You Cannot Love Like This Without the Gospel

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” - Romans 3:23 (CSB)

By now, the command to love your neighbor should feel heavy. That is not a failure of understanding. That is the point.

Jesus’ command is intentionally searching. It presses on our limits. It exposes how quickly our love runs out, how selectively we care, and how often self-interest wins. If we are honest, we do not simply struggle to love at times. We fall short regularly.

And Scripture agrees.

The gospel never begins by pretending we are capable. It begins by telling the truth. We fall short. Not occasionally. Consistently. That includes our failure to love God fully and love others faithfully.

This is where many people go wrong. They hear the command to love and immediately try harder. They grit their teeth. They make promises. They rely on willpower. But self-effort cannot produce gospel love. At best, it produces temporary behavior change. At worst, it produces pride or despair.

Jesus did not give this command because we could fulfill it on our own. He gave it to reveal our need for Him.

The law shows us the standard. The gospel shows us the Savior.

Jesus loved perfectly where we failed. He loved inconvenient people. He loved betrayers. He loved enemies. He loved to the point of death. And then He offered that righteousness to sinners who could not earn it.

This changes how we approach obedience.

We do not love in order to be accepted. We love because we already are. We do not obey to prove ourselves. We obey because Christ has already stood in our place. Love becomes a response, not a résumé.

Without the gospel, the command to love crushes us. With the gospel, the command to love reshapes us.

When you feel your limits, do not hide them. Bring them to Christ. He is not surprised by your weakness. He is sufficient for it. The same grace that forgives your failure empowers your obedience.

You cannot love like this without the gospel. And that is exactly why the gospel is such good news.

Reflection Question
How does remembering Christ’s perfect love for you change the way you approach loving others?

The command to love exposes our limits so grace can meet us there.

Prayer
Jesus, I confess that I cannot love the way You command apart from You. Thank You for loving perfectly in my place and offering me grace instead of condemnation. Help me obey from a place of dependence, not self-reliance. Let Your love shape how I love others today. Amen.