Romans 13:10 Neighbor
Food for Thought
An all-creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living

By Marni Montanez

Romans 13:10 New International Version

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law

When Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbor”?   He shared the story of a man who was beaten and robbed and of a good Samaritan who came to his rescue.  Luke 10:25-29

After sharing this story Jesus asked.

36. “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands  of robbers?”

37. The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

According to Jesus a neighbor could be anyone in need and we are required to show mercy.  

We all know what mercy is; it is to show kindness or compassion toward another.  When we show mercy to others we are behaving like Christ.  God’s whole way of thinking and being is soaked in mercy.

Ephesians 2:4 New Living Translation

4. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,...

God is love…..this is what 1 John 4:8 says.   

It was love who came as a perfect man so that He could save us from eternal damnation and give us everlasting life.  It is love who left the comfort of the throne to live a life of hardship and daily challenges filled with rejection, criticism and suspicion.

It is love who healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and set captives free from demonic oppression.  It is love who went to hell so that we could live in heaven.

Love shows up every day in our lives and will never leave us abandoned to what Satan wants for us.

God’s ultimate love restores, strengthens and provides.  

We, as Christians must walk in that kind of freedom where we are not bound by selfish ambition or control.  Love takes us to heights in the spiritual realm that would otherwise be unknown to us and keeps us unaffected by human error and disappointment. Love wars against fear and bathes us in peace.  Love will not fail.  It cannot fail because it is not demanding or hard hearted. Love gives and does not look back into the rear view mirror waiting for rewards.  Love does and love’s hands are in its own pocket ready to pull out something to give.

Challenge:  It is a great challenge for us to love the way God loves because our love is wrapped up in conditions, but if we continually say no to our fears and offenses, we will move over mountains with great ability not to get snarled in the enemy’s traps.  Love is a continual decision, not a feeling. Choose love.

God bless

Marni

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The purpose of this series is to encourage people to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God: Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) God tells us through Micah (6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God." And we know from Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain, or death. Thus, Christian living requires us to set the standards of these conditions here on earth for our fellow human beings, and for the other animals, as a witness to the rest of the world. To do otherwise is not Christian.