He Has Fulfilled the Law through His Love

"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Galatians 5: 14)

When I read this passage in Galatians, my first reaction was "As long as I love other people, then I am OK with God."

Yet the more that I tried to love other people, the harder it was to love anyone.

I just did not have what it took to love others at all.

Then I looked at First Corinthians 13 again:

"1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." (1 Corinthians 13: 1-3)

Paul writes about "If I have not" not "If I do not".

We need to have God's love in us, before we can love others.

John writes about this in his first epistle, too:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4: 17-19)

Notice again in the verse: "For the law is fulfilled in one word. . ."

Jesus loved us perfectly at the Cross, and after His death and resurrection, Paul the apostle invites to grow in knowledge of God's love for us:

"16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 16-19)

Jesus fulfilled the law when He died on the Cross, and now through His death we are freed from the law, that we may live by His grace (Romans 7: 1-4)

Don't focus on your own efforts to love. Grow in knowledge of how much He loves you, and you will find Him loving others through you:

"9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." (1 John 4: 9)