The Great Law of Love

Ah, moral law what sacred bar whereby life’s wrong and right is proved

Yet, may we never use it to make one feel judged rather than loved

Love in its lesser form neglects to caution, rebuke and advise

It claims to care but views a stumbling fellowman with half-shut eyes

Yet, futile to deal with effect before identifying Cause

Where without love there is no merit in waving a book of laws

Forbid, before noon’s flying colours fold into the close of day

That we with earnest heart do not forget to love enough to pray

Lest while we criticize and point at dust-specks in another’s tries

We overlook the beam that looms in our own fault-finding eyes

Forbid we speak of love and yet when push and shove turns into grind

We fail to be its tender proof; not gentle, meek, patient and kind

Then pray at break of day before we face time’s tides that stilly roar

That we above all else seek grace and strive to love each other more

© Janet Martin

Romans 3:19-20, 23-24

  Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, 

so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  

 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; 

rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  

 and all are justified freely by his grace 

through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

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 law of love Matt. 22:35-40
 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.  

 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  

 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God 

with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  

 This is the great and first commandment.  

 And a second is like it: 

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

 Matt.7:1-3

 “Do not judge, or you will be judged.

For with the same judgment you pronounce, 

 you will be judged; and with the measure you use,

  it will be measured to you. 

Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye,

 but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?…

...and if you are not tired of reading

you might enjoy this post 

Liberty or License

by

Dr. Alan Snyder