of self and neighbor is necessary to understand Paul’s words correctly. This also answers one of the fundamental questions Christians ask: what is the Christian relationship to the law? Be warned against the trap of mysticism with its emphasis on mere contemplation of love and also watch out for rigorism with its emphasis on the merely knowing the letter of the law. Rather than falling into mysticism or rigorism, Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues for both the letter and the spirit of the law. Listen closely as he argues for a balanced approach to the law and seeks to challenge contemporary views of love of the neighbor.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is summing up his teachings from Romans 12 in Romans 13:8-10.
- Love is the fulfillment of the law according to verse 10.
- Loving your neighbor as yourself is a quotation from Leviticus that Jesus also taught.
- Loving your neighbor means loving all people, not just fellow Christians. The story of the Good Samaritan illustrates this.
- There are two main views on how to live the Christian life: mysticism (focus on spirituality and experiencing God's love) and rigorism (following rules and commandments). We need both love and law.
- Christians are no longer under the law's condemnation but should still follow the law as an expression of God's will. We follow the law because we are Christians, not to become Christians.
- We must avoid emphasizing only love or only law. Both are necessary. Love fulfills the law.
- Following rules without love is like playing music mechanically without artistry. Preaching correct doctrine without life and power is also inadequate.
- We need both our heads in the clouds and our feet on the ground. Love is the fulfillment of the law, not just the mechanical following of rules.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.