Love Your Neighbor
Romans 13:8-10
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
There’s a key phrase in this that Paul is quoting directly from:
Leviticus 19:18
18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
What would it look like, to ACTUALLY “Love your neighbor as yourself?”
If we actually loved our neighbor as much as we love ourselves, we would at least know their name, but would probably get to know some deep parts of who they are, right?
The word for neighbor in this verse is πλησίον (plēsion) in Greek. It just means neighbor. So, what does Romans 13:9 really mean when it says: “Love your neighbor as yourself?” It means: love your neighbor like you love yourself. It's pretty straightforward... Why don't we do it?
Romans 13:8-10 goes through these commandments in the old testament: “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet." Those commands are summed up in, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 7:12
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Romans 13:10
10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Jesus didn’t just practically fulfill the law, He physically fulfilled it.
Do it ASAP
Romans 13:11-14
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
So much of this is a warning to us to stop wasting our lives, and start living for something greater! Would you rather invest in your neighbors and see Incredible life change, or would you rather just live in a gross state of debauchery?
Love Your Neighbors Who are Fellow Christians
Obviously there were fights in the 1st Century Church over theology, religious practices, leadership styles, and even over things like race and sex. Church leaders fought against the racism and the sexism throughout the New Testament, and stood for what Jesus stood for, but when it comes to the theology, religious practices, leadership styles, etc... You would expect them to pick a side and say what’s right and wrong.
Romans 14:1-4
1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
Sometimes loving our Christian neighbors is letting them do the thing they’re doing, even though it’s different than what you’re doing. It’s walking alongside them, and looking at their heart!
Paul says this in Romans 14: Some Christians hold certain days as sacred,
others don’t. Some Christians eat meat,
other’s don’t. Regardless, if you do it for the Lord, you do it for the Lord.
Romans 14:12-13
12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. 13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
Romans 14:19
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Romans 14:22
22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
It’s heart thing!
