First Peter 4:8 says,
“Above all,
love each other deeply,
because love
covers over
a multitude of sins.”
Proverbs 10:12 says,
“Hatred stirs up conflict,
but
love covers
over all wrongs.”
In what way does love cover sin?
To “cover” sin
is to forgive it,
and
forgiveness is associated
with love
The best example of a
love that covers sin is Jesus’
sacrificial death
on our behalf.
Jesus’ prayer from the cross,
“Father, forgive them,” says it all
(Luke 23:34).
Jesus’ bearing of our iniquities was an undeniable act of love
(Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10).
The writer to the Hebrews talks about the arrangement of the tabernacle of the Old Testament. The tabernacle was the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites from the time of their wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt to the building of the temple in Jerusalem (see Exodus 25–27). Within the tabernacle was the ark of the covenant which included the mercy seat (Hebrews 9:3-5 NKJV).
The ark of the covenant, the chest containing the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, was the most sacred object of the tabernacle and later in the temple in Jerusalem, where it was placed in an inner area called the Holy of Holies. Also within the ark were the golden pot of manna, such as was provided by God in the wilderness wanderings (Exodus 16:4) and Aaron’s almond rod (Numbers 17:1-13). On top of the ark was a lid called the mercy seat on which rested the cloud or visible symbol of the divine presence. Here God was supposed to be seated, and from this place He was supposed to dispense mercy to man when the blood of the atonement was sprinkled there.
In a manner of speaking, the mercy seat concealed the people of God from the ever-condemning judgment of the Law. Each year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of animals sacrificed for the atonement of the sins of God’s people. This blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. The point conveyed by this imagery is that it is only through the offering of blood that the condemnation of the Law could be taken away and violations of God’s laws covered.
The Greek word for “mercy seat” in Hebrews 9:5 is hilasterion, which means “that which makes expiation” or “propitiation.” It carries the idea of the removal of sin. In Ezekiel 43:13-15, the brazen altar of sacrifice is also called hilasterion (the propitiatory or mercy seat) in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) because of its association with the shedding of blood for sin.
What is the significance of this? In the New Testament, Christ Himself is designated as our “propitiation.” Paul explains this in his letter to the Romans: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed” (Romans 3:24-25 NKJV). What Paul is teaching here is that Jesus is the covering for sin, as shown by these Old Testament prophetic images. By means of His death, and our response to Christ through our faith in Him, all our sins are covered. Also, whenever believers sin, we may turn to Christ who continues to be the propitiation or covering for our sins (1 John 2:1, 4:10). This ties together the Old and New Testament concepts regarding the covering of sin as exemplified by the mercy-seat of God.
In fact, Jesus did more than just cover our sin; He did away with it completely (Hebrews 10:12–14)
In 1 Peter 4:8 the apostle is talking about interpersonal relationships. As believers we reflect the love of God by forgiving others. Jesus told His disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35). First Corinthians 13 tells us that love “keeps no record of wrongs” (verse 5). When we love each other, we are willing to forgive each other. Love covers sin in that it is willing to forgive.
Love also covers over a multitude of sins in that it does not gossip about sin. Rather than share the offenses of our brothers and sisters in Christ with anyone who will listen, we exercise discretion and restraint. Matthew 18:15–17 instructs us on the appropriate way to confront those who sin. James 5:19–20 says, “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” It is loving to speak truth to others regarding sin. First Corinthians 13:6 tells us that “love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
Another thing love does is protect (1 Corinthians 13:7). Love does not cover over a multitude of sin by sweeping matters under the rug. Some have appealed to the forgiving nature of love in their attempt to hide indiscretion. For example, rather than report child abuse, a church might cover it up. This is not what true love does. Love protects by helping both the victim and the offender, and it also strives to prevent further offenses.
Love covering sin also does not mean we disregard our own emotions or ignore our personal boundaries. We cannot “cover” sin by denying that it hurt us. We cover sin by acknowledging it and then extending the forgiveness God has given us to others.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7). Another way that love covers over a multitude of sins is choosing not to take offense at everything. Some sins against us are not worth confronting. Personal slights, snide or ignorant remarks, and minor annoyances can be easily forgiven for the sake of love. Proverbs 19:11 says, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” If we are patient, not envious or self-seeking, we are much less likely to even take offense. Acting in love means we put others before ourselves. Love can cover a multitude of sin in that, when we act in true love, we are prone to overlook minor offenses, tolerate the provocations, and forgive the sin.
The apostle Paul refers to the law of sin and death in Romans 8:1–2: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” What is the “law of sin and death”?
In these verses, Paul contrasts two laws: the law of the Spirit and the law of sin and death. The law of the Spirit is the gospel or good news of Jesus, the message of new life through faith in the resurrected Christ. The law of sin and death is the Old Testament Law of God. The Law is holy, just and good (Romans 7:12), but, because we cannot keep God’s Law on our own, the result is only sin and death for those under the Law.
Romans 7:5 explains Paul’s focus on the Law as leading to sin and death: “For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.” In contrast, the “way” or law of the Spirit is noted in Romans 7:6: “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” The Law itself is not sinful (Romans 7:7). However, the Law defined sin and stirred up our natural rebellion against God’s rules, resulting in sin and death.
Romans 7:10–11 speaks of how sin, death, and the Law are connected: “I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.” This death refers to spiritual separation from God. Shackled by our depraved nature, we naturally opposed the Law, and we found that God’s life-giving Word served only to sentence us to death. It is because of this that Paul can refer to the Law as the “law of sin and death.”
The conclusion of Romans 7 shows the need of the gospel to deliver us from the consequences of sin under the Law: “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:22–25).
The next chapter, Romans 8, begins by declaring there is no longer any condemnation or judgment for those who are in Christ. We have been released from the law of sin and death. Paul’s argument from Romans 7 transitions in Romans 8 to a rejoicing over the change the gospel makes in the lives of those who believe in Jesus. The chapter concludes by confirming, in the strongest terms possible, that believers can never be separated from God’s love: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39).
The saying “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” is part of a larger passage (Matthew 11:28–30), in which Jesus tells all who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest. He isn’t speaking here of physical burdens. Rather, it was the heavy burden of the system of works that the Pharisees laid on the backs of the people that Jesus was offering to relieve. Later on in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus will rebuke the Pharisees for laying heavy burdens on the shoulders of the people (Matthew 23:4).
The “yoke of the Pharisees” is the burdensome yoke of self-righteousness and legalistic law-keeping. It has been said by biblical scholars that the Pharisees had added over 600 regulations regarding what qualified as “working” on the Sabbath. That is a heavy burden! Recall the story of the lawyer who asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment of the Law (Matthew 22:36). You can almost read between the lines of the man’s question: “What law, of all the laws we have, do I absolutely have to keep?”
Jesus was saying that any kind of law-keeping is burdensome and amounts to a “heavy yoke” of oppression because no amount of law-keeping can bridge the gap between our sinfulness and God’s holiness. God says through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah that all of our righteous deeds are like a “polluted garment,” and Paul reiterated to the Romans that “no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law” (Romans 3:20). The good news is that Jesus promises to all who come to Him that He will give them rest from the heavy burden of trying to earn their way into heaven and rest from the oppressive yoke of self-righteousness and legalism. Jesus encourages those who are “heavy laden” to take His yoke upon them, and in so doing they will find rest for their souls. The yoke of Jesus is light and easy to carry because it is the yoke of repentance and faith followed by a singular commitment to follow Him. As the apostle John says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
This is what Jesus says in Matthew 11:30. His yoke is easy and His burden light. Now, we might think that there is really no difference between the commandments of Jesus and the Jewish Law. Isn’t the same God responsible for both? Technically speaking, yes. If anything, one might argue that the commands of Jesus are even more burdensome because His reformulation of the Mosaic Law in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7) actually goes above and beyond a mere outward conformity to the Law and deals instead with the inner person.
What makes Jesus’ yoke easy and His burden light is that in Jesus’ own active obedience (i.e., His perfect fulfillment of the Law of God), He carried the burden that we were meant to carry. His perfect obedience is applied (imputed) to us through faith, just as His righteousness was exchanged for our sin at the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our obedience to Jesus then becomes our “spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). Furthermore, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit who works in our lives to mold us into the image of Christ, thereby making the yoke of Jesus easy and His burden light. The life lived by faith is a much lighter yoke and a much easier burden to carry than the heavy and burdensome yoke of self-righteousness under which some continually strive to make themselves acceptable to God through works.
Galatians 6:2 states, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (emphasis added). What exactly is the law of Christ, and how is it fulfilled by carrying each other’s burdens? While the law of Christ is also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9:21, the Bible nowhere specifically defines what precisely is the law of Christ. However, most Bible teachers understand the law of Christ to be what Christ stated were the greatest commandments in Mark 12:28–31, “‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’”
The law of Christ, then, is to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. In Mark 12:32–33, the scribe who asked Jesus the question responds with, “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” In this, Jesus and the scribe agreed that those two commands are the core of the entire Old Testament Law. All of the Old Testament Law can be placed in the category of “loving God” or “loving your neighbor.”
Various New Testament scriptures state that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Law, bringing it to completion and conclusion (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23–25; Ephesians 2:15). In place of the Old Testament Law, Christians are to obey the law of Christ. Rather than trying to remember the over 600 individual commandments in the Old Testament Law, Christians are simply to focus on loving God and loving others. If Christians would truly and wholeheartedly obey those two commands, we would be fulfilling everything that God requires of us.
Christ freed us from the bondage of the hundreds of commands in the Old Testament Law and instead calls on us to love. First John 4:7–8 declares, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” First John 5:3 continues, “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.”
Some use the fact that we are not under the Old Testament Law as an excuse to sin. The apostle Paul addresses this very issue in Romans. “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:15). For the follower of Christ, the avoidance of sin is to be accomplished out of love for God and love for others. Love is to be our motivation. When we recognize the value of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, our response is to be love, gratitude, and obedience. When we understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us and others, our response is to be to follow His example in expressing love to others. Our motivation for overcoming sin should be love, not a desire to legalistically obey a series of commandments. We are to obey the law of Christ because we love Him, not so that we can check off a list of commands that we successfully obeyed.
As Jesus gets ready to send out His twelve apostles to continue the work of advancing His Father’s kingdom, He prepares them for an onslaught of extreme persecution (Matthew 10:16–25). Knowing their hearts are filled with trepidation, He comforts and encourages them (Matthew 10:26–33). One urgent and undeniable concern of these soon-to-be-tested disciples is their fear of physical harm and death. In addressing the matter, Jesus asks them, “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29–31, HCSB).
Jesus reinforces a previous lesson about the Father’s provision and care for their bodily concerns: “Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?” (Matthew 6:25–26, HCSB). If the Father takes care of seemingly insignificant creatures like the birds of the sky and tiny sparrows, how much more care and concern will He demonstrate for His beloved children, who are made in God’s own image?
Jesus mentions the price of sparrows sold in the market. In Luke’s account, He asks, “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them” (Luke 12:6, NLT). One copper coin was equivalent to less than a penny today. Sparrows, the typical food of the poor, were cheap. While Jesus underscores the birds’ insignificance, He emphasizes His disciples’ great worth. The Father cares so intimately for His followers that He even knows the number of hairs on their heads. If God looks out for the least and humblest of His creatures so that “not one of them falls to the ground” without His consent, how much more vigilantly will He tend to His kingdom servants? This lesser-to-greater reasoning was a standard teaching tool among rabbis. Jesus used it again in Matthew 12:12 to show the value of humans over animals in God’s sight.
The disciples would have nothing to fear with their sovereign Lord and loving Father to support them on their mission. God’s providence is so all-encompassing that not even a single sparrow can fall to the ground without Him knowing it. God is in control of the biggest, most frightening events of our lives as well as the tiniest minutia. Even if we suffer as His servants and die, we can trust that nothing happens to us outside God’s control, will, and plan (Romans 8:17, 28; Ephesians 1:11).
Jesus says we are worth more than many sparrows because God’s servants are highly valued. We are His beloved and treasured children (1 John 3:1; John 1:12–13; 2 Corinthians 6:17–18; Galatians 3:26). We are chosen by God, adopted into His family through Jesus Christ, and recipients of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:4–6; see also 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2:13). He purchased us not with “mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (1 Peter 1:18–19, NLT). A sparrow could be bought with a penny, but the high price God paid for our redemption was the blood of His own Son (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 6:20). So great is God’s love for us that He gave His one and only Son to die for us and claim us as His own (Romans 5:8; see also Romans 8:31–39; John 3:16–17).
Not only are we worth more than many sparrows, but God considers us His “masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT). We are not inconsequential or expendable in God’s eyes. We are His most priceless and valuable works of art, “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). God, who created us in His own image and likeness, sees us as the crowning work of His creation (Genesis 1:26–27; 5:1; 9:6; James 3:9). Armed with this assurance, we like the apostles can go wherever the Lord sends us, and, despite opposition, we can walk confidently in God’s loving care as we accomplish the good things He has planned for us to do.
Peter writes to encourage and admonish believers suffering terrible persecution. He emphasizes his gratitude for Christ’s mercy, resurrection, and salvation. In Christ we have an eternal inheritance, a living hope, and an inexpressible joy. He reminds believers that their suffering and trials are temporary and serve to strengthen and refine their faith (1 Peter 1:6–7). Following this introduction, Peter makes an interesting statement regarding both prophets and angels:
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things (1 Peter 1:10–12).
Peter reminds the New Testament believers that they are the recipients of the prophets’ scrupulous documentation and attention to Christ’s redemption. Even as they wrote of the Messiah’s suffering and glorification, the prophets did not fully understand what would happen or when it would happen. They desired to know the object to which Scripture pointed. New Testament believers now understand the gospel and the salvation about which the prophets had spoken.
Peter then says something unexpected about the angels: “Even angels long to look into these things.” That is, they are curious about the gospel and how and why it was procured. The angels live in the presence of God, so why would they be interested in human salvation (Matthew 18:10; 22:30)?
Believers in Jesus Christ understand what it is like to be dead in sin and alienated from God (Ephesians 2:1–3). They also understand the overwhelming grace and mercy shown in Christ dying the death they deserve (Ephesians 2:13). They are adopted into the family of God, and their relationship with God is redeemed (Romans 8:14–17). Angels, on the other hand, do not know the sweetness of redemption. They have no experiential knowledge of grace and salvation. Angels in heaven have not been separated from God, nor have they personally known reconciliation or the depth of intimacy that follows. It is a foreign concept that piques their curiosity. The Greek word for “to look into” means “to physically stoop down, peer intently, and inspect curiously.” Over the course of human history, angels have had a front row seat in watching God’s redemptive work with humanity (1 Timothy 3:16). The book of Hebrews describes them as “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14, ESV). They are amazed by salvation and lean in attentively, longing to understand its mysteries.
It is important to note that the angels who disobeyed God are not restored or redeemed like humanity. The Son of God became a man to redeem humanity; He did not become an angel to redeem the heavenly host. Angels cannot fully understand salvation, as it is not for them.
In the book of Exodus, we see further evidence of angelic interest in God’s mercy. God commands that the cherubim on the lid of the ark of the covenant were “to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover” (Exodus 25:20; cf. Numbers 7:89; 1 Kings 8:7–8; Hebrews 9:5). The mercy seat represents God’s throne; it is where His presence dwelt and the blood of the atonement was offered for sin. The gold cherubim on the ark were placed as if gazing upon God’s redemptive purposes. In 1 Peter, angels long to understand the immeasurable joy found in Christ’s atonement for sin.
The fact that angels long to look into things pertaining to our salvation is a poignant reminder of what a precious gift salvation is. May we long for salvation and cherish the wonder of redemption!
In 1 Peter 1:3–12, the apostle Peter delivers an uplifting sermon about our salvation in Jesus Christ. Peter wants his audience to understand the importance of faith. He says that faith is “tested by fire” (verse 7, NKJV) in order to prove its genuineness.
In the same context, Peter says that, through faith, God protects us by His power until we receive the fullness of salvation and our eternal inheritance (verse 5). This “priceless inheritance” is secure and “beyond the reach of change or decay” (verse 4, NLT). We can rejoice, knowing that joy awaits us, explained Peter. But in the meantime, we “must endure many trials” (verse 6, NLT).
The believer’s faith is “tested by fire” through trials for a specific purpose: “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:7, NLT). Peter asserts that trials serve to authenticate our faith by deepening it and strengthening our commitment to Jesus.
Testing by fire is part of the metalworker’s process to determine the quality of metal and remove all impurities. A goldsmith or silversmith must repeatedly heat the raw metals to extremely high temperatures until they melt. The contaminants rise to the surface in this liquid state and are skimmed off. Only after this refining process of separating the precious elements from the dross can a pure, valuable, and useful object be formed.
The Bible contains many references to God as the refiner who tests His people’s hearts in the fire of adversity. When Peter penned his message, he may have had the suffering of Job in mind. Amid his horrendous ordeal, Job said of God by faith, “He knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold” (Job 23:10, NLT).
Through the prophet Isaiah, God spoke to the remnant of Israel, “I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering” (Isaiah 48:10, NLT). To an end-times group of Jewish survivors, the Lord declared His purpose again: “I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God’” (Zechariah 13:9, NLT).
The Bible tells believers to live with the expectation of being tested by fire. If we are prepared to experience troubles in life, we won’t be so shaken when they come. Solomon observed with matter-of-factness, “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart” (Proverbs 17:3, NLT). The psalmist affirmed, “For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver” (Psalm 66:10).
If you find yourself asking, “Why God? Why are You allowing this suffering?” Remember this: being tested by fire will make you stronger and purer in faith as you remain steadfast through hardship. We can have hope and courage in the face of adversity if we understand that, through it all, God is working His purposes for our good (Romans 8:28). James held that a Christian who perseveres under trial is blessed “because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Faith that stays true through every fiery test is more valuable than the finest, purest gold.
In Romans 13, the apostle Paul is teaching believers what it means to live the Christian life of sacrifice. First, he speaks of living in submission to those in authority. Then, shifting to the theme of loving one’s fellow human, Paul makes this declaration: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). Similarly, in Galatians 5:14, Paul states, “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
The law Paul is talking about in these verses is the Law of Moses, which was given by God to Israel (Exodus 20—40; Leviticus 1–7; 23). The law included the Ten Commandments and all the moral, ceremonial, and civil regulations that governed the life of the people of Israel in their covenant relationship with God. Paul indicates that the entire law can be summed up in one operative word—love. Believers can fulfill every demand of the Mosaic Law by loving others. The only legitimate debt and the one debt Christians can never fully repay is the ongoing obligation to love one another: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Paul illuminates the truth that love is at the core of the law. The love command—“love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18)—is at the heart of the law of Christ: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2; see also 1 Corinthians 9:20–21). James calls the command to love your neighbor as yourself the royal law: “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right” (James 2:8).
The law has always pointed to Jesus Christ: “For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God” (Romans 10:4, NLT). The Law of Moses is something humans are incapable of keeping (Galatians 3:10). We cannot meet the demands of the law in our own power (Galatians 3:24; Romans 8:4; 10:4). Our Savior, the Lord Jesus, fulfilled the law perfectly and provided His righteousness in exchange for our sin (see Matthew 5:17).
By faith we believe and accept that Jesus Christ bore the curse of the law when He died on the cross. And through Him we receive the Holy Spirit, who enables us to keep the divine law of love: “Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law” (Romans 13:10, NLT). Now, instead of worrying about what we can never do, namely, keeping the law, we are free to yield to the Spirit and allow Him to love through us.
One day when Jesus was teaching the crowds, a Pharisee asked Him, “What is the greatest commandment of the law?” Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37–40). Christians now satisfy all the demands of the law by loving God first and then loving others.
It is impossible to love God and not love people. God’s heart, His very nature, is love. If the Spirit of God dwells in us, His love will flow through us to others (1 John 3:10, 14, 16; 4:2–20). Our love for God will cause us to see people as God sees them and love them as God does.
Finally, it’s vital to understand what the Scriptures mean by “love” in these verses. Love that fulfills the law is agape love. This love is not based on emotions, but an act of the will. It is self-sacrificing, deliberate, active love. To love someone with God’s love is to promote that person’s best interests—to actively work not to harm but to bring good to that person. This love is directed not only toward fellow believers but to all people, even our enemies. Regardless of our emotional response to another person, agape love will act for his or her good, regardless of the cost. That is the kind of love Scripture speaks of when it says to love your neighbor as yourself. That kind of love is the fulfillment of the law.
First Peter 4:8 says,
“Above all,
love each other deeply,
because love
covers over
a multitude of sins.”
Proverbs 10:12 says,
“Hatred stirs up conflict,
but
love covers
over all wrongs.”
In what way does love cover sin?
To “cover” sin
is to forgive it,
and
forgiveness is associated
with love
The best example of a
love that covers sin is Jesus’
sacrificial death
on our behalf.
Jesus’ prayer from the cross,
“Father, forgive them,” says it all
(Luke 23:34).
Jesus’ bearing of our iniquities was an undeniable act of love
(Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10).
The writer to the Hebrews talks about the arrangement of the tabernacle of the Old Testament. The tabernacle was the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites from the time of their wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt to the building of the temple in Jerusalem (see Exodus 25–27). Within the tabernacle was the ark of the covenant which included the mercy seat (Hebrews 9:3-5 NKJV).
The ark of the covenant, the chest containing the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, was the most sacred object of the tabernacle and later in the temple in Jerusalem, where it was placed in an inner area called the Holy of Holies. Also within the ark were the golden pot of manna, such as was provided by God in the wilderness wanderings (Exodus 16:4) and Aaron’s almond rod (Numbers 17:1-13). On top of the ark was a lid called the mercy seat on which rested the cloud or visible symbol of the divine presence. Here God was supposed to be seated, and from this place He was supposed to dispense mercy to man when the blood of the atonement was sprinkled there.
In a manner of speaking, the mercy seat concealed the people of God from the ever-condemning judgment of the Law. Each year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of animals sacrificed for the atonement of the sins of God’s people. This blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. The point conveyed by this imagery is that it is only through the offering of blood that the condemnation of the Law could be taken away and violations of God’s laws covered.
The Greek word for “mercy seat” in Hebrews 9:5 is hilasterion, which means “that which makes expiation” or “propitiation.” It carries the idea of the removal of sin. In Ezekiel 43:13-15, the brazen altar of sacrifice is also called hilasterion (the propitiatory or mercy seat) in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) because of its association with the shedding of blood for sin.
What is the significance of this? In the New Testament, Christ Himself is designated as our “propitiation.” Paul explains this in his letter to the Romans: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed” (Romans 3:24-25 NKJV). What Paul is teaching here is that Jesus is the covering for sin, as shown by these Old Testament prophetic images. By means of His death, and our response to Christ through our faith in Him, all our sins are covered. Also, whenever believers sin, we may turn to Christ who continues to be the propitiation or covering for our sins (1 John 2:1, 4:10). This ties together the Old and New Testament concepts regarding the covering of sin as exemplified by the mercy-seat of God.
In fact, Jesus did more than just cover our sin; He did away with it completely (Hebrews 10:12–14)
In 1 Peter 4:8 the apostle is talking about interpersonal relationships. As believers we reflect the love of God by forgiving others. Jesus told His disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35). First Corinthians 13 tells us that love “keeps no record of wrongs” (verse 5). When we love each other, we are willing to forgive each other. Love covers sin in that it is willing to forgive.
Love also covers over a multitude of sins in that it does not gossip about sin. Rather than share the offenses of our brothers and sisters in Christ with anyone who will listen, we exercise discretion and restraint. Matthew 18:15–17 instructs us on the appropriate way to confront those who sin. James 5:19–20 says, “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” It is loving to speak truth to others regarding sin. First Corinthians 13:6 tells us that “love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
Another thing love does is protect (1 Corinthians 13:7). Love does not cover over a multitude of sin by sweeping matters under the rug. Some have appealed to the forgiving nature of love in their attempt to hide indiscretion. For example, rather than report child abuse, a church might cover it up. This is not what true love does. Love protects by helping both the victim and the offender, and it also strives to prevent further offenses.
Love covering sin also does not mean we disregard our own emotions or ignore our personal boundaries. We cannot “cover” sin by denying that it hurt us. We cover sin by acknowledging it and then extending the forgiveness God has given us to others.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7). Another way that love covers over a multitude of sins is choosing not to take offense at everything. Some sins against us are not worth confronting. Personal slights, snide or ignorant remarks, and minor annoyances can be easily forgiven for the sake of love. Proverbs 19:11 says, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” If we are patient, not envious or self-seeking, we are much less likely to even take offense. Acting in love means we put others before ourselves. Love can cover a multitude of sin in that, when we act in true love, we are prone to overlook minor offenses, tolerate the provocations, and forgive the sin.
The apostle Paul refers to the law of sin and death in Romans 8:1–2: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” What is the “law of sin and death”?
In these verses, Paul contrasts two laws: the law of the Spirit and the law of sin and death. The law of the Spirit is the gospel or good news of Jesus, the message of new life through faith in the resurrected Christ. The law of sin and death is the Old Testament Law of God. The Law is holy, just and good (Romans 7:12), but, because we cannot keep God’s Law on our own, the result is only sin and death for those under the Law.
Romans 7:5 explains Paul’s focus on the Law as leading to sin and death: “For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.” In contrast, the “way” or law of the Spirit is noted in Romans 7:6: “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” The Law itself is not sinful (Romans 7:7). However, the Law defined sin and stirred up our natural rebellion against God’s rules, resulting in sin and death.
Romans 7:10–11 speaks of how sin, death, and the Law are connected: “I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.” This death refers to spiritual separation from God. Shackled by our depraved nature, we naturally opposed the Law, and we found that God’s life-giving Word served only to sentence us to death. It is because of this that Paul can refer to the Law as the “law of sin and death.”
The conclusion of Romans 7 shows the need of the gospel to deliver us from the consequences of sin under the Law: “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:22–25).
The next chapter, Romans 8, begins by declaring there is no longer any condemnation or judgment for those who are in Christ. We have been released from the law of sin and death. Paul’s argument from Romans 7 transitions in Romans 8 to a rejoicing over the change the gospel makes in the lives of those who believe in Jesus. The chapter concludes by confirming, in the strongest terms possible, that believers can never be separated from God’s love: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39).
The saying “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” is part of a larger passage (Matthew 11:28–30), in which Jesus tells all who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest. He isn’t speaking here of physical burdens. Rather, it was the heavy burden of the system of works that the Pharisees laid on the backs of the people that Jesus was offering to relieve. Later on in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus will rebuke the Pharisees for laying heavy burdens on the shoulders of the people (Matthew 23:4).
The “yoke of the Pharisees” is the burdensome yoke of self-righteousness and legalistic law-keeping. It has been said by biblical scholars that the Pharisees had added over 600 regulations regarding what qualified as “working” on the Sabbath. That is a heavy burden! Recall the story of the lawyer who asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment of the Law (Matthew 22:36). You can almost read between the lines of the man’s question: “What law, of all the laws we have, do I absolutely have to keep?”
Jesus was saying that any kind of law-keeping is burdensome and amounts to a “heavy yoke” of oppression because no amount of law-keeping can bridge the gap between our sinfulness and God’s holiness. God says through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah that all of our righteous deeds are like a “polluted garment,” and Paul reiterated to the Romans that “no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law” (Romans 3:20). The good news is that Jesus promises to all who come to Him that He will give them rest from the heavy burden of trying to earn their way into heaven and rest from the oppressive yoke of self-righteousness and legalism. Jesus encourages those who are “heavy laden” to take His yoke upon them, and in so doing they will find rest for their souls. The yoke of Jesus is light and easy to carry because it is the yoke of repentance and faith followed by a singular commitment to follow Him. As the apostle John says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
This is what Jesus says in Matthew 11:30. His yoke is easy and His burden light. Now, we might think that there is really no difference between the commandments of Jesus and the Jewish Law. Isn’t the same God responsible for both? Technically speaking, yes. If anything, one might argue that the commands of Jesus are even more burdensome because His reformulation of the Mosaic Law in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7) actually goes above and beyond a mere outward conformity to the Law and deals instead with the inner person.
What makes Jesus’ yoke easy and His burden light is that in Jesus’ own active obedience (i.e., His perfect fulfillment of the Law of God), He carried the burden that we were meant to carry. His perfect obedience is applied (imputed) to us through faith, just as His righteousness was exchanged for our sin at the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our obedience to Jesus then becomes our “spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). Furthermore, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit who works in our lives to mold us into the image of Christ, thereby making the yoke of Jesus easy and His burden light. The life lived by faith is a much lighter yoke and a much easier burden to carry than the heavy and burdensome yoke of self-righteousness under which some continually strive to make themselves acceptable to God through works.
Galatians 6:2 states, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (emphasis added). What exactly is the law of Christ, and how is it fulfilled by carrying each other’s burdens? While the law of Christ is also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9:21, the Bible nowhere specifically defines what precisely is the law of Christ. However, most Bible teachers understand the law of Christ to be what Christ stated were the greatest commandments in Mark 12:28–31, “‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’”
The law of Christ, then, is to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. In Mark 12:32–33, the scribe who asked Jesus the question responds with, “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” In this, Jesus and the scribe agreed that those two commands are the core of the entire Old Testament Law. All of the Old Testament Law can be placed in the category of “loving God” or “loving your neighbor.”
Various New Testament scriptures state that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Law, bringing it to completion and conclusion (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23–25; Ephesians 2:15). In place of the Old Testament Law, Christians are to obey the law of Christ. Rather than trying to remember the over 600 individual commandments in the Old Testament Law, Christians are simply to focus on loving God and loving others. If Christians would truly and wholeheartedly obey those two commands, we would be fulfilling everything that God requires of us.
Christ freed us from the bondage of the hundreds of commands in the Old Testament Law and instead calls on us to love. First John 4:7–8 declares, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” First John 5:3 continues, “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.”
Some use the fact that we are not under the Old Testament Law as an excuse to sin. The apostle Paul addresses this very issue in Romans. “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:15). For the follower of Christ, the avoidance of sin is to be accomplished out of love for God and love for others. Love is to be our motivation. When we recognize the value of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, our response is to be love, gratitude, and obedience. When we understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us and others, our response is to be to follow His example in expressing love to others. Our motivation for overcoming sin should be love, not a desire to legalistically obey a series of commandments. We are to obey the law of Christ because we love Him, not so that we can check off a list of commands that we successfully obeyed.
As Jesus gets ready to send out His twelve apostles to continue the work of advancing His Father’s kingdom, He prepares them for an onslaught of extreme persecution (Matthew 10:16–25). Knowing their hearts are filled with trepidation, He comforts and encourages them (Matthew 10:26–33). One urgent and undeniable concern of these soon-to-be-tested disciples is their fear of physical harm and death. In addressing the matter, Jesus asks them, “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29–31, HCSB).
Jesus reinforces a previous lesson about the Father’s provision and care for their bodily concerns: “Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?” (Matthew 6:25–26, HCSB). If the Father takes care of seemingly insignificant creatures like the birds of the sky and tiny sparrows, how much more care and concern will He demonstrate for His beloved children, who are made in God’s own image?
Jesus mentions the price of sparrows sold in the market. In Luke’s account, He asks, “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them” (Luke 12:6, NLT). One copper coin was equivalent to less than a penny today. Sparrows, the typical food of the poor, were cheap. While Jesus underscores the birds’ insignificance, He emphasizes His disciples’ great worth. The Father cares so intimately for His followers that He even knows the number of hairs on their heads. If God looks out for the least and humblest of His creatures so that “not one of them falls to the ground” without His consent, how much more vigilantly will He tend to His kingdom servants? This lesser-to-greater reasoning was a standard teaching tool among rabbis. Jesus used it again in Matthew 12:12 to show the value of humans over animals in God’s sight.
The disciples would have nothing to fear with their sovereign Lord and loving Father to support them on their mission. God’s providence is so all-encompassing that not even a single sparrow can fall to the ground without Him knowing it. God is in control of the biggest, most frightening events of our lives as well as the tiniest minutia. Even if we suffer as His servants and die, we can trust that nothing happens to us outside God’s control, will, and plan (Romans 8:17, 28; Ephesians 1:11).
Jesus says we are worth more than many sparrows because God’s servants are highly valued. We are His beloved and treasured children (1 John 3:1; John 1:12–13; 2 Corinthians 6:17–18; Galatians 3:26). We are chosen by God, adopted into His family through Jesus Christ, and recipients of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:4–6; see also 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2:13). He purchased us not with “mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (1 Peter 1:18–19, NLT). A sparrow could be bought with a penny, but the high price God paid for our redemption was the blood of His own Son (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 6:20). So great is God’s love for us that He gave His one and only Son to die for us and claim us as His own (Romans 5:8; see also Romans 8:31–39; John 3:16–17).
Not only are we worth more than many sparrows, but God considers us His “masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10, NLT). We are not inconsequential or expendable in God’s eyes. We are His most priceless and valuable works of art, “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). God, who created us in His own image and likeness, sees us as the crowning work of His creation (Genesis 1:26–27; 5:1; 9:6; James 3:9). Armed with this assurance, we like the apostles can go wherever the Lord sends us, and, despite opposition, we can walk confidently in God’s loving care as we accomplish the good things He has planned for us to do.
Peter writes to encourage and admonish believers suffering terrible persecution. He emphasizes his gratitude for Christ’s mercy, resurrection, and salvation. In Christ we have an eternal inheritance, a living hope, and an inexpressible joy. He reminds believers that their suffering and trials are temporary and serve to strengthen and refine their faith (1 Peter 1:6–7). Following this introduction, Peter makes an interesting statement regarding both prophets and angels:
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things (1 Peter 1:10–12).
Peter reminds the New Testament believers that they are the recipients of the prophets’ scrupulous documentation and attention to Christ’s redemption. Even as they wrote of the Messiah’s suffering and glorification, the prophets did not fully understand what would happen or when it would happen. They desired to know the object to which Scripture pointed. New Testament believers now understand the gospel and the salvation about which the prophets had spoken.
Peter then says something unexpected about the angels: “Even angels long to look into these things.” That is, they are curious about the gospel and how and why it was procured. The angels live in the presence of God, so why would they be interested in human salvation (Matthew 18:10; 22:30)?
Believers in Jesus Christ understand what it is like to be dead in sin and alienated from God (Ephesians 2:1–3). They also understand the overwhelming grace and mercy shown in Christ dying the death they deserve (Ephesians 2:13). They are adopted into the family of God, and their relationship with God is redeemed (Romans 8:14–17). Angels, on the other hand, do not know the sweetness of redemption. They have no experiential knowledge of grace and salvation. Angels in heaven have not been separated from God, nor have they personally known reconciliation or the depth of intimacy that follows. It is a foreign concept that piques their curiosity. The Greek word for “to look into” means “to physically stoop down, peer intently, and inspect curiously.” Over the course of human history, angels have had a front row seat in watching God’s redemptive work with humanity (1 Timothy 3:16). The book of Hebrews describes them as “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14, ESV). They are amazed by salvation and lean in attentively, longing to understand its mysteries.
It is important to note that the angels who disobeyed God are not restored or redeemed like humanity. The Son of God became a man to redeem humanity; He did not become an angel to redeem the heavenly host. Angels cannot fully understand salvation, as it is not for them.
In the book of Exodus, we see further evidence of angelic interest in God’s mercy. God commands that the cherubim on the lid of the ark of the covenant were “to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover” (Exodus 25:20; cf. Numbers 7:89; 1 Kings 8:7–8; Hebrews 9:5). The mercy seat represents God’s throne; it is where His presence dwelt and the blood of the atonement was offered for sin. The gold cherubim on the ark were placed as if gazing upon God’s redemptive purposes. In 1 Peter, angels long to understand the immeasurable joy found in Christ’s atonement for sin.
The fact that angels long to look into things pertaining to our salvation is a poignant reminder of what a precious gift salvation is. May we long for salvation and cherish the wonder of redemption!
In 1 Peter 1:3–12, the apostle Peter delivers an uplifting sermon about our salvation in Jesus Christ. Peter wants his audience to understand the importance of faith. He says that faith is “tested by fire” (verse 7, NKJV) in order to prove its genuineness.
In the same context, Peter says that, through faith, God protects us by His power until we receive the fullness of salvation and our eternal inheritance (verse 5). This “priceless inheritance” is secure and “beyond the reach of change or decay” (verse 4, NLT). We can rejoice, knowing that joy awaits us, explained Peter. But in the meantime, we “must endure many trials” (verse 6, NLT).
The believer’s faith is “tested by fire” through trials for a specific purpose: “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:7, NLT). Peter asserts that trials serve to authenticate our faith by deepening it and strengthening our commitment to Jesus.
Testing by fire is part of the metalworker’s process to determine the quality of metal and remove all impurities. A goldsmith or silversmith must repeatedly heat the raw metals to extremely high temperatures until they melt. The contaminants rise to the surface in this liquid state and are skimmed off. Only after this refining process of separating the precious elements from the dross can a pure, valuable, and useful object be formed.
The Bible contains many references to God as the refiner who tests His people’s hearts in the fire of adversity. When Peter penned his message, he may have had the suffering of Job in mind. Amid his horrendous ordeal, Job said of God by faith, “He knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold” (Job 23:10, NLT).
Through the prophet Isaiah, God spoke to the remnant of Israel, “I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering” (Isaiah 48:10, NLT). To an end-times group of Jewish survivors, the Lord declared His purpose again: “I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God’” (Zechariah 13:9, NLT).
The Bible tells believers to live with the expectation of being tested by fire. If we are prepared to experience troubles in life, we won’t be so shaken when they come. Solomon observed with matter-of-factness, “Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart” (Proverbs 17:3, NLT). The psalmist affirmed, “For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver” (Psalm 66:10).
If you find yourself asking, “Why God? Why are You allowing this suffering?” Remember this: being tested by fire will make you stronger and purer in faith as you remain steadfast through hardship. We can have hope and courage in the face of adversity if we understand that, through it all, God is working His purposes for our good (Romans 8:28). James held that a Christian who perseveres under trial is blessed “because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Faith that stays true through every fiery test is more valuable than the finest, purest gold.
In Romans 13, the apostle Paul is teaching believers what it means to live the Christian life of sacrifice. First, he speaks of living in submission to those in authority. Then, shifting to the theme of loving one’s fellow human, Paul makes this declaration: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). Similarly, in Galatians 5:14, Paul states, “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
The law Paul is talking about in these verses is the Law of Moses, which was given by God to Israel (Exodus 20—40; Leviticus 1–7; 23). The law included the Ten Commandments and all the moral, ceremonial, and civil regulations that governed the life of the people of Israel in their covenant relationship with God. Paul indicates that the entire law can be summed up in one operative word—love. Believers can fulfill every demand of the Mosaic Law by loving others. The only legitimate debt and the one debt Christians can never fully repay is the ongoing obligation to love one another: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Paul illuminates the truth that love is at the core of the law. The love command—“love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18)—is at the heart of the law of Christ: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2; see also 1 Corinthians 9:20–21). James calls the command to love your neighbor as yourself the royal law: “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right” (James 2:8).
The law has always pointed to Jesus Christ: “For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God” (Romans 10:4, NLT). The Law of Moses is something humans are incapable of keeping (Galatians 3:10). We cannot meet the demands of the law in our own power (Galatians 3:24; Romans 8:4; 10:4). Our Savior, the Lord Jesus, fulfilled the law perfectly and provided His righteousness in exchange for our sin (see Matthew 5:17).
By faith we believe and accept that Jesus Christ bore the curse of the law when He died on the cross. And through Him we receive the Holy Spirit, who enables us to keep the divine law of love: “Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law” (Romans 13:10, NLT). Now, instead of worrying about what we can never do, namely, keeping the law, we are free to yield to the Spirit and allow Him to love through us.
One day when Jesus was teaching the crowds, a Pharisee asked Him, “What is the greatest commandment of the law?” Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37–40). Christians now satisfy all the demands of the law by loving God first and then loving others.
It is impossible to love God and not love people. God’s heart, His very nature, is love. If the Spirit of God dwells in us, His love will flow through us to others (1 John 3:10, 14, 16; 4:2–20). Our love for God will cause us to see people as God sees them and love them as God does.
Finally, it’s vital to understand what the Scriptures mean by “love” in these verses. Love that fulfills the law is agape love. This love is not based on emotions, but an act of the will. It is self-sacrificing, deliberate, active love. To love someone with God’s love is to promote that person’s best interests—to actively work not to harm but to bring good to that person. This love is directed not only toward fellow believers but to all people, even our enemies. Regardless of our emotional response to another person, agape love will act for his or her good, regardless of the cost. That is the kind of love Scripture speaks of when it says to love your neighbor as yourself. That kind of love is the fulfillment of the law.