Saturday in the Word | The Law of Love

Earlier this week, I published some posts that reminded us of the importance of loving our neighbor.

In response to one recent post, one of my faithful followers, Dana, who blogs steadfastly at Regular Girl Devos, highlighted the Apostle Paul’s reminder in Galatians 5:14:

Galatians 5:14 (NIV)

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Apostle Paul doesn’t mince words. In one short sentence, he summarizes the heart of God’s moral law: LOVE.

All the commandments, all the moral expectations, all the dos and don’t’s culminate in one divine instruction:

Love your neighbor as yourself.

That’s not just a nice sentiment; it’s a radical way of life.

When Paul wrote this letter, he was addressing a church struggling with legalism. A legalist believes in and demands a strict literal adherence to rules and regulations. Naturally, Paul saw that some believers in Galatia were caught up in rule-keeping like believing that circumcision or ritual observance would make them righteous before God. It does not. Paul cut through all of their noise: righteousness isn’t earned by rituals—it’s lived out through love. Remember: we are saved by grace through faith, not by our works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

What does it look like to love our neighbor as ourselves?

To love your neighbor as yourself means seeing others as God sees them. It means we see others as Jesus sees them: human beings who are worthy of compassion, dignity, and care. It means we set aside our pride and prejudice, impatience and indifference, in favor of choosing empathy instead. In that way, love becomes more than a feeling, but a daily decision to walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh.

What does it mean to walk in the Spirit?

Our daily life as believers is often described as a walk. Walking in the Spirit means that we willingly surrender to His control daily and that we obediently follow His lead. Walking in the Spirit means that we willingly and cheerfully allow God to exert His influence over us. Walking in the Spirit is the direct opposite of resisting Him or grieving Him.

Why does it matter?

When we love our neighbor, we fulfill the intent that is behind every one of God’s commandments to us. When we love our neighbor, we bear witness to the presence of Christ within us. When we love our neighbor, we live in freedom, not in bondage or under the Law.

The question for us today is simple but deeply telling: Who is my neighbor?

Jesus answered that question in the Parable of the Good Samaritan through illustration rather than through definition. Our neighbor isn’t limited by proximity, race, or belief. Our neighbor crosses our path and needs our love and mercy, not our judgment or condemnation. Remember: we are either pointing people to Jesus or pushing them away.

So today, as you go about your life, run your errands, or participate in your local church, ask God to open your eyes to the people around you that He wants you to see. Who needs your love and mercy today? Who can you point to the Cross by lending a hand or providing a listening ear?

Consider asking the Lord to help you love not just in theory, but in real truth and action. When you and I love our neighbor, we are doing far more than being kind; we fulfill the law of God.

Moment of Reflection

Friend, who is God calling you to love today? How might your obedience to this one command reshape your relationships, your outlook, and your walk with Christ?