In other words, will love be it’s very best when it is constrained by the law? Or is love itself the means of constraint by which we remain faithful and true to God and one another?

If we live as believers in a constant state of vigilance making sure we do not violate the law, is this how we fulfill the instruction Jesus gave to Israel to love God and one another? Is this the way we are supposed to come to and live in our life with Jesus?

There are clues all over the old and New Testament given for us so that we will know exactly how to relate to God and to one another. But, the question I am considering here is does the believer need to know anything about the law to keep it?

Certainly Paul thought otherwise. Showing this in Rom.2 when he said “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves.” How so? Because they “15 shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.”

Here we see the gentile who has not the law being a law unto themselves. How? By doing unto others as they would have others do to them. The way Jesus said love should be done. Ands what He also said is the fulfillment of all the law.

Israel certainly was vigilant about keeping it. From the time they were born every effort was made to memorize and to know intimately what it meant to keep the law. It was all they thought about during every waking moment. It was part of a covenant God had made with them that brought either blessing or cursing depending upon its adherence. Even death and life.

But, is this what God expects from believers today? We hear all the time from preachers that are supposed to know that we are not under the law but we must still keep it. But, how could we do this if we don’t know the law intimately as the Israelite who was under it did? It would be impossible.

We would therefore have to eat, sleep, and drink the law continually just as they did to be familiar enough with it to know if we are keeping it. Otherwise when we are not on our guard even for a moment we might be breaking one of them unaware.

Some say this is why Jesus came. So that when we mess up and break one of these laws we can go to Him for forgiveness. Saying that this is what 1John1:9 means when it says “9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Meaning to them that this is how we deal with sin when we break one of the laws God gave Israel through Moses. And that if we don’t do this every day if even just one sin gets by without confessing it it is cause to send the believer to hell.

And that this is why John said before and after vs.9 that “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” And “10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” This to them shows absolutely that everyone sins every day continually because they can’t help it. They say it’s what their nature makes them do.

But, if this is what is meant by what John wrote here then we have a problem with what he wrote just a little further along in this letter when he says, “3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

There is some pretty strong language in these verses that seem to contradict what many preachers say John meant when he wrote about confessing sin in ch.1. In fact, if what John said in ch.1 is to be understood as an indictment against all men saying they all have sinned and must sin continually. Then what John says here in ch.3 is certainly a contradiction.

Because here John tells us that those who sin even once are “of the devil”, and do not abide in Him, is a transgressor of the law, and are not born of God. While in ch.1 preachers tell us that John is teaching them that the believer sins continually. And if he denies that he sins continually he is a liar and the truth is not in him.

What a conundrum those who teach this way place themselves and those who believe them in. They have bound themselves to sin with no hope of relief. Except by continually coming back to Jesus over and over again day after day asking for forgiveness. Even for sins they don’t know they did. Because in their minds of course they are always committing some sin.

Because in their mind if they say they didn’t sin they are liars and the truth is not in them. They are sinners by nature after all. They can not stop sinning if they wanted to because it is their nature to do so.

Are you beginning to see the problem with believing that we who have believed in Jesus for eternal life are not under the law but we must still keep the law? By keeping the law as our constant focus and measure to show that we are loving God. We put ourselves under it every bit as much as Israel was in the old covenant.

And by doing this we make all the cursings for disobedience and blessings for obedience the measure of our being saved or not. So that, and hear me now, I want you to get this, works become the measure of our salvation. They become the measure that determines for us whether or not we are in relationship with God.

So that we see salvation as a matter of law keeping rather than believing. As a matter of works rather than faith. Which also causes us to look at others this way. Saying this one is saved because look at how good his works are. And that one is not because look how bad his works are.

Bringing us under the condemnation Jesus spoke of when He taught Israel saying “Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

So if you are judging by the works of the law then you will be judged by those works. And those works, no matter how well you keep them, can never give life. So keeping them blameless as Zachariah and Elizabeth did, if that is what your trust is in, will still land you in the lake of fire.

What we should be doing is hearing, not seeing, the fruit they produce that shows whether they are saved or not. Hearing because Jesus said “by thy words ye shall be justified. And by thy words ye shall be condemned.” So that it is words, not works, that is the fruit a person produces that shows he is saved or not. That shows the mote in someone’s eye as they judge others for having a splinter.

So what’s this got to do with law keeping and love? Everything. Because when we believe that keeping the law is how we love God our salvation will be measured by the works we do. But, when we know that the law has no place at all in the believer’s life our salvation will be measured by the love we have for God and one another.

Which is also the key to understanding the conundrum of 1John1:8-10, and its corresponding teaching in 1John3-9 we spoke of earlier. Because if we understand the difference between sins under the law and sin in this dispensation, we will not have these passages contradicting one another. As those who believe the doctrine of original sin and sin nature do.

Old covenant sin was defined by the law. New covenant sin is defined by faith. Under the law sin is its transgression just as John said in 1John3:4. But, in this dispensation Jesus defines sin as unbelief(John16:9). So that if we believe in Him for eternal life we do not sin. But, if we do not believe in Him for eternal life this is sin.

So that what we are seeing in 1John1 is John telling the Jew that he must confess his sins while under the law and apart from Christ to be cleansed from all unrighteousness. Which is to be cleansed of his unbelief because to believe in Jesus for eternal life is righteousness.

And what we are seeing in 1John3 is that those who “abide” in Christ by believing in Him for eternal life “can not sin” because sin is as Jesus defined it, “they believe not on me.” And now that he has believed in Jesus for eternal life he can not not believe in Him. Therefore he “can not sin.”

So we do not define sin by the law. We define sin as not believing in Jesus. And we do not measure our salvation by works. Our salvation is measured by our belief in Jesus for eternal life. Which is the same thing as saying by our abiding in Him as John said in 1John3:6.

Now remember, we are talking about what the law is to love. And I hope that you are seeing that while love and law are not enemies. They can be friendly combatants.

Because to focus on the law is to focus on our own efforts as the means by which we are saved. While a focus on love causes us to always see our relationship with Jesus without any regard to law keeping as the means by which we are saved.

The law was given to Israel to show them what love looks like even when they could not love as God does. Its purpose was to keep them from destroying themselves before messiah could come through their bloodline. Read Gal.3:19 for that.

As Gal.3:23,24 says the Israelites “were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” Because “the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” So if men are shut up unto the faith it is because they are trying to keep the law. And to be justified by faith one must be dead to the law.

To love as Jesus taught we must unhitch from any reference to law keeping. Because while keeping the law may in some ways appear to be loving. It falls short of God’s love in that it only goes so far as what we must not do. And does not have us do what must be done for it to be God’s kind of love. In the story of the Good Samaritan Jesus taught Israel that lesson.

And Paul said it this way in Rom.7. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

So how does Paul say God fixes Israel being in the flesh? By being dead to the law and instead joined with Jesus. So that in this relationship they will now “bring forth fruit unto God.”

Love must be free from the law to be fully expressed as Jesus said we must. The law places restraints on love as the story of the Good Samaritan showed that keeps us from loving as we should. That is, sacrificially. As in “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”

To love this way we will go through things that will teach us how. In Rom.5:1-5 Paul shares this way with us so that we know what is happening when we do. Saying that in the tribulations a believer goes through when remaining in faith toward God he will learn patience. And as we gain patience this gives us experience. And the experience we gain gives us hope.

And it is in this hope that we are not ashamed. Because now the tribulation, patience, and experience, and hope that every believer goes through is how God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

So what have we learned? We know that God loves us because He sacrificed Himself for us.

We know that law keeping is not an expression of love. Not for God or for one another.

We know that to love is sacrifice. Giving love to one another as Jesus has loved us.

First to be expressed in our immediate families. And then outward to others. Men loving their wives as Christ loves the believers and gave Himself for us. And women learning from the older women how to love their husbands. Provoking their children to love also. By admonishing them in the ways of the Lord.

We also learned that sin is defined differently in the old and new covenants. In the old it is defined as transgression of the law. In the new it is defined as they believe not on me.

So that if you define sin by the law you know you are in the wrong covenant. One that can not give life. But, leaves a man to live by the flesh where he can not bring forth fruit unto God.

This is a very important lesson to learn. And because most have been taught the old covenant definition of sin they are confused about how to love as we are taught in the new covenant.

And there are also some who have never been taught anything about God’s love. How He gave His only begotten Son. So that whosoever will believe in Him will have eternal life.

If you have heard this message and want God’s love to have eternal life, then confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus. And believe in your heart that He has raised from the dead. This is how men get saved.

Because with the heart man believes and is righteous. And with the mouth confession is made to be saved. Confessing belief in the Lord Jesus so that believing Him you are now saved.

Do this and you will become a new creation in Christ. A natural body with a spirit created by God that was never there before. Do this and you will be a child of God. And as His child an heir to His kingdom. This is how you inherit eternal life. And immortality. Do this… and I will see you there or in the air!