We believe that Jesus' Law of Love as explained in Matthew 22:35-40 should govern every aspect of a Christian's life. An expert in the Mosaic law tested Jesus with this question: "'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?' Jesus said to 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 it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." He expressed it again in His famous "golden rule": "In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets" (Matthew 7:12 NIV).
We therefore believe that if a person's actions are motivated by unselfish, sacrificial love--the love of God for our fellow man--and are not intentionally hurtful to others, such actions are in accordance with Scripture and are thus lawful in the eyes of God. "The fruit of the Spirit is love. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).
It is also our belief that the Law of Love comprises the ultimate fulfillment and completion of biblical law, including the Ten Commandments, as it fulfills the spirit of all the Mosaic law. Saint Paul affirmed this when he said: "All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Galatians 5:14). We therefore believe that through the Lord's salvation and His Law of Love, Christians are released from the hundreds of rules under the Mosaic laws in the Old Testament and are no longer required to observe them. They are, however, held to a higher law--Christ's Law of Love, which should guide all our interactions with others.
- Romans 13:8,10; James 2:8; Galatians 2:16