There are many laws in the Bible. There is the Law of Moses and the Law of God. There is the law of sin and the law of faith. There is the law of righteousness and the law of liberty. But what is the law of Christ?

If you don’t know the law of Christ – and many people don’t – you’ll be susceptible to those who preach law.

“The law of Christ is the Biblical law. It’s loving the Lord your God with all your heart.”

No, no, no.

The Law of Moses and the Ten Commandments are not the Law of Christ. This is:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:34)

Jesus did not come to give us an old law but a new one, and a life-giving one at that. The law of Christ is love one another, as I have loved you.

I’m sure you have read this commandment before, but do you realize what it means?

“It means I’m supposed to be a good Christian and love other people as I love myself.”

No, that’s not what it means. To love your neighbor as yourself is the royal law of the old covenant. It’s an old commandment but Jesus is preaching a new commandment.

A new commandment

What is the law of Christ? The law of Christ is both a new law and a new kind of law. It’s a new law for a new creation. What is new about it? These five words:

…as I have loved you.

Under the old, you loved others as yourself and if you didn’t have it in you to love others, perhaps because they hurt you, then you were a lawbreaker. But in the new, we receive the love of God and out of the overflow of that love we are empowered to love others.

See the difference?

Under the old, you provided the love, but in the new God supplies all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Love one another

The Apostle John was familiar with the Law of Christ:

This is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. (1 John 3:11)

John heard the message from Jesus. He called it “his commandment” (1 John 3:23) or a “new commandment” (1 John 2:8). We don’t love one another to become the children of God; we love because we are the children of the God-who-is-love (1 John 4:8). As we receive our Father’s unqualified love, are we able to love others with the same abandon.

How do we love one another? Not through empty chatter and Facebook likes, but by caring and carrying each other in our troubles:

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

Because Jesus carries you, you can carry others. Because Christ is with you in your trial, you can be with others in theirs. Because Christ has forgiven you, you can forgive others.

As Christ loved you

If you have been in church for any length of time, you have probably be told to love your neighbor as yourself. This command may even be hanging on your wall. If so, take it down immediately.

The command to love others as you love yourself is a death-dealing dictate. It will either feed your pride (look how loving I am!) or minister condemnation (I can’t love that sinner).

If you’ve been badly hurt, you will know how unreasonable it is to be told to love and forgive the one who hurt you. You’ll try to forgive them, but some things are just too hard.

There is a better way. Bring the broken pieces of your heart to Jesus and let him heal you. Tell him how bad it hurts. Receive his unconditional love and find rest in his arms.

Then as you begin your journey back to wholeness, pray for the one who hurt you. If you have no words to say, allow the Spirit of grace to guide you.

As you receive from the abundance of your Father’s love you will be healed, made whole, and empowered to love those who have wronged you.

What is the law of Christ? The law of Christ is the power of God that brings healing and restoration to all who receive his love. It is the grace to be loved and to love others in return.

In my next article I will list all the types of laws in the Bible. If you have wondered about the different laws, you won’t want to miss that one.

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More articles about the law.

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What is the royal law? Do you need to keep it and what happens if you don’t?

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. (James 2:8)

What is the royal law? It is the commandment to love others as you love yourself.

It sounds terrific. It isn’t. But first…

What makes this law a royal law?

Why is the command to love your neighbor a royal law? It is not a royal law because Jesus invented it. He didn’t. This law comes straight out of the Law of Moses:

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Lev. 19:18)

Nor is it a royal law because Jesus put his kingly seal of approval on it. Jesus mentioned this law on occasion (Matt. 19:19), but he spoke about other laws as well. He never said this one was particularly special, and he even added to it (see Matt. 5:43–44).

Nor is it a royal law in the sense that this law should rule you like a king. We are not under law.

So what makes the love-your-neighbor law a royal law? It is the king of laws because loving others fulfills all the other laws.

For the whole law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Gal. 5:14)

Keep this one law and you will keep all the laws.

So far so good.

The royal law in James 2

Go back to James and notice the if at the start of that verse.

James is making a conditional statement. If you keep this law, you are doing well. Conditional statements are a hallmark of old covenant law and that’s what James is preaching here. In context, he is preaching the second commandment to law-loving Jewish people.

James: “Hey, it’s great if you love your neighbor, but if you are discriminating against poor people, you’re a law-breaker” (see Jas. 2:9–10).

Does this royal law have any relevance for us? It has none at all, for we are not under law but grace. We are to be led by the indwelling Spirit rather than ruled by external laws.

In the new covenant, we don’t love our neighbors because it’s a law but because God loves us and out of the overflow of his love for us we are able to love others.

But what about this verse:

He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. (Rom. 13:8)

There are two ways to read this. An old covenant mindset says, I had better love my neighbor so I can fulfill the law. But a new covenant mindset reads it as written. When we love others, we fulfill the law.

Which brings us to the most important question of all.

How do I love my neighbor?

How do I love my neighbor who voted for the wrong party?

How do I love my Muslim neighbor, my gay neighbor, or my vaxxed/unvaxxed neighbour?

And that’s just for starters. Jesus raised the bar when he said I must also love my enemies. How do I do that?

How do I love the jerk who bankrupted my business?

How do I love the adulterer who wrecked my marriage?

How do I love the drunk who killed my child?

How do you love the unlovable? The royal law can’t help you. It simply says you must love them as yourself.

Good luck with that.

Under the old covenant, you provided the love and whatever else was needed to fulfil the law, and if you couldn’t do it, you were condemned as a law-breaker.

Do you see how unfair this is?

Someone destroys your family or your business, and the law says you cannot pursue vengeance or bear a grudge, but you must love them as yourself.

It’s like trying to walk on water.

A new law

Like any old covenant law, the royal law is brutal and merciless. It demands that you do the impossible and condemns you when you fail.

Thank God for Jesus who gives us a new law for a new creation. Thank God for the law of Christ which says this:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. (John 13:34)

Jesus does not say “Love others as you love yourself.” He says, “Receive my love and out of the overflow of that love, you will be empowered to love others.”

It is a brand new kind of law and a brand new way to live.

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