Fulfilling the Law

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8)

I want to take some time to unpack this reference to law here. It is clearly situated right after the discussion of authority and rulers so I think the implication is a connection between law and law-enforcers. But quite interestingly the law that is noted in this passage has little to do with man-made law but is a direct reference to the Law of God given on Mount Sinai. God's “legal” system does not operate like man's systems and does not employ “law-enforcement” like we are used to seeing on this earth, for God's laws are simply descriptions of principles that have natural consequences. But this does bring in some interesting issues that have been debated for centuries such as the validity of the Ten Commandments after the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

One of the texts that people have attempted to use to discount the authority of the Law of God in our day is a quote from Jesus.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:16-17)

Religious people have tried to twist these words around to imply that since Jesus fulfilled the Law of God that it no longer applies to us. They try to claim that if we are in Christ then the blood of Jesus frees us from any obligation to that “old law” as they often put it. But if this text is compared with the one from Romans thirteen here, then Paul is still talking about the law being fulfilled long after the death of Jesus and applying this fulfillment to being carried out in our lives as believers. This seems to plainly contradict any notion of the law no longer applying to Christians because of Jesus' fulfillment of it.

Again in Galatians Paul addresses Christians and talks about the law being fulfilled in their lives by the kind of life they live.

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)

Some have tried to claim that the law of Christ is different than the Law of God given in the Old Testament. But that is still another attempt to separate God and Christ which violates the very teachings of Jesus Himself. And even Paul points out that it was Christ that was with the Israelites in the desert that followed them during the time of the giving of the Ten Commandments. And all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4) Christ was actually the One who gave the Law on Mount Sinai long before He appeared in human form on earth centuries later.

What in fact is really happening on the part of those who try to discredit the validity of the Law of God for Christians is that they are resisting the authority of God directly. Instead of subjecting themselves to authority as directed in the previous verses they try to twist the Word of God to avoid acknowledging the importance of obeying the Law, which itself is simply a description of the principles of reality. While it is true that it is impossible to keep the Law in our current condition as sinners by nature, that does not excuse us in the slightest from still living in harmony with the principles of reality. We are no more exempt from keeping the Law of God as expressed in the Commandments than we are exempt from being affected by the law of gravity or any other one of the laws of physics that we are so familiar with.

Instead of trying to discount or weasel out of our need to be in harmony with the principles of reality as expressed in the Ten Commandments and other instructions of God, we need to follow the instructions of the gospel and allow our hearts to be transformed so that our external life will begin to reflect the fruit of the Spirit that lives within us. And those fruits will always look like perfect conformity to the Laws of God because those aLws simply describe what God is like and how reality is defined. Instead of resisting the authority of the Law we need to learn how to come into proper relationship and harmony with the Law so that we can thrive and grow and be filled with the joy of relationship and intimacy with the God that the Law describes.

This passage begins to make it very clear that living in subjection to authorities and keeping the Law of God can only be achieved when we are filled with the love that originates with the very God that this law describes. Without the basis of our motivation being genuine, God-inspired love dwelling in us at the heart level, it will be hopelessly impossible to ever align ourselves or even properly subject ourselves to the authority that originates with the God who gave us this Law.

Love itself is the secret, magic ingredient that empowers us to fulfill the Law instead of resisting that Law. Only love in the heart will empower us to have the humility and kindness to be in subjection to authorities without becoming contaminated by bitterness from the abuse of authority commonly encountered in this world. And only the gospel and grace of Jesus Christ can ever bring us into the right mental and heart condition to live this kind of life.

Paul reiterates here the condensation of the Law of God that Jesus had previously expounded. And Jesus Himself was quoting from the Old Testament that had also condensed the principles of the Law into two simple explanations. Fulfilling the Law at its simplest is to love God more than anything or anyone else and then loving others equally with ourselves. This is the condition of everyone who will be able to live together in eternity in harmony with God and with each other.

Only those who choose to begin that life here and now will be safe to save at the Second Coming of Jesus and will then be further matured in heaven to continue that experience together throughout all eternity. And this is the whole purpose of the gospel – to provide the entry point and the transformational experience and power that will re-create the image of God in our souls and reintegrate us into the perfect family of heaven.

Each of us has a choice about how to relate to this offer. We can either resist it in one way or another and deny our need to come into harmony with the Law and with the Love that fulfills that Law, or we can subject ourselves to the supreme authority of God, the Originator of the love that we must have to fulfill the law and that will also empower us to subject ourselves to authorities in a spirit of kindness and humility. When the character of Jesus is perfectly reproduced in His people on earth, He will come back again and claim them as His own and take them to live with Him. But that reproduction of His character has to be accomplished through our subjection to Him, never by our efforts to keep the Law directly.

As I subject myself to the authority of Jesus in my heart and mind and give Him permission to do anything He wants with me, I can then be filled and led by His Spirit and will naturally produce the fruit of that Spirit which is perfect conformity to the description of His character which is seen in the Law of God. But that Law is only a bare-bones outline description of His character. The real beauty and loveliness of God was better demonstrated by the life and teachings of Jesus while here on earth. But even that is a dim, though very good reflection of the reality of God, for the filters of humanity and the distance of time and the limitations of writing prevents us from getting a very clear view of what even Jesus was really like. Even His closest disciples did not see the real God that Jesus came to reveal because of the rigid preconceptions they clung to about God while they were with Him. It was not until some time after the resurrection that it began to really dawn on them what they had missed and the opportunities that they had squandered to really experience the glory of God.

But Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to accomplish what even He was not able to finish while here. The Holy Spirit will reveal to our hearts and minds everything that we need to have in order to be drawn into the saving relationship with God that we must have in order to live the kind of life described here in Romans. I want much more of that Spirit and a much greater revelation of the glory of God in my life. I want to become freed from the damning resistance that still resides in my own heart that endangers my very life if exposed to the real glory of God. I crave to experience the presence of God and I ask Him to cleanse me from all resistance so that I will be safe to come closer into His loving and powerful presence.

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Covenant Protection

When I read the devotional this morning by Jon Paulien I was surprised that it was such a follow-up to what I had just learned yesterday in my own meditation on Romans. The reading was about the seven trumpets of Revelation and discussed the significance of trumpets all throughout the Bible.

He pointed out that from Numbers 10:8-10 we learn “that trumpets were sacred instruments whether used in worship or in battle. They called on God to remember His covenant. When He heard the trumpet's call, He would protect and defend His people in battle (verse 9). And as priests blew trumpets over the sacrifices of Hebrew worship, God 'remembered' His people and forgave their sins (verse 10).

“Thus whenever the priests sounded the trumpets God acted. So the blowing of trumpets was a symbol of covenant prayer. When God's people pray on the basis of His promises, He will respond. He will deliver them from human enemies and also from sin.”

So what does this have to do with what I have been studying lately? It was the prayer at the end of the devotional that linked it in to the issue of desiring revenge that has been on my conscience induced by this passage in Romans. “Lord, help me to renounce retaliation in my everyday life. Help me, instead, to trust You to do what is right and deal with my 'enemies' if that becomes necessary.” (The Gospel From Patmos p. 163)

It suddenly hit me with alarming force. Whenever I indulge a desire for retaliation and experience bitterness-poisoning, it is because I am not praying and trusting in God's covenant relationship with me. I am in essence living outside of His covenant as a stranger to the promises because I am trying to take justice and protection into my own hands. This may show up as resistance that is demonstrated in my life to authorities whether they be benign or abusive. If I become angry and negative about situations in my life and fail to trust in my covenant relationship with God then I am trusting something or someone else to get me through that situation and I have very good reason to be afraid. For there is no other option to successfully get through trouble than to rest in and engage the covenant provisions that are available to me and secured by the death of Jesus Christ for me.

This brings in a whole other teaching that has been a significant insight for me in the past few years. The teachings about blood covenants by Craig Hill were a major revelation to me a few years ago and have resided in the back of my mind as a resource for understanding many other things having to do with salvation. Now I see more clearly how that applies to what I am struggling to understand and absorb into my life right now in this passage of Romans. I need to view these issues in the light of the covenant in order to properly understand more clearly where my real problems lie. I need to see that my resistance and antagonism to authority arises out of a lack of trust in the power of God and His covenant promises to keep my heart safe in the face of abuse and injustice.

Jesus' life and example, especially when under attack and abuse, are given to show me what it looks like to trust fully in a covenant relationship without leaning on your own resources to protect or defend yourself. This is the exact opposite of what we term “the survival instinct”. But the survival instinct in our heart has been so corrupted by our sinful flesh that it invariably leads us to take things into our own hands when it appears God is not being faithful to His covenant promises for us.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV)

If I find myself desiring revenge, then it is a symptom that I am not utilizing or accessing the great and precious promises through which I can participate in the divine nature. When I allow bitterness to poison my heart and not leave it in God's hands I am being corrupted by evil desires instead of participating in the divine nature. For the divine nature will relate to authorities just the same way that Jesus demonstrated in His life while here on earth.

Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant according to the book of Hebrews. What I have been learning about the concept of mediator recently reveals that Jesus is trying to get us to believe the real truth about God's passionate love for us, not trying to change God's mind about us. It is our minds and hearts that need winning and transforming, not God's. So as Mediator of a new covenant, Jesus wants to train my heart to trust in God's covenant promises to me instead of thinking that I have to protect myself or desire to bring “justice” on those who hurt or offend me.

The more I think about this the more clearly I begin to see that this issue of covenant trust is deeply intertwined with the other issues in this passage of Romans twelve and thirteen. I need to think about this more, but even more importantly I need to begin practicing trust and choosing to rest in God's covenant provisions. I need to employ the use of the promises God has provided and fill my mind with them daily so that my heart will become more and more synchronized with the divine nature, the very heart of God.

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The False god of Revenge

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.... Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. (Romans 12:17, 19)

Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. (Romans 13:2)

It occurred to me just now that it is very possible and even likely that a desire for revenge can actually become a false god that I worship, either secretly or openly. As I have learned, false gods are far from just being carved images or statues that people bow down to. That is another Christian illusion that the devil promotes to keep us unaware of the many gods that we really worship all the time.

Anything or anyone that draws my attention to them that I find compelling and cannot easily release myself from is a god to me. Anything or anyone that I look to with my heart to be a source of life in the deeper levels of my soul is a god. And equally but less obvious, anything or anyone that I am afraid of more than I trust the true God is also a god for me, ironically. Whatever I crave or fear that is not subjected to the authority of God within my heart is a god that will dominate and manipulate and control me whenever it chooses. I am a slave to that god, for all false gods act as slave-masters, not kind and compassionate like the true God of heaven. False gods are self-serving and only pretend (though convincingly at times) to have my best interests in mind.

What I am observing, even in my own heart, is that my inability to stop desiring revenge against over-bearing authorities has become a god that has enslaved my heart and emotions. Because I cannot control or be free of these desires, even if I manage to mask them to some extent from accessing all of my external actions, I now see that these desires have all the indicators of being false gods living inside of me. This is very sobering but also sheds light on why it is so hard to deal with.

A false god internally usually convinces me that it is actually a part of myself and not separate from me. These impulses and inner demanding voices spring from identities (not mine) that can never be converted or convinced to change their opinions. That is a key truth that I need to realize and accept. For I believe we spend far too much energy and time trying to convince false gods, either in ourselves or in others, to change their opinions when the real problem is our allegiance. But this too, must be handled very delicately or we will only activate yet another false god that will rush to defend and shield our heart from abusive religious attacks. Only the kindness of God leads to repentance and this policy must be respected both with others and with our own hearts.

I believe there are false gods whose job is to keep us from being aware of the false gods in our hearts. They are full of excuses and convincing arguments that keep us believing that our stubbornness is legitimate or is sometimes even an honorable defense of the truth of God. Or they may just reinforce our belief that we must protect our own heart because there is no one else looking out for it.

Quite often a desire for revenge is founded on the argument of fairness. But the arguments of false gods always involve some degree of deceptive reasoning, though it does not at all feel deceptive to us because it seems to be coming from inside of us so we believe them. I have heard many times people cling to a desire to get even or to seek revenge or to even withdraw from relationships in the name of fairness. If they feel they have been treated unfairly – and that is quite likely since all of us are guilty of being unfair – they may secretly believe that pulling out of a relationship with someone is a way of inflicting some level of revenge, though they would not consciously say it that way. There are all sorts of variations on how this is done but at bottom a desire for revenge is extremely more common in our lives than most of us are willing to admit or are even aware of. But it is starting to become more clear to me that a desire for revenge really is a false god for it acts and manipulates like one, so if it quacks like and duck and it walks....

I want to be clear here that I am not equating internal false gods with demon possession. Though they may use the same methods and control us in similar ways, the intensity of demon possession I think is far more problematic than dealing with false gods and internal deceptions on a day to day basis. False gods when not dealt with can lead eventually to a condition known as demon possession, but we must be very careful not to slap labels onto people that can be destructive and will only aid and abet the enemy of souls. What I am saying is that we all need to be far more honest about what is going on inside of our own hearts instead of focusing on other people's problems so much.

Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:3-5)

The basic nature of deception that is found in all false gods leads us to focus more on other's faults to avoid dealing with our own. This is true with the god of revenge that we so often worship. A desire for revenge is always focused on the wrong that has been done to us or is being done to us. This desire justifies itself by pointing out the injustice and unfairness of how we are being treated or disrespected and believes that it is up to us to insist on “justice” being met out for that person. But in essence we are now setting ourselves up as a judge which is usurping the place of God and so we are now engaging in worship of false gods even more. It also betrays a mistaken view of the real nature of judgment itself.

What I am sensing more and more is that the subject of revenge, the subject of authorities and our relationship to them and the subject of judgment are all very closely intertwined more than I ever thought. Additionally tied into this is the issue of bitter roots that I spent a month or two meditating on recently. A desire for revenge, which very often involves authorities in my life, springs from the poison of bitter roots that are not healed. Now I am seeing that it also involves worship of false gods that still control my life to some degree.

Again, I feel like crying out with Paul, What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:24-25 NIV)

Father, I confess and agree with what You have impressed me with this morning about my real condition. I am still a slave in many ways to false gods and they are stealing worship from me that rightfully only belongs to You. My unwillingness to accept unfair treatment without bitterness is an act of worship to a false god. My unwillingness to forgive instantly those who abuse me is worship of my desire for revenge. My inability to be free of these desires betrays the condition of slavery that I find myself in but sometimes try to deny.

Father, I cannot free myself. Like any slave caught in the clutches of a cruel master, even if I were to manage to get away I would only be captured again and tortured even more by these ruthless dictators. And the worst part is that they live internally so they often escape detection. I no longer want to remain a slave to these sinful gods of revenge, “fairness” and mistaken concepts of justice. There are still many gods that have me deceived and manipulate me in various ways, but You are a God of deliverance. You are a stronger God that can shatter the control and bonds of all my false gods. You have declared Yourself to be the God who delivers from slavery. I cry out to You for deliverance and freedom from their tyranny. But I do not ask for complete freedom but freedom to become a slave of Your love and compassion and to become a willing servant for the desires of Your heart. Father-God, these are not just empty words coming from my intellect, these are the cries of my heart being translated by my brain into words. Listen directly to my heart and intervene to save me from my slavery to revenge and bitterness. I want no part of them in me any longer, but only You can deliver me effectively from these desires. Heal me, renew my mind and transform my heart to be a perfect mirror reflecting Your perfect beauty and forgiving love. Do this for Your name's sake, Amen.

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Fear or Love

For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good.... But if you do what is evil, be afraid.... (Romans 13:3-4)

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)

When comparing my reactions to oppressive authority with the actions and spirit of Jesus under abusive treatment by authorities I can more clearly see how much I am not yet perfected by love. What I am seeing here is that the good referred to by Paul that I should be doing is whatever it is that love would have me do under the circumstances. According to these verses love is synonymous with good and they both are the polar opposite of fear. Given that, it would seem be very difficult if not impossible to ever do real good while motivated by fear.

Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. (Romans 13:5)

Again, I see a contrast in motives being presented here. Subjection is the opposite of resistance. Resistance produces condemnation according to verse two. And what I have learned about how the human brain functions, condemnation is a description of the tension created in the mind when the left and right brain are not in agreement about something. Tension is another word that is very similar to resistance or is at least very closely related to it.

I am trying to clearly understand verse five here. This word for wrath is the same word that I have been unpacking for several years now in my growing enlightenment about the wrath of God. It is often terribly misunderstood and is associated with very negative assumptions when applied to God's attitude toward sinners. But I believe in this case where it is describing the inside motives of sinners themselves it may actually take on much of the negative meanings that we too often mistakenly ascribe to God. It also closely parallels the above verse from 1 John.

In comparing these verses it becomes clear to me that wrath and fear are likely synonyms for the same motivation. We are dealing with issues of the heart primarily in this passage, not disconnected external activities that too often make up much of religion. But Paul seems to be acknowledging that we may have to begin with motives that are less than ideal to start with to get us moving in the right direction until we can learn to live properly with authorities from the right internal orientation.

I find this to be very descriptive of my own experience. For most of my life I have had to restrain and restrict my actions and words, particularly in response to confrontations by authorities, based on extreme caution and fear of disastrous consequences far more than on any love for them as a motivation to display any kind of goodness toward them. I suspect my heart was trained along this line by the authorities early in my life, my parents and teachers who generally treated me with the typical “carrot and stick” approach so popular in that day. As a result I generally find it quite baffling to understand or figure out what this more advanced way of living and thinking should look or feel like.

I realize that this has a great deal to do with maturity. And that is realistically part of my problem. Because my heart was trained (forced) to submit using very immature models of motivation (fear and wrath) and I did not learn by examples to imitate (the only way the right brain can learn) what more mature people could look and feel like under similar circumstances, I failed to grow internally to the higher stages of maturity and I am now left feeling stranded on a sandbar while needing to be able to sail in rough waters with the freedom of needed maturity. Even the word conscience is fraught in my mind with connotations of fear instead of what I suspect the real meaning is likely intended to be in this verse.

I need to grow at the heart level into a much deeper level of maturity that is illustrated by many of the insights that God has been giving me over the past few weeks and months while I have been wrestling with this passage. I want to really experience the co-perception with God that is the real meaning of this word conscience instead of having so much of my motivation tainted still by fear of punishment. I want to be completely healed and free of all fears and of all bitterness and of all the roots of shame and resentment that produce that bitterness.

As I look back over the past few months and the internal journey that God has been leading me on, I see some patterns and the wisdom of the topics that He has insisted that I examine. I also see how much I need them for my personal growth and maturity. But far more than learning exciting facts and being intellectually stimulated, as wonderful and important as that may be, I desperately want my own heart to be transformed and to come up to speed so that when I find myself under fire and in intense confrontations with authorities that my automatic reaction will be one of peace, freedom from fear and with words of kindness and grace flowing from a heart of genuine love and compassion for those who treat me as an enemy.

When processed by the left brain this sounds almost to the point of being cheesy and idealistic. And when performed from a left-brain dominated life that is exactly how it would likely come across. But when the heart is experiencing a vital connection with the Source of all love and forgiveness on a real-time basis then it will not be just idealistic but will be an irresistible witness of the power of God to transform even a legalistic, selfish, religion-addicted sinner like me into another example of how Jesus feels about and treats His enemies.

This whole chapter is a treatise on the contrast between a fear-based religion that is immature and motivated by rewards and threats of punishment, and a more matured love-based life that is thriving and not bound by the chains of fear commonly employed by authorities to induce compliance. This chapter really is unpacking the last verse of chapter twelve, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:10)

God, I feel so far away from the description of real maturity that You present here. You certainly have a great deal to accomplish in my life to transform me into a more truthful witness at the heart level to represent how You relate to people. But I'm very glad this is not my job to accomplish in me or it could never happen. About all I know to do is to ask You to keep teaching me and mentoring me and especially healing my heart so that it will much better reflect Your glory and beauty and attractiveness.

When I look at my feelings and reactions to authority I mostly see bitterness, fear and wrath. But what I am beginning to see as the goal for Your work in me is a man who will be empowered to see each individual I meet, whether in authority or not, as a hurting, messed up child of Yours in need of compassion, kindness and respect irregardless of their treatment of me. Oh God, I want to be that kind of witness for You so that others will believe more easily the truths about You and how You feel about all of us. Grow me up in the fullness and maturity of Jesus Christ as quickly as possible, but thoroughly as well. I know You are taking full responsibility for this project and I trust Your ways, Your timing and Your goodness.

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