The Bond of Perfection...

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!—Galatians 5:13-15

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.—Romans 13:8-10

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.—Galatians 5:22-23

As Christians we now have the freedom not to sin. We stand justified before God...set free from both sin and sin’s penalty by the death and resurrection of Christ. We are now permanent recipients of God’s unmerited favor.  We stand in His grace, set apart to do His will and fulfill His purposes.  

We who have been saved by grace are to sin no longer!  We are to not use our freedom in Christ as a base to sin freely and without consequence, but are to use it as a platform from which to serve others in love. Colossians tells us we are to put on love which binds all of God’s people together in perfect harmony. 

Beloved, love covers, unifies and perfects. Love is the debt that is never paid. It is always owed.  Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love fulfills the law.

Praying today that by His Spirit all of what we do and say would be motivated by the love God’s Spirit has poured out in our hearts.   It is then that the fruit of the Spirit...godly attitudes that characterize the lives of those who belong to God... will be evident in your wake.  It is that simple and that difficult.  

love:  “One of several Greek words for love, agape is the love of choice, referring not to an emotional affection, physical attraction, or a familial bond, but to respect, devotion, and affection that leads to willing, self-sacrificial service”—J MacArthur

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, ESV)

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?  Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18, ESV)