Romans 13:9-10 (ESV)
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.
These sets of verses in Romans 13 have become really important in Biblical Counseling. What God is telling us through Paul is that, as believers, when we honor and Glorify God through our behavior towards those the Lord has placed in our sphere of influence, we are biblically adhering to what the Lord has called us to do.
In marriage counseling – our closest neighbor is our spouse so this passage becomes even more important and applicable in calling out treatment and actions that don’t fall in line with what Paul calls us to do. The other thing you will notice is that there is no set qualifiers that the neighbor is responsible for in order to earn our love toward them. This can be very hard but it is what God calls us to do. It falls right in line with Romans 12:14-21.
APPLICATION
This passage has to stay on the top of my mind, it needs to be in the forefront of my prayers asking for the Holy Spirit to convict me, and it needs to be the area I am quick to confess and repent when I find I have not followed the instruction. My flesh is inclined to cling to ways I should be treated, or ways I deserve to be spoken to, but I have been bought with a price and vengeance is the Lords. Humility and meekness are two attributes that I want to grow in.