The Law of Love

Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.~ Romans 3:31

Paul stood at a critical juncture in that there were many different voices vying for ownership of the gospel. Romans can be seen primarily as a defence of, and a laying out of the essential tenets of the faith.

Justification by faith alone was absolutely central and pivotal to Paul's understanding.

There were voices calling for strict adherence to the law, as though faith were not enough, demanding such things as circumcision of gentile believers.

And then there were those who were calling for a complete abandonment of the same law, citing grace as the overriding principle and having licentious freedom in mind.

Paul addresses them both here.


Under law, not that most of us have ever felt we have been, we strive to please God and keep the commandments because we are afraid of him and terrified of the consequences of breaking them.

The law makes us conscious of our sin, and of our inability to meet God's standard. It makes us aware of sin but renders us imprisoned within it.  Paul iterates in Galatians 3 that the law was a custodian. a jailer, if you will;

Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. ~v23

But the purpose of this was really so that we would understand our need for a saviour, yes, our need for God himself.

So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.~v24-25

You can see the relationship has changed from prisoner to liberated son.

William Barclay says in his study guide to Romans;

"Up to this time the Jew had tried to be a good man and keep the commandments because he was afraid of God, and was terrified of the punishment that breaches of the law would bring. That day has forever gone, but what has taken its place is the love of God."

He goes on to say that the purpose of the law for a free man is not that they fear Gods punishment but that they want to 'strive to deserve that amazing love'. Because of this change of relationship with God, through Christ we do this not because we are afraid of him, but rather because we love him.

This quote from Barclay is one of my favourites. It lays out our new relationship with the Father in such great simplicity and cuts through our pretentions like a hot knife through butter.

"He knows that sin is not so much breaking God's law as it is breaking God's heart, and therefore it is doubly terrible"

And so the purpose of the law, and even it's righteousness is upheld in those who are justified by faith alone. They are legally made righteous, but also the pathway of sanctification of the heart, the turning of our emotions and lives back to God and his standards, has begun to be walked.

We know the cost of sin.

We know the price of love.

We love our rescuer, and in that love, both his for us and ours for him, we are changed forever.