Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he 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 bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture.
God’s laws show us how to love Him and how to love others. They express His way of life, which is a way of love. So if love is our motivation, we will be obeying and fulfilling God’s law, not only in its letter, but in its spirit and intent.
Here in Romans 13 the apostle Paul quotes five of the 10 Commandments to represent the whole list, especially the ones that show us how to love our neighbors.
Read more about the summary laws Jesus Christ called the great commandments in our article “The Great Commandment.”
