To help students think about the relationship between love and God's law, I would ask them, "How would you like to use the following for your wedding vows:
"I promise not to kill you, not to steal from you, not to cheat on you, not to swear at your parents. . . ."?
Not once did a student say, "Wow, that sounds great! Can you send me a copy for my wedding?". That's because these are negative legal statements, not positive promises of love.
Laws prohibit harm, whereas love promises good. Of course, you wouldn't want to marry someone who vowed to kill you or steal from you. But promising not to harm someone, would not give them much of a reason to marry you either. You should not harm anyone, of course, and you should promise lifelong love to only one person.
Today you may be asking, 'how do love and law work together?'. In Romans, the apostle Paul explains that we show love by serving and obeying the Lord, whose law reminds us and guides us to love God and love others.
Whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8).
Let's Pray
Yahweh, thank you for your love and your law. Father help us to love and obey you always, for Jesus' sake. Amen.