Lowjack
Senior Member
Love Fulfills The Law
Joseph Fletcher, the infamous situation ethicist, has popularized the anti-biblical and unreasonable concept that nothing is right or wrong within itself;
it all depends on the situation. Fletcher denies all absolutes except one--love. In his book, Moral Responsibility (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1967), Fletcher interprets the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:3-4 to mean that "the ultimate norm of Christian decisions is love: nothing else" (p. 17). Fletcher argues that Christian ethics has an obligation to "tinker with scripture" (p. 18). In other words, we can manipulate the scriptures to justify our beliefs and behaviors. Fletcher insists that the end justifies the means (p. 22). The real problem with Joseph Fletcher's emphasis on love as the only absolute is that he fails to give any content to love.
No knowledgeable Bible student will deny the Lord's emphasis on love. A Pharisee asked Jesus, "Which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Mt. 22:35-40). The greatest treatise on love in all human language is 1 Corinthians 13. After showing the absolute necessity of love, Paul tells us how love behaves. "Love suffers long, and is kind; love does not envy; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not behave itself in shameful ways, seeks not her own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails" (l Cor. 13:4-8). While some of these expressions may not be so explicit as we might like, no one should have any difficulty understanding how genuine love must conduct itself.
The apostle John--the apostle of love--makes an application of some of the principles enunciated in 1 Corinthians 13. Please listen to these brief excerpts from John's first epistle. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso has this world's good, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his heart of compassion against him, how dwells the love of God in him. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:16-18) "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone who loves is of God; and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God. He who loves not knows not God: for God is love....Beloved, if God so loves us, we ought also to love one another" (1 John 4:7-8, 11).
Jesus expressed these powerful views: "A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another" (John 13:34-35). Jesus certainly did not mean we can ignore all other commandments of the gospel and be Christ's disciples just because we love one another. But love for God and for our fellowmen is absolutely essential if we are to be Christ's disciples. We are merely pretending to love God if we do not love one another. The apostle John wrote: "If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loves God love his brother also" (1 John 4:20-21).
Tragically, many people in our world--including some who are devoutly religious--believe that love is a kind of warm, fuzzy feeling. But love from a biblical viewpoint involves concrete actions. What else could Paul have in mind when he wrote as follows to the Romans: "Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For this, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love works not ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom. 13:8-10).
The kind of love that fulfills the law must be based on biblical principles. In many cases, it involves what some would call "negativity." Love must be positive in that the one loving will do good unto all men as the opportunity arises (Gal. 6:10). But true love means refraining from actions that hurt others. Paul utilizes five of the Ten Commandments to show how love is the fulfilling of the law. I invite you to listen carefully as we examine these five of the Ten Commandments and show how obeying them fulfills the law.
The seventh of the Ten Commandments demands: "You shall not commit adultery" (Ex. 20:14). If we refrain from committing adultery, is that an act of love? The Bible's answer could not be more explicit. If you love your neighbor, you will not engage in sexual immorality with his or her spouse. Solomon explains: "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in your heart; neither let her take you with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread; and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go on hot coals, and his feet not be burned: So he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; whosoever touches her shall not be innocent. Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; but if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. But whoso commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: he who does it destroys his own soul. A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though you give him many gifts" (Prov. 6:23-35).
A summary of the points Solomon emphasizes in these readings should be helpful. One of the purposes God gave his law to the Israelites was to prevent their becoming involved in immoral sexual relationships. God lays down principles in his word that keep us from destroying ourselves and from hurting others. If we love God and one another, we are not going to engage in adultery. Solomon warns of the physical and financial consequences of adultery. Adultery has caused many men to lose their businesses and to destroy their peace of mind. Solomon affirms that a man through adulterous relationships can be brought to a piece of bread. His immoral conduct can cause him heartaches, a guilty conscience and the loss of his family and friends.
Solomon asks two questions that illustrate the utter stupidity of adultery. "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon-hot coals and his feet not be burned?" He then draws this conclusion: "So is he who goes into his neighbor's wife; whosoever touches her shall not be innocent." Adultery among modern men and women may be thought of as being exciting and fun, but it violates the law of God and brings destruction on those who engage in it. According to Solomon, the man who commits adultery will have to give an account to the woman's husband. Solomon uses an illustration which helps us to understand the seriousness of committing adultery. When a man is hungry, he may steal to satisfy his hunger. But if his theft is discovered, he will have to pay seven times the worth of the food he has stolen. We understand why a man would steal when he is starving, although theft cannot be excused even then. But adultery belongs in a different category. No man has to engage in sexual activity to survive. So Solomon says very plainly: "Whoso commits adultery with a woman lacks understandings: he who does it destroys his own soul." Adultery cannot be excused on any basis. People who commit adultery are morally and spiritually foolish. They may describe their immoral behavior as love, but it is nothing more than lust. It comes from a heart that is not attuned to love of God and of one's fellowmen.
A neighbor might forgive a thief for stealing bread, but he will not forgive or ignore a man who commits adultery with his wife. In truth, as all of us know, many of the murders in our day are directly related to adultery. I am not trying to excuse murder--whatever the rationale--but the man who knows that his wife is committing adultery may kill both the wife and her partner. I remember a case in North Georgia where a preacher caught his wife with another man. He took his shotgun and killed both of them. "For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though you give him many gifts.” Solomon's conclusion cannot be overlooked: The man who commits adultery has no regard for God or for others. The Bible says he does not have good sense.
It ought to be obvious that one who kills another, except in self-defense or in time of legitimate warfare, does not love his fellowman. Yet in our day, not only is murder rampant in the United States; it is also pandemic throughout the world. All one has to do to confirm that observation is to watch the evening news or read his daily paper. The conflict between the Arabs and Israelis in Palestine shows how little each side respects or loves people on the other side. Both sides kill apparently without any regret the people who disagree with them. I am not taking sides in the warfare between the Palestinians and the Jews, but I know they are not showing any love for their fellowmen.
Does the prohibition about killing apply to killing in the womb? May we kill the child who is born with some gross abnormality? Incidentally, many Americans seem to have more respect for snail darters than for human beings. Is it not time that we examine our attitudes toward the sacredness of all human beings? What I am pleading for is a biblical basis for our behavior. No person who believes the Bible to be the word of God can destroy human beings just because they are unwanted, handicapped and troublesome in some way. Love for God and for our fellowmen demands that we treat others as we want to be treated. Can we as a nation ever have God's approval when we have so little regard for others?
Loving one's neighbor also includes not stealing. How can anyone claim to love his neighbor when he steals his possessions? Does this divine prohibition not show that personal property is sacrosanct? There is one sense in which we can be said to own property for a brief period. We may own a house for fifty or sixty or even seventy years, but no one can take his property with him into the next world. But the Lord gives us the right to own houses and lands and other possessions while we live on this earth. Stealing another's property is a serious offense--not just against the laws of various countries, but against the law of God. The law of God certainly applies to the man who breaks into houses and steals guns, jewelry and such like. But it also applies to the businessman who engages in false advertising, over-prices his merchandise, sells shoddy goods, takes advantage of his customers when there are emergencies and engages in other immoral activities, even if those activities are not illegal.
An example of how some business establishments take advantage of their customers in an emergency may be helpful. About thirty years ago when Molly and I were in the sporting goods business in North Georgia, the weather turned very ugly. We had almost twelve inches of snow and ice. The power was out in almost all the homes in Dalton, Georgia where we lived and operated a business. The sporting goods stores and other stores sold Coleman fuel for about $1.39. But because there was a run on Coleman fuel, some of the stores increased the price of Coleman fuel to as much as $5.00 per gallon. We knew how desperately people needed the fuel, so we sent to the wholesaler and bought hundreds of gallons for our customers. But we never increased the price one penny because of the shortage. The practices of some business people have caused thousands of Americans to believe that all business people are crooked. The truth is that most business owners are honest and honorable, but a few bad apples can give the whole bushel of apples a bad name.
The law of Moses forbad God's people and all others from bearing false witness. Can a man love his neighbor and lie to him or about him? Many of us probably think of bearing false witness only as it applies to the courts of our land and that is a serious problem, but the law applies far beyond that practice. We can violate the ninth commandment by simply lying to another about any item. It does not have to in a court of law. The book of Proverbs lists six things the Lord hates, yea, seven that are an abomination in his sight. Will you please listen careful to these "A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaks lies, and he who sows discord among brethren" (Prov. 6:16-19).
What is particularly disturbing is when influential leaders--whether political, educational, business or religious--deny their involvement in illegal or immoral activities when they know and others eventually learn that they are guilty as sin. When president Clinton pointed his fingers at the television cameras and denied any involvement with Monica Lewinski, he left a moral blot on the office of the president that will take years to remove. When preachers or other religious leaders are caught in illegal or immoral activities, deny their complicity, but later confess their evil deeds, their behavior hurts every religious leader and every religious organization. The ungodly behavior of religious leaders causes, many Americans--both old and young--to argue that all churches and preachers are corrupt. God will hold those leaders and their apologists accountable for their lying and for their deception.
The last commandment Paul lists in Romans 13 is God's law against coveting. The Greek word translated "covet" literally means to fix the desire upon, whether good things or bad. Simply desiring an object does not constitute covetousness. If I want a new automobile, for example, and I am willing to pay for it, that does not make me guilty of covetousness. But when my desire for an object drives me to use illegal or immoral means to obtain it, then I am over-reaching and my desire becomes evil. And when I desire the forbidden, I can be guilty of covetousness. God explained all of this to Moses and the Israelites when he first gave the Ten Commandments. "You shall not covet you neighbor's house, you shall not covet you neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any thing that is your neighbor's" (Ex. 20:17).
After listing these commandments from the law of Moses, Paul added: "Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom. 13:10). How can any honest man claim to love his neighbor and to love God and mistreat his neighbor? As you can readily discern from discussion today, love is more than a warm, fuzzy feeling, although feelings are necessarily involved in love. Love always seeks the welfare of others. True love based on the scriptures not only requires us to do good to our neighbors; it also demands that we refrain from doing evil. Biblically based love prohibits us from committing adultery, killing, stealing, bearing false witness and coveting. But it also tells us we must do good unto all men, as the opportunity arises (Gal. 6:10).
Winford Claiborne
The International Gospel Hour
P.O. Box 118
Fayetteville, TN 37334
Joseph Fletcher, the infamous situation ethicist, has popularized the anti-biblical and unreasonable concept that nothing is right or wrong within itself;
it all depends on the situation. Fletcher denies all absolutes except one--love. In his book, Moral Responsibility (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1967), Fletcher interprets the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:3-4 to mean that "the ultimate norm of Christian decisions is love: nothing else" (p. 17). Fletcher argues that Christian ethics has an obligation to "tinker with scripture" (p. 18). In other words, we can manipulate the scriptures to justify our beliefs and behaviors. Fletcher insists that the end justifies the means (p. 22). The real problem with Joseph Fletcher's emphasis on love as the only absolute is that he fails to give any content to love.
No knowledgeable Bible student will deny the Lord's emphasis on love. A Pharisee asked Jesus, "Which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Mt. 22:35-40). The greatest treatise on love in all human language is 1 Corinthians 13. After showing the absolute necessity of love, Paul tells us how love behaves. "Love suffers long, and is kind; love does not envy; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not behave itself in shameful ways, seeks not her own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails" (l Cor. 13:4-8). While some of these expressions may not be so explicit as we might like, no one should have any difficulty understanding how genuine love must conduct itself.
The apostle John--the apostle of love--makes an application of some of the principles enunciated in 1 Corinthians 13. Please listen to these brief excerpts from John's first epistle. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso has this world's good, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his heart of compassion against him, how dwells the love of God in him. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:16-18) "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone who loves is of God; and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God. He who loves not knows not God: for God is love....Beloved, if God so loves us, we ought also to love one another" (1 John 4:7-8, 11).
Jesus expressed these powerful views: "A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another" (John 13:34-35). Jesus certainly did not mean we can ignore all other commandments of the gospel and be Christ's disciples just because we love one another. But love for God and for our fellowmen is absolutely essential if we are to be Christ's disciples. We are merely pretending to love God if we do not love one another. The apostle John wrote: "If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loves God love his brother also" (1 John 4:20-21).
Tragically, many people in our world--including some who are devoutly religious--believe that love is a kind of warm, fuzzy feeling. But love from a biblical viewpoint involves concrete actions. What else could Paul have in mind when he wrote as follows to the Romans: "Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For this, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love works not ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom. 13:8-10).
The kind of love that fulfills the law must be based on biblical principles. In many cases, it involves what some would call "negativity." Love must be positive in that the one loving will do good unto all men as the opportunity arises (Gal. 6:10). But true love means refraining from actions that hurt others. Paul utilizes five of the Ten Commandments to show how love is the fulfilling of the law. I invite you to listen carefully as we examine these five of the Ten Commandments and show how obeying them fulfills the law.
The seventh of the Ten Commandments demands: "You shall not commit adultery" (Ex. 20:14). If we refrain from committing adultery, is that an act of love? The Bible's answer could not be more explicit. If you love your neighbor, you will not engage in sexual immorality with his or her spouse. Solomon explains: "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in your heart; neither let her take you with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread; and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go on hot coals, and his feet not be burned: So he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; whosoever touches her shall not be innocent. Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; but if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. But whoso commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: he who does it destroys his own soul. A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though you give him many gifts" (Prov. 6:23-35).
A summary of the points Solomon emphasizes in these readings should be helpful. One of the purposes God gave his law to the Israelites was to prevent their becoming involved in immoral sexual relationships. God lays down principles in his word that keep us from destroying ourselves and from hurting others. If we love God and one another, we are not going to engage in adultery. Solomon warns of the physical and financial consequences of adultery. Adultery has caused many men to lose their businesses and to destroy their peace of mind. Solomon affirms that a man through adulterous relationships can be brought to a piece of bread. His immoral conduct can cause him heartaches, a guilty conscience and the loss of his family and friends.
Solomon asks two questions that illustrate the utter stupidity of adultery. "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon-hot coals and his feet not be burned?" He then draws this conclusion: "So is he who goes into his neighbor's wife; whosoever touches her shall not be innocent." Adultery among modern men and women may be thought of as being exciting and fun, but it violates the law of God and brings destruction on those who engage in it. According to Solomon, the man who commits adultery will have to give an account to the woman's husband. Solomon uses an illustration which helps us to understand the seriousness of committing adultery. When a man is hungry, he may steal to satisfy his hunger. But if his theft is discovered, he will have to pay seven times the worth of the food he has stolen. We understand why a man would steal when he is starving, although theft cannot be excused even then. But adultery belongs in a different category. No man has to engage in sexual activity to survive. So Solomon says very plainly: "Whoso commits adultery with a woman lacks understandings: he who does it destroys his own soul." Adultery cannot be excused on any basis. People who commit adultery are morally and spiritually foolish. They may describe their immoral behavior as love, but it is nothing more than lust. It comes from a heart that is not attuned to love of God and of one's fellowmen.
A neighbor might forgive a thief for stealing bread, but he will not forgive or ignore a man who commits adultery with his wife. In truth, as all of us know, many of the murders in our day are directly related to adultery. I am not trying to excuse murder--whatever the rationale--but the man who knows that his wife is committing adultery may kill both the wife and her partner. I remember a case in North Georgia where a preacher caught his wife with another man. He took his shotgun and killed both of them. "For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though you give him many gifts.” Solomon's conclusion cannot be overlooked: The man who commits adultery has no regard for God or for others. The Bible says he does not have good sense.
It ought to be obvious that one who kills another, except in self-defense or in time of legitimate warfare, does not love his fellowman. Yet in our day, not only is murder rampant in the United States; it is also pandemic throughout the world. All one has to do to confirm that observation is to watch the evening news or read his daily paper. The conflict between the Arabs and Israelis in Palestine shows how little each side respects or loves people on the other side. Both sides kill apparently without any regret the people who disagree with them. I am not taking sides in the warfare between the Palestinians and the Jews, but I know they are not showing any love for their fellowmen.
Does the prohibition about killing apply to killing in the womb? May we kill the child who is born with some gross abnormality? Incidentally, many Americans seem to have more respect for snail darters than for human beings. Is it not time that we examine our attitudes toward the sacredness of all human beings? What I am pleading for is a biblical basis for our behavior. No person who believes the Bible to be the word of God can destroy human beings just because they are unwanted, handicapped and troublesome in some way. Love for God and for our fellowmen demands that we treat others as we want to be treated. Can we as a nation ever have God's approval when we have so little regard for others?
Loving one's neighbor also includes not stealing. How can anyone claim to love his neighbor when he steals his possessions? Does this divine prohibition not show that personal property is sacrosanct? There is one sense in which we can be said to own property for a brief period. We may own a house for fifty or sixty or even seventy years, but no one can take his property with him into the next world. But the Lord gives us the right to own houses and lands and other possessions while we live on this earth. Stealing another's property is a serious offense--not just against the laws of various countries, but against the law of God. The law of God certainly applies to the man who breaks into houses and steals guns, jewelry and such like. But it also applies to the businessman who engages in false advertising, over-prices his merchandise, sells shoddy goods, takes advantage of his customers when there are emergencies and engages in other immoral activities, even if those activities are not illegal.
An example of how some business establishments take advantage of their customers in an emergency may be helpful. About thirty years ago when Molly and I were in the sporting goods business in North Georgia, the weather turned very ugly. We had almost twelve inches of snow and ice. The power was out in almost all the homes in Dalton, Georgia where we lived and operated a business. The sporting goods stores and other stores sold Coleman fuel for about $1.39. But because there was a run on Coleman fuel, some of the stores increased the price of Coleman fuel to as much as $5.00 per gallon. We knew how desperately people needed the fuel, so we sent to the wholesaler and bought hundreds of gallons for our customers. But we never increased the price one penny because of the shortage. The practices of some business people have caused thousands of Americans to believe that all business people are crooked. The truth is that most business owners are honest and honorable, but a few bad apples can give the whole bushel of apples a bad name.
The law of Moses forbad God's people and all others from bearing false witness. Can a man love his neighbor and lie to him or about him? Many of us probably think of bearing false witness only as it applies to the courts of our land and that is a serious problem, but the law applies far beyond that practice. We can violate the ninth commandment by simply lying to another about any item. It does not have to in a court of law. The book of Proverbs lists six things the Lord hates, yea, seven that are an abomination in his sight. Will you please listen careful to these "A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaks lies, and he who sows discord among brethren" (Prov. 6:16-19).
What is particularly disturbing is when influential leaders--whether political, educational, business or religious--deny their involvement in illegal or immoral activities when they know and others eventually learn that they are guilty as sin. When president Clinton pointed his fingers at the television cameras and denied any involvement with Monica Lewinski, he left a moral blot on the office of the president that will take years to remove. When preachers or other religious leaders are caught in illegal or immoral activities, deny their complicity, but later confess their evil deeds, their behavior hurts every religious leader and every religious organization. The ungodly behavior of religious leaders causes, many Americans--both old and young--to argue that all churches and preachers are corrupt. God will hold those leaders and their apologists accountable for their lying and for their deception.
The last commandment Paul lists in Romans 13 is God's law against coveting. The Greek word translated "covet" literally means to fix the desire upon, whether good things or bad. Simply desiring an object does not constitute covetousness. If I want a new automobile, for example, and I am willing to pay for it, that does not make me guilty of covetousness. But when my desire for an object drives me to use illegal or immoral means to obtain it, then I am over-reaching and my desire becomes evil. And when I desire the forbidden, I can be guilty of covetousness. God explained all of this to Moses and the Israelites when he first gave the Ten Commandments. "You shall not covet you neighbor's house, you shall not covet you neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any thing that is your neighbor's" (Ex. 20:17).
After listing these commandments from the law of Moses, Paul added: "Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom. 13:10). How can any honest man claim to love his neighbor and to love God and mistreat his neighbor? As you can readily discern from discussion today, love is more than a warm, fuzzy feeling, although feelings are necessarily involved in love. Love always seeks the welfare of others. True love based on the scriptures not only requires us to do good to our neighbors; it also demands that we refrain from doing evil. Biblically based love prohibits us from committing adultery, killing, stealing, bearing false witness and coveting. But it also tells us we must do good unto all men, as the opportunity arises (Gal. 6:10).
Winford Claiborne
The International Gospel Hour
P.O. Box 118
Fayetteville, TN 37334
