(Matthew 22:37-40) “‘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.”

The commandment to love God covers the first 6 commandments given to Moses in Exodus. Love your neighbor covers the final 4. (Romans 13:8-10) Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

The love found from God and through the Holy Spirit removes the need for the laws given in the Old Testament. Jesus came to earth to bring about a new covenant that is not under the law. The new covenant involves the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers. The maturing of the spirit leads us to the ultimate goal of unconditional and perfect love found in 2 Peter 1:5-7. Love is culmination of the Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. Christ had to remove the law to allow room for love to flourish. The law creates judgement, love creates mercy. (James 2:13) Mercy triumphs over judgment. God is love. The Holy Spirit makes unconditional love possible in our sinful human form. The presence of perfect love does not allow sin or temptation to exist. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of God’s people makes the Old Testament law obsolete. The presence of love fills the voids of that law and proves how incomplete it was without the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin made evident in the law. Once we realize our need for a savior because adherence to the law is impossible, we can let go of its hold on us and live in God’s love, through Christ as we reflect that love back to God and to our neighbors.

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

(2 Peter 1:5-7)  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.