Well, this day's sermon, is on love and law.  And, so you have these two props right before you.   And in order to look at the subject of love and law, I like us to watch a simple video clip that would explain a little bit about what real love is all about.

Video plays about a couple: Husband does not really display a helpful attitude to the wife at all.

Well, real love is not just about feelings, neither empty talk.  Real love is backed up with actions and deeds. And today, we are looking at love.   And love is something you could know, because you could see when people serve you and minister to you. We're looking at love today because we are called to be a people of love.

The Bible says, “Because God so loved us, we are to love others as well.”  And we come to Romans, chapter 13, it described to you, what love looks like. So, let me share with you, these verses, verses 8-10 where it says, “Owe no man 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 neighbour as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.  (Romans 13:8-10 ESV)

Love is not just about feelings, it's about the fulfilling of the law.  I like us this morning, just to focus on this phrase, “Love is the fulfilling of the law”. Very simple phrase, isn't it? “Love is the fulfilling of the law”, and in particular, we are just going to consider two words, ‘Love and Law’.

Now, how difficult can this get?  Love and law is just two words.  And what I am going to do this morning is to share with you, what love means, what law means.  And how they are both related to each other.

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You might be surprised, that love and law are closer than you would imagine. It sounds like they are very far apart.  It sounds like law is on one end and love is on the other end.  It sounds like they are the opposites.  But the reality, if we really look at the Bible, the teaching is that love and law is not far apart.  They are closer than you could imagine.

When I thought about love and law, I thought about the family I know about in GLCC.  This is a picture of brother, Melvyn.  He was here for the first service.  I have asked him permission for it.  And this is brother Melvyn, he has Linn as his wife and two kids, Mark and Paul.  Paul is the younger one and I show you a picture of Paul.  This is Paul, the younger boy.

Now, when you put Melvyn and Paul together, do you think they look alike? Do you think they look alike? Whoa, you are not very happy, you're not very convince. Okay, I tell you, they are truly father and son. They are truly father and son and they are close.  They are father and son. But, I remember a year ago, about a year ago, I was at their place, I saw a photo on the table.  And this photo showed Melvyn when he was younger, on the left side, as you look at the screen.

Does he look more like Paul now?  Yes, okay, maybe the hairstyle is not quite there.  So, let's cut it away and look at the features.  Do they look alike now? Yes, hey, they are closer than I had imagined to be.  When I saw the picture of who they really are, then I realized, they are not far apart.  They are really much closer.

I thought, in a way, it reminds me of love and law. When we don't understand them, they look far apart.  They look like opposites.  Law is the opposite of love and love is the opposite of law. But they are closer than we can imagine.  So, let me do this very simple thing.  Let me first explain to you the law, then let me explain to you love.  And let me try to show you the deep relationship between the two of them, alright?  You see them, that they are not enemies, they are friends.  In fact, they are not just friends, they are conjoined twins.  They can't quite have one without the other.

So, let's see first of all, the law?  What is the law? Well, the law, as you have read in Romans 13, refers to the ten commandments.  Right, the ten Commandments. I read this week, in 2007, in America, they did a survey.  They did a survey of familiarity of the ten commandments amongst Americans. So, they asked people on the streets, “Do you know the ten commandments?”  “Can you list the ten commandments?”  And they tried very hard and amazingly, they said, "People knew more about the ten ingredients of Big Mac, then they knew the ten commandments."

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Now, I am persuaded of better things from you.  So today, I like to us you, can you tell me the ten Commandments in sequence?  (Laughter in the congregation) Wow, I know big Mac burger, I know the patty, alright.  Okay,  let's not think about big Mac but the ten commandments. I give you ten seconds, in your own mind, can I recall the ten commandments in the right order?  Try it, ten seconds.

Hey, don't give up.  Try, try, then, you know really how much you know about the ten commandments. All right, ten seconds up.  Let's look at them together.

What is the first commandment? “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”.   Ah someone said in the first service, “Thou shall have no Gods.” (Laughter in the congregation) Wow, that is amazing!  Okay, “Thou shalt have no other gods beside me or before me.”  Alright, that's the first commandment.

Second commandment?  “Thou shalt not make unto thyself graven images.”  Number 3, “Do not take them name of the Lord, thy God in vain”.   Number 4, “Keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord”. Number 5, “Honour thy father and mother”. Number 6, “Thou shall not kill, or murder”.  Alright.  Number 7, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”. Number 8, “Ha, ha, ha ... Thou shall not steal”. Number 9, “Thou shall not bear false witness”. Number 10, “Thou shalt not covet”.

Wah, are you embarrassed? Hah, hah, I was, when I was looking at myself.  “Eh, actually I cannot remember, stealing is eight or nine, all things like that, alright.  So, I was not entirely that familiar.  But the law is important, is good, because it is from God. And I think, one of the reasons, why we're not so familiar about ten commandments, is because somehow we feel that it is not so important today.  Agree with me?

There is this thinking amongst Christians, that because Jesus came and He "graced" us.   He loved us, He gave us salvation, that we are today not under the law but under grace.  And therefore, the law is irrelevant. It's out of date.  It's old-fashioned.  It’s in the Old Testament.  “In fact, Pastor you should not teach too much about the law, because the law is opposite of grace.”  “You see, Moses gave us the law, but grace and truth came by Jesus, therefore, let's forget about the law.  It is irrelevant.  In fact, it is downright bad for you to teach about the law.”

I am reminded about this song by Bon Jovi.  You know Bon Jovi?  When I was growing up, Bon Jovi, “You Gave Love a Bad Name”, heard that before? YOU GAVE LOVE A BAD NAME... I think that's how he sang it (Laughter in the congregation). I give him a bad name, alright.  And I thought, those words are true if we sing it, “You give law a bad name.”   That's what churches are doing today.  “Aw, the law is irrelevant!”  We don't say it in those words, but we mean it in our hearts.  And the church members leave church services thinking, "Yah, the law is irrelevant!  It's bad!  We want grace.  We don't want the law.”  And we think that the law and love are like polar opposites.

What does God have to say about this?   What does Jesus had to say about the law?  Is it irrelevant?  Is it out of date?  Is it a downright bad? Hey, look at what our Saviour said in Matthew 5:17.  He said, "Do not think, I have come to abolish the law or the prophets, I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfil them".

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. (Matthew 5:17 ESV)

“Hey, it is not a bad thing.  I want to fulfil it.  That's my goal!”  The great apostle Paul, says in Romans 7:12, “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good”.

Now, we feel that it is bad, it condemns us. Frankly, if we look at the ten commandments, if there is no grace of God, we all stand condemned.  We will never ever match up to the absolute requirements of the ten commandments.  But in and of itself, it is good.  It is holy.  It is righteous.  The problem lies with us, not with the law.  Because the law is the expression of God's desire. Let me say this, “If you didn't catch it. I believe, the definition of the law or what the law is, is that it is the expression of God's desire.”

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The ten commandments are the expression of God's desire. It's good.  It's holy.  It's righteous.  Because that's who God is!  So, let's clear that little doubt, "The law is a bad thing." We have to use it wisely, we have to know it in the appropriate way.  But the law in and of itself is a great thing. So, this is the one thought I want to leave with you.  Dispense with the thought that the law is irrelevant or the opposite of grace.

By the way, the opposite of grace is not the law, the opposite of grace is the absence of grace. Wah, very "chim" (deep in Hokkien dialect), you will realize I have a lot more coming up later.  The opposite of grace is not the law, alright?  It’s the absence of grace. The law, it's actually a beautiful extension of grace, you will see that in a while.

But, let's move on to the next of this conjoined twins. And it is love. What is love?  What is love?  There is this song, right?  “What is love, Baby, don't hurt me.” Okay (Laughter in the congregation) Okay, What is love?  That’s the question people ask.   And if you are Chinese, you will say, “问世间情为何物”。[wèn shì jiān qíng  wèi hé wù]  What in the world is love? That’s what it is in Chinese.

So, what is love? Well, there is a lot of ways to describe love.  Poets have done it; authors have it; actresses and actors have said it. But I think the Bible gives me a very simple explanation of love.  In Romans 13:10, I'm going to put it in a different way, alright.  It says here, “Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

“Simply put.  Jason Lim, simple definition.”  I like simple definition. What love is?  You try to define it, I tell you not first what the definition is.  You try to define what love is, think in your mind, what is love? Most of us would start, 1 Corinthians 10:13, isn't it?  But that's not the definition of love, but that's the description of love. So, what's love?

Boiling it down to one sentence, you can criticize my definition, sure. I just want to give you something really simple.  You can add on to it later, but based on Romans 13:10, I think, love is seeking the good of others.  That's what it is.  Love, is seeking the good of others.  You can add on words like selflessly; sacrificially; unconditionally, those other words. But in essence, this is love.

How do you know your parents love you? Because, your parents seek out your good. How do you know if you love your wife?  Because you seek out the good for your wife. Of course, the definition of good is according to God. How do you know God loves you? Because He seeks your good. So, love is seeking the good of others - unconditionally, sacrificially, selflessly.  By all means, add that.

But, love is more than feeling.  Love is more than emotions.  It's really seeking out the good of others.  And again, we love because He first loved us. Love is something that has to be deposited into our souls.  Because love is divine, real, unconditional, sacrificial, selfless love, possible only by God.  Alright!

So, we have these two friends, twins, conjoined - love and law. Now, how are they related together? So, we dissect them first, then we look at how they relate to each other.  How does love and law relate? Best answer comes from the Master Himself, Jesus Christ.

There's a young rich man, who came to Jesus one day and says, "Master, what is the summary of the law?  What is the greatest commandment?"  Actually, in the Old Testament, there are 613 laws. But, they boiled it down to ten laws and then, this guy, said to Jesus, “Can you tell me the greatest one?”  So give me the essence of the essence, boil the chicken essence until, really the essence of the essence.  What's the law about?

Jesus says, "The first and great commandment is this, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all your heart, mind, soul, strength.”   Vertical aspect, relating to God with all our being.   Jesus, then says the second, “Is to love your neighbour as yourself”.  The horizontal dimension of it.  In essence, He’s saying, “The ten commandments, is about loving God, loving man.”  It's about love!  It's about love!

So, you start to see, that law and love are really, really close to each other. Really close!  Because the law is about love - loving God, loving man. And, add on to that, what you read, this morning, Romans 13 where it says, “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” Makes even greater light.  Love in me  allows me to fulfil the law.  Love in me, enables me to fulfil the law.  Love in me expresses itself in the fulfilment of the law.

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Love is the fulfilment of the law. So, if I may draw an arrow, it looks like this.  Love will lead us to the fulfilling of the law.  You get that? And at the very same time, the converse is true.  The law is the expression of love. The law, is the expression of love.  The fact that I can obey the law is because, it shows that there is love in my heart. I am going to show you why.

Look at this.  “Thou shall not have other gods before me” up to  “honour your father and your mother”.  These are the first five.  People believe are in the first table of the law. When Moses came down from the Mount, he came down with two tablets. Some people think that the fifth commandment goes to the second table, where it refers to human horizontal relationships.  But, most of them believe is the first table. It refers first, to our relationship to God on your left side and on the right side, is relationship with men.

Now, I put it here, left, right as God-Man, alright. Now, how do I show my love to God?  How do I know I love God?  Well, by looking at the ten commandments, especially the first half or the first table.  You see, when I love God, when I love God, I will have no other gods before me.  How do you know you love your wife?  Oh, you have ten girlfriends and you say, “I love you, dear.” That's something wrong!

Now, I know I love God and I can see it when they are no other gods before me.  On the other hand, when I see that there are many gods in my life - a car, a house, cash, security, financial status.  I know I don't really love God, as I professed to be.  You see, when I love God, I will have no other gods.  When I really love Jehovah, I will make no images, that will shame His Name and misrepresent Him.

When I love God, I will not take His name lightly.  When I love God, I would dedicate my time, my energies to seeking Him.  When I love God, I will not despise the authorities He has set over my life.  You see, how do I know I love God?  You can see it from the ten commandments.  It's objective! It’s not just feelings.  Feeling, you know feeling, the Cantonese word, ‘ho taw feeling ah!” No, it's not about feelings.  It's expressed in obedience. “If you love Me, keep my commandments.”  Love is the fulfilment of the law.

On the other hand, how do I know I love my neighbour? Now, you can't say you love your neighbour if you are hating him in your heart.  “Thou shalt not kill”. We understand that, “Thou shalt not kill” is not just about the physical act.  It's also about the inward attitudes. Jesus explained that in Matthew 5.

So, I can't say, “I love you,” if I hate you.  Right? I can't say, “I love you,” if I am sleeping with you, if you are not my wife. I can't say, “I love you,” if I am stealing from you; your time; your resources.  No!  Real love will manifest in fulfilling of the law.  And the fulfilling of the law is the best test, if you have genuine love for God. You see that?  So, love is the fulfilling of the law.  And the law is the expression of our love.

Question:  This is from left to right, love to law.  Is the opposite, or the converse true?  Let's look at this.  Is it true?  Will law lead me to love?

Wah, very profound.  Will law lead me to love? Love is the fulfilling of the law but is law the fulfilling of love? Well, let me ask you.  How many of you love your country, Singapore?  Can I see by a show of hands? Wah, don't worry, I didn't put camera. How many of you love …?  I am not asking whether you love any political party.  I am asking, “Do you love your country as governed by the government today?”  Can I see a show of hands?

Okay, alright, why do you love Singapore?  Safe, okay. I am asking, “Do you love Singapore because they give you a lot of rules?”  Thou shall not litter? Wah, I love you Singapore.  Does it make you love Singapore?   Thou shalt not throw chewing gum, or eat chewing gum?  Do you love Singapore because of that? How many of you love your parents because they give you rules?  How many of you love the authorities because they give you rules?

Now, what I am trying to say is giving the laws, in and of itself, does not make you love. Laws do not make you love.  It's love that begets love.  It’s not law that produces love.

And also, you need to realize, this doesn't work! Alright, law doesn't give you love.  And at the very same time, not everyone, who obeys the law externally, actually loves God. Okay, understand this relationship. If you love God, you will obey Him.  But not everyone who obeys externally, really loves God.  Not everyone who does good things, really loves God!   Let me show you a verse, 1 Corinthians 13:3, “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

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Paul is saying, “There is a kind of living, that is quite sacrificial. You are willing to give yourself to be burned, very sacrificial!”  But Paul says, “It’s possible that you do it without love.” It's possible!  Because, you may be doing it out of acclamation, for recognition, out of guilt.  Whatever it is, you did not do it to seek the good of others.  You still did it for yourselves.  So there is, that obedience to the law, that does not lead you to love.

“Wah, Pastor, very chim.”  Okay, let me show you one more diagram, to confuse you even further.  Then I hope we will make it clear. I believe, that love is the fulfilling of the law.  Love enables us, and expresses itself in obedience to the law.  But law, does not bring you back to God's love. Okay.  Now, this is the time to clarify things and this is where these two boards are useful, I think.

Look at this guy and this guy. Both of them say, “Thou shalt not.” Basically, both of them are people who say, “Okay, I want to obey the ten commandments.”  “I recognize, I should not murder, I should not kill, I, I want to live that out.”  But you see, their motivations are totally different.  Let's go to this guy, alright.  If I were to, actually I wanted to do this, but if I were to have an opportunity to go into the streets, Orchard road, get a mic, get a video and ask people, “Hey, do you believe in the ten commandments? Do you know the ten commandments?” You say, “Yes.”

“Can I ask you why you think it's important for men to obey the ten commandments? What kind of response you think I will get?   What you think will be the commonest answer?  I didn't do it.  I wish I had, so that I can show you on video.  But what you think it would be?

“Hey, Sir, you know the ten commandments?” “Yes.” “Why do you think is important for people to obey the ten commandments?” “Well, I think is important because… “  What do you think will be the most frequent answer? Because?  Sorry? Because God says so. Well, that's a good answer, alright.  That's a good answer. Any other answers?  Okay, there are curses… Yah, yah, I obey because otherwise I will be damned; I will be judged; I will be punished, so I need to obey.

Put in a positive way? I obey the ten commandments, so that I will be blessed, or so that I will be saved, right?  Most people think like that? Why do people obey the ten commandments?  Because I want to be saved. Now, this guy represents that. Let me show you.  If I speak to him and he says, “thou shalt not ...” Alright, if he agrees, I peel the first layer of his heart.  I want to ask, “Why?”  I think, the majority of people will reveal to me his heart. Because, deep within them, they believe, “Good guys are saved.” Agree with me?

I think, if you have never been to church, you’ve never heard the Bible at all, you do not know the Gospel, 99, if not 100%.  I think 99, if not 100% of people would say, “I obey the 10 commandments because I believe, good guys are saved.” And what is good?  Good is when I obey the 10 commandments. So, I want to obey the 10 commandments because I want to be saved and good guys are saved. And if you peel away that layer, another layer that is deeper within is this thought.  Not only is it because good guys are saved, but is because “Good guys are loved.”  God loves good people. Agree?

I mean, if you never heard the Gospel, that must be the default position - God loves good people. Therefore, I need to obey the 10 commandments because I need to earn His favour; His love. Is this correct? Well, let's peel away and see what is God's verdict for this man. Wah, very hard to peel his heart.  And it is this, it's absolutely no. Let me tell you why. You say, “Pastor, why is it that I cannot earn God's favour by obeying the 10 commandments?”

Two problems.  One, nobody is good enough.  Nobody can obey the 10 commandments sufficiently to be qualified as a good guy.  Now, if you can obey the 10 commandments perfectly, I say, “It's true, you will be saved.  You don't have to go to hell, you don't have to!  There is no sin in you.” The problem however, is the entire humanity is tainted, corrupted by sin.  And that is no way, we can obey the 10 commandments fully.

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You say, “Pastor, then what is the point of God giving us, the “Thou shall not,” the 10 commandments?” “What's the point, if he doesn't give this to save us, then what's the point?”  Let me tell you what's the point.  The point is to tell you how hopeless you are, how hopeless I am.  So that we may run to Jesus.

The Bible says, “The law is a schoolmaster …”.  Actually, it's a bad translation in the King James.  It's actually just a private tutor, kind of a nanny. He has been helping you all your life, but you cannot stop with nanny. Nanny needs to bring you to school, who will teach you more.   And the law is like a good nanny that brings you to the ultimate person who can save you and help you.  The law is not meant to save.  The law is meant to point you to the person who saves - Jesus Christ.

I may put it another way.  The law is like a, x-ray machine. The x-ray machine shows up.  The CT scan shows up the cancer in your body, the sin in your life.  But the x-ray machine can never remove your cancer, alright.  It just highlights it.  It feels bad looking through the x-ray machine.  And let me tell you, the x-ray machine can't even get rid of this sin, or your cancer. So, the law is not meant to save.  It cannot save!  It condemns, in a sense, so that you may run to Jesus, the Great Physician of your soul.

Another reason why I tell you the law cannot do it, is because, look at this guy.  He wants to be saved, therefore, he keeps the 10 commandments.  Actually, let me ask you. Does he really love God, when he keeps the 10 commandments? Does he really love God?  Does he? He loves himself! The reason why he obeys the 10 commandments is for a self-salvation project. He wants to be so good, that God will now owe him salvation, you see.  At the heart of it all, he did not fulfil the commandment.  He did not love God.  Law obedience, in order to gain favour, is a self-loving exercise.

There is a great illustration in the Bible, it’s found in Luke 15.  You know it by now.  It's the story of the prodigal son. There's this father, raises 2 sons. One son, turned bad, rebelled, said, “Father, give me all that I deserved.”  Ran away, wasted it all.  We all condemned him as a bad boy. One day, he turns back and the father, having already given him his portion.  Now, in order to set a feast, have to probably take from the inheritance of the elder brother.  So, he lavishes a feast on the son who has gone astray and is now returned.  And the elder brother now, turns furious. He says, “How could you do this?  He has spent it all, but I have been a good boy, in your home.  How could you do that to me?”

And you know, by that Jesus is revealing something. Jesus is revealing that, hey, we thought this guy, who ran away from home is the bad one.  He doesn't love God. But, do you realize, at the end of the story, that the elder brother, who stayed home, also, doesn’t love his father.  Because all he wants, is the father's things, but not the father.

The bad son was lost, far away.  The good son was lost, right beside him. But both sons are lost, in as far as they don't love their father. He loves himself.  He just wants the father's things. And it can happen to us. We obey the law, why?  Because we want the good, in order to have God's things.  But, really in our hearts, we don't love God.  There is no love for God here. It's all love for self. So, law obedience does not spring.  If it does not spring from love, doesn't produce love.  It doesn't cut it.  It doesn't work.

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Now, let me go to this guy.  He's in a white shirt, he is the good guy, alright.  Now, he has the same external manifestations.  I want to obey the 10 commandments.  This guy wanted to do it, to save himself. This guy wanted to do it to get love.  This guy wanted to do it, out of selfish reasons, really.  This guy, why does he love?  Why does he obey the 10 commandments?  Let's peel his heart, alright.  What do you think is beneath it?
Don't laugh, it can be very simple, but don't laugh.

What is beneath his heart? I obey the 10 commandments, I will not steal, I will not murder, I will not lie, I will not commit adultery, Why? Anyone? Too simple for you, alright.  Okay, because “I love people”? Huh, very different? I do all this because I love people. Now, let's peel away, why do you love people?  I love people, what's beneath “I love people”? I love people because “I have love”.  (Laughter in the congregation) Wah, very profound.  This is very profound alright, very profound.

“I love people” because “I have love”, lah.  Pastor, please be simple.” Yes, this is very simple, I have love. And why is it, “I have love”?  Why? Because, because, “I am loved”. (Laughter in the congregation). Hey, let me say this, “ This is the only proper motivation to fulfil the law.” It’s the only way.  This is the wrong way, this is the right way.  What is the right way?  Let me put it in reverse, it's easier for you.

The right way is this. The right way is when a man has received God's love.  Right here. God touches his heart, pours out His love into his soul.  He knows Jesus.  He knows God.  He's loved by God.  And when he's loved by God, he has something he never had in his life - agape love, genuine love.  A selfless, unconditional love that seeks the good of others.  For the first time in his life, he is a possessor of love.  Because he is the possessor of God in his life. Because he has love, he doesn't just fake it or force it, he loves people.

Oh, sorry (Laughter in the congregation), you all are sharp, and you say, “I love people and therefore, I will obey the 10 commandments.”  This is the flow, this is the flow.  We always work from here.  We want to work from the outside in when God tells us, “He works from the inside out.”  Love to law, not law to love.

Now, this is what Scripture says. I am not smoking all this out.  If you look at Romans, the beautiful thing about studying the book in its entirely, is that you see the intent of God. You don't just take isolated lessons, but you look at what God has to communicate. He says, in Romans 5:5, “God's love has been poured out into our hearts.”   Great! Start there, alright.

Chapters 1 to 3 tells you, how sinful we are.  And chapter 5, has that glorious proclamations, because of faith in Jesus, “He pours out His love into our hearts”, that was previously dry and parched. Now, there is love and, because He loves you, Paul, then urges the Christian.  Because you have tasted His love, then now love God back.

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How do you love God? You love God when you worship Him with your life. Worship is the response of who we are to who God is.  And because He loves me, let's love Him, by presenting our lives as a sacrifice. And when you really love Him, when you give your life to God first and great commandment, you will also fulfil the 2nd commandment, which is to love your neighbour.  And that fulfils the law.

Now, we are not under the law.  We don't obey the law in order to gain God's favour.  No, you don't do that anymore.  You are already favoured and loved in Jesus Christ.  But when are loved and favoured in Jesus Christ, there is love within your hearts.  It will manifest itself with love and then it fulfils the law. See, it is kind of a roundabout thing.  And that's what Scripture says.

Maybe, John may put it a bit simpler.  1 John tells us, “Beloved…” You are loved.  You are loved.  You are beloved first, okay.  “Beloved, let us love one another…”   Why?  Because, “Love is from God.”  God has deposited this love in you, “And whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
(1 John 4:7 ESV)

This is what makes you Christian, alright.  What is the distinguishing mark of Christians?  Theology?  Knowing which verse is where?  What number is where?  Let me tell you, this is love.  We have covered that before, right. One of the highest, hallmark of a Christian is love.  Why?  Because God is born in us, we are born of God.  And we have received this love, we will love others.

Now, some of you have heard about this old covenant, new covenant thing, and you're not sure where it is.  Let me tell you, the verse, alright, the verse it's found in Hebrews 8.  And it describes a new covenant, what is the new covenant? The new covenant, refers to the work of God in man's heart for salvation.

Salvation is a very, very powerful and yet at the same time, really, to me, mysterious thing. On one hand, salvation is when I believe in Jesus Christ, I am saved. On the other hand, equally true, salvation is when God does the new covenant in my heart.  You say, “What's the new covenant?” It says here, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” [Hebrews 8:10-12]

It's not just on tables of stone - outside, is going to be in my mind and in my heart - inside.  So that now, “They shall not teach, each one his neighbour and each one his brother, saying, “Know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest”.”  It will be from the inside out. Salvation is when I will forgive them of their sins.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  And they shall not teach, each one his neighbour and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.   For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  And they shall not teach, each one his neighbour and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.  For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”  (Hebrews 8:10-12 ESV)

You see, it is the work from the inside out. Wow! That's why, the only proper way to obey God's law is when, Jesus is in your life.  You don't obey the commandments to get Jesus into your life.  He has to come into your life first, believing in Him, what He has done.  Know of that love, receive of that love, then you can release that love that will fulfil the law.

When you received this love of God, something changes.  I am going to say something.  Something is now going to change, with regards to your perspective and attitude to the law. The Bible says, after, love comes into your life, you are enabled; you are empowered, you endear yourself to the law.  Then the Scriptures, the 10 commandments, the law becomes something of a delight to you.

Look at Psalms 119, alright.  If you have time, go and read it, hundred over verses in this one Psalm.  And this is the conclusion of that Psalms.  I love your law. Simple as that. You say, “Pastor, isn't this very strange?” Yes, actually it is very strange. Because by nature, every one of us, when we see the 10 commandments, we want to run.  We want to run away from it.

But when God does a new covenant work in your heart, when He writes it within your minds and hearts, you don't run away from the 10 commandment.  You run to the 10 commandments.  You say with David, you say with the psalmist, “I delight in Your law. I love Your law because I'm not condemned by the law or judged by the law.  I am already loved, but God, I love You. And I want to know what You want.”

“The law, is an expression of the desires of God.  So, I want to know what You want.  And therefore, I love Your law, because I want to fulfil the law.”  “I want to, I want to do what you like me to do.  Not because I am scared, I lose Your favour.  But because I am so loved, I want to love You.”  You have got to get that tension and balance. That's why the psalmist say, “O, how I love Your law, I think about it all day long”.

Now, a man who never know Jesus, will never say this.  Can't!  No desire for the law.  You run from it!  But when a man is changed, saved, touched by grace and loved, he says, “I love Your law.”  John also says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome”. (1 John 5:3 ESV)
Delight in it and Paul echoes, “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being.” (Romans 7:22 ESV)

So, clear? Love is the fulfilling of the law.  You have got to get love, otherwise there is no fulfilling of the law, in a real sense. If you are not already confused, let me confuse you the last thing, alright.  I know you already confused.  I know it's just 2 words, love, law.  But, there’s so much in Scriptures and so much confusion that, is actually so anti-humanistic thinking.  That I know after the preaching this message, it doesn't always sink into your hearts.  I pray it will.  I did pray for God to do that, for all of us.

But, let me confuse you even further, okay.  Last thing to confuse about love and law. We are called to live a balanced life.  And love, law, allows for us to live a balanced life. But, if you're not careful, it leads you to imbalances.  Tips you over, in a very bad way.  So, if you want to be balanced, it is this.  Love that leads to law, okay, balance. It will be imbalanced or unbalanced, when you take out one of them.

Timestamp 0:41:37

So, what I mean is, if you have law, the observance of the law, but you don't really have the love, you are imbalanced. We call this kind of a life - legalism. “What is legalism, Pastor?” Let me define for you legalism. Legalism is trying to earn God's favour, by obeying God. That's what it is, trying to earn God's favour, by obeying the 10 commandments. You don't really love God, but like this man, you just want to obey, obey, obey, obey, because you believe, good guys are saved; good guys are loved. You know what you have?  Legalism.

And then you can walk around, thinking that you are a super spiritual person.  And you start to be like a Pharisee that looks down on others. You see, the Bible describes this man, this Pharisee, who goes out to the temple and he pretends to pray.  But really, he is praising himself, “God, I thank you I am not like this that the little dirty fella.  I am good.  I gave tithes.  I fast.  I am good.”  He believes he can have law, without love.  He is legalistic, unbalanced. That's not what God calls us to live.  Isn't it? Get that, legalism.  What is legalism? Earning God's favour, by observing the 10 commandments or the law.

On the other hand, now, this is where, I think, I would say, a lot of Christians, I daresay, swing to the other end. “Hey, Pastor, then let's do away with the law.  Since the Bible says, we are not under law, we are under grace. So, let's talk about grace.  Let's throw away the law, we are no more called to fulfil the law.” Now, this is where you swing to the other end, where you have ‘love’, without law. Now, I put love, in inverted commas.  Why? Because, there is no such thing as love, if you are not fulfilling the law.  Okay, we have already studied that. So, this is a fake kind of thing.  It's a phony counterfeit.  It’s not real!

You think it is.  You feel that you love God.  You feel like you are passionate for God.  But, you are sleeping around with women, you are stealing things.  You are hating people in your hearts and you go around saying, “Jesus loves me, I love Jesus.” Something is wrong! It's not real. “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Love is not about emotions you feel on Sunday mornings.  It’s not about how you say.  “Keep my commandments.” So, they are people who say, “I have love, but not interested in pleasing God in my obedience.”

What you have is not legalism now, but we call this licentiousness.  Meaning, you have kind of a mentality, because I am loved by Jesus, Jesus loves me, I can do whatever I want.  I can do whatever I want, and I want to sin.  And it's so good to be coming to church and say and hear the Pastor says, “God loves me, I love God, I can go out and sin all I want.  It's so good.”

The problem is, it's not real.  It's not of God. Licentiousness.  “The book of Galatians tells us, “Don't swing to legalism. You're saved by Jesus, don't go back to the law to be justified.”  And at the same time, the book of Galatians, Paul tells us, “Don't use that freedom in Jesus, to be a cloak of maliciousness”, meaning a cover for your sinful life. Licentiousness.  It's bad!  Wrong! You see, you can't do without either of them.

The only balanced life is, is -  a real love, that leads to a fulfilling of the law.  Again, let me say, “You fulfilled the law, not in order to gain favour with God.  You are favoured in Jesus Christ.”  “But, if Jesus is real in your life, you have love, you will want to fulfil the law.” You will want to obey Him, not because you have to, but because you get to, I want to.  I want to please God. You see, this is dramatic.  This is big time.

And I know today, you have really struggled with me.  Liberty, I call this, liberty in Jesus.  Freedom in Jesus.  Freedom from the condemnation of the law and having that liberty to use that new position, new life, to serve others, to love others, fulfilling the law.

Let me ask you today, are you living on this side of the balance?  Always wondering, “If God will love me? If God will accept me? I've got to be better.  I've got to be better.  I've got to be better, otherwise I am not a Christian.” Or are you swinging to the other side that says, “I am a Christian, God loves me and I don't care about my careless lifestyle.  I don't care about my adulterous lifestyle, He still loves me.”

I think, you should check really if you have love in the first place.  You should really check whether you are born again, even, in the first place.  That's what you need to do.  Because this is the only balanced life, a life of liberty in Jesus Christ.

Now that I have confused all of you, let me still give you the applications, even if you forget all the sermons that I have preached just ahead. Let me say this, I want to end by just 2 or 3 applications for you.

Number 1, Christianity doesn't start with us, it starts with God. The way to that joyful, abundant, victorious Christian life, it's not about me eking out more love for God.  It's about me, knowing His love for me first.  And when I know how much He loves me, I am . . .  God loves you big time. The problem, is we don't know it. So, when we start to pray and when we start to understand, how much God loves me, it is the energy that allows you to live that Christian life.

You see, Paul says, “It is the love of Christ that constrains me.”  Huh, we love Him because He first loved us.  And when you know how much He first loved you.  When you know, how the Holy Spirit has poured forth His love into our hearts, then you can present yourself a living sacrifice.  Then you can look at the two tables of the law and say, “Lord, I love you.  I want to do this. I want to do this. I want to do this.  Not because I have to, but I want to.”

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Some of you today are struggling with temptations.  Young people, older people, struggling with pornography, on the Internet; on the TV,  You struggle with these sins and you have been fighting it.  You have tried, you want to, you want to fight, you don't want to be a slave to such sins.  But you struggle, you find no power.  Why? Because you don't know the love of God for you first.

The old-timers, Puritans, like to call this, “The overpowering passion of a positive affection”.  It's when I really love God, that I have no space for sin.  It's when I really love God, that I will have no other gods.  It's when I really love God, that I will not commit adultery.  Because I love God.  And I love God, because I realize how much He loves me. You see, you have got to start with God's love.  That's why I say to you, folks, “You've got to go to the Gospel.”

Gospel Light Christian Church, this is a glorious name.  Because, the only way we can shine as light is when we know the Gospel.  And the Gospel is about God's love for me, not so much my love for God. You've got to know God's love for us.  The Gospel changes everything.  Your motivations goes right skyrocket.

Today, maybe you are struggling, because they are people around you, you can't forgive. “I can't forgive him, you know what he did to me?”  You can't, until you know how much God loves you, and forgives you. You see, I can't release love, until I have received love.

A love grace receiver, is now a love or a grace releaser. The Bible tells us about the man, the parable of the unforgiving servant. He owes his master an amount of money he would never, ever, ever, ever be able to pay. And the master, magnanimously, says, “Go, I forgive you of your debts.” And the next moment he goes out, he finds his friend, who owes him just a small amount of money.  And he goes and strangle him.

You know, Jesus gives this very extreme parable to say, “You never really had love.  You have never understood love. That's why, you are so stingy with people.  That's why you're so unforgiving with people.  Because, you have not really understood the forgiving love of your master.”

You know, as I have been pastoring, I thought, the greatest sin in our church and in any church today, would be sex, money, covetousness. I have realized that to join these top, two or three, would be unforgiveness.  And it's very subtle.  You don't say it, but you don't talk to each other.  You avoid them. Things are not the same anymore because you can't find that motivation, that grace to forgive. And that's because, we have not really understood, the Gospel in its depth.

That's what Paul says, “I pray for you, Ephesians. I pray that you may know the height, the depth, the length and the breath of the love of God in Christ Jesus.”  That's important!  Let me say this again, “It's not about your love for God.  It begins first, with God's love for us.”  Let me say this, “This is why you need to be, sitting under the preaching that focuses on the Gospel.”  It’s not just moral lessons - you've got to do this, you have got to do that. You've got to be pointed to the Gospel.  And can I encourage you, that's why you got to be in Christian community.

Hebrews tells us, “We forsake not the assembling of ourselves together.”  Why?  “So that we may provoke one another to love and to good works.”  If you are living your Christian life by yourself, you're not going to go deep into the Gospel.  The Bible tells me so.  You need the provoking of one another,  stirring up of one another, to love and to good works.  Because you are pointed back to Jesus - the Gospel.

Can I also say to you parents?  Singaporeans and Asian parents, we are great at giving laws.  I am one like that. “You know, Shaun, do, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.” The problem is, you can do this to your kids.  You can tell them you need to come to church one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.  But if you never point him to the love of God in Jesus Christ, he grows up to be a legalistic young man, young woman, who hates God.  Because he looks at God as someone who just gives him a bunch of rules to obey.  But he doesn't know that God who gave His life for them.

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Parents, point people back to the Gospel.  Point your children back to the Gospel.  And can I say to you, who are guest here, today for the first time.  “You have always look at, “Thou Shall Not”. “Wah, I'm coming to church, actually I am very scared of coming to church.  Because when I come to church, the Pastor is going to blast me with the commandments.  And I am going to feel lousy because I never feel that I could do it anyway.””

Can I ask you to heave a sigh of relief … huh.   Because you don't have to do this in order to be saved. This shows you your sinfulness.  But let me share with you, the Bible is not just about the ten commandments.  The Bible is about Jesus who fulfilled the ten commandments for you. He went to the cross and He died for your sins.  And whilst you must begin at the ten commandments, don't stop there.  Go to Jesus.

He says, "Look unto me, all ye ends of the world and be saved.”   Turn your eyes onto Jesus Christ.  Believe in Him.  And you can trust God to do the work of the new covenant in your heart.  Forgiving you of your sins, writing God's laws into the fleshly tablet of your heart.  Giving you a love for Him as you begin to understand His love, for you. The Bible says, “Whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”   Life is knowing God, knowing His love and loving Him.  May God bless each one of you.  Let's bow for a word of prayer.

Father, we thank You this morning, rejoicing in Your great love to us. I thank You, I boast not of our love for You, it is puny, it is small.  Oh, Lord, but we boast of  Your amazing love towards us.  In that while we were yet sinners; enemies; haters of God, Christ died for us.  Thank You, we are not having a cold; lifeless, loveless religion. It is a living faith; a beautiful faith; a beautiful relationship of our Heavenly Father, forgiving us and calling us back to Himself. And dear Lord, this morning....... (audio cut off for a while) but to look at who You are, and what You have done.

And I pray today, You allow our hearts to be soaked and marinated with the Gospel; the grace; the goodness and the grace of Jesus. And give us strength in our daily battles against temptations, in our daily battles in life.  That Your love will so shine through.  I pray today for homes which are filled with God's love, because Christ first loved us.

I pray today for my friends, our guests who are here. I pray, they will not stop at the ten commandments.   But they would go to the cross and see that it is finished - Jesus paid it all.  So by your Holy Spirit today, would You work in hearts and draw men and women, closer to Yourself.

Maybe my friends, you can take this time and just, I know, time is running by and we live in a very busy society.  But this is important, don't you think?  I just like to give you a minute or two, and be silent before God and just thank Him, and pray the message that He has given you.  It may be something about parenting.  It may be something your security?  Maybe something about sins and temptations in your life.  Whatever it is, let this be a time where God can speak to you and you can respond in faith.

There is a beautiful liberty in Jesus, in His love. O spare us, we will pray, from legalism.  Spare us from licentiousness.   May the beauty of Jesus, the real beauty of Jesus be seen in us.  Father, thank You for this time.  Thank You, we can just bow and sit before You and hear You speak to us.  May we know You in a deeper way, may we be a people, living with, living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Bless each one, draw people to Yourself, we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.