Rom 13:8-10says
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
People when they read it take it as, God is telling us to keep the law in a new way now, through love. That means we still have to keep the law.
But it totally misses Paul’s point.
Let’s break it down point by point.
1. Paul cannot contradict his own teaching in the same letter
Romans is one unified letter. Paul already said:
- You are not under the law. (Rom 6:14)
- You died to the law. (Rom 7:4)
- We serve in the new way of the Spirit, not the old way of the written code. (Rom 7:6)
- Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. (Rom 10:4)
So Paul cannot suddenly, in Romans 13, say:
“Actually, you still need to keep the law.”
That would make him contradict himself within a few paragraphs.
Paul is not reintroducing the law.
He is explaining the heart behind what the law was trying to accomplish.
2. Paul is NOT saying “keep the law” — he is saying “love fulfills what the law wanted.”
The law could only say,
“Don’t murder. Don’t steal. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t covet.”
Love doesn’t need a law to say any of that.
Love simply doesn’t harm people.
Love produces the very thing the law could only command — but could not empower.
Paul’s whole point is:
Love accomplishes what the law could not.
3. “Grace enables us to keep the law” is a misunderstanding of grace
Some people say:
“We aren’t saved by law, but grace empowers us to live out the law.”
No — grace empowers us to live by the Spirit, not by Moses.
Grace does NOT turn you into a law-keeper.
Grace makes you a Spirit-led believer.
There is a massive difference.
Because Paul said:
- If you are led by the Spirit, you are NOT under the law. (Gal 5:18)
Not:
“If you are led by the Spirit, now you can keep the law better.”
No — he says:
If you are Spirit-led, you are no longer under the law system at all.
Grace doesn’t take you back to Moses.
Grace takes you forward into maturity.
4. If Paul wanted Christians to keep the law, he would not have told Gentiles to avoid it
Paul absolutely refused to place Gentiles under the law:
- He fought Peter over it (Gal 2).
- He rebuked churches for taking on the law (Gal 3).
- He called it “bondage” (Gal 4).
- He said anyone who takes one part is “obligated to keep the whole law” (Gal 5:3).
- He said going back to law severs you from Christ (Gal 5:4).
So claiming Paul wants Christians to keep the law…
ignores Paul’s entire ministry.
5. The law is NOT bad — but its role is finished
Paul never says the law is “bad.”
He says:
- It is holy and good. (Rom 7:12)
- But it cannot make you holy or good. (Rom 8:3)
- It had a purpose, but that purpose ended with Christ. (Gal 3:19, 3:24-25)
Saying “the law is good” is not the same as saying “Christians are under the law.”
The law was a shadow (Col 2:17).
Christ is the substance.
You don’t cling to the shadow when the Person has arrived.
6. “Love fulfills the law” ≠ “Grace enables law-keeping”
Paul is not saying:
“Grace helps you keep the commandments.”
He is saying:
“Love, produced by the Spirit, naturally does what the commandments were trying to get you to do.”
Here’s the difference:
Law: Do not murder.
Love: Your heart for others eliminates the possibility.
Law: Do not steal.
Love: You care too much to take what isn’t yours.
Law: Do not commit adultery.
Love: You honor your spouse and your neighbor’s spouse.
Law: Do not covet.
Love: You genuinely desire good for others.
The law can command, but only love can produce.
7. Grace produces something better than law ever could
Grace doesn’t improve law-keeping.
Grace changes the heart.
The law says:
“Do not steal.”
Grace says:
“You are so full in Christ that you become generous.”
The law says:
“Do not commit adultery.”
Grace says:
“You honor people because Jesus honors you.”
The law says:
“Love your neighbor.”
Grace says:
“You already have God’s love poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 5:5)
Grace doesn’t empower law —
grace empowers the new creation.
8. The ultimate proof: Paul calls law-based living spiritual adultery
Romans 7:4–6 is devastating for the “grace enables law-keeping” idea.
Paul says:
- You died to the law
- You were released from the law
- Serving under the law is the old way
- Serving in the Spirit is the new way
- Going back to the law is like a woman remarrying her dead husband (spiritual adultery)
Grace does not enable you to go back to your dead husband.
Grace unites you to Christ.
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