One of my favorite statements by John Wesley was in talking about the Bible.  He said “The Bible contains everything needful for salvation.  And everything that is needful is made plain within.”  I just love that quote because it tells us two things.

First, everything we need to know to be a Christian is found within the Bible.  We know that we can look there inside to find the things that are necessary to be a Christian. But, to me, the second part is just as important.  In that he said that all these things are made plain with.

If it’s important enough to impact our salvation, don’t you think that God would make it plain to understand?  If it was something that was going to impact our eternity, don’t you think that God would make it simple within Scripture?

God doesn’t play hide and seek within His plan.  He doesn’t play hide and seek with salvation.  He wants to know, to understand, to seek yes, but to find. Scripture says to seek and we will find.  Knock and the door will be opened.  God wants it to be simple to understand.

It may be hard to follow, but simple to understand.

In that vein, listen to what Paul says in Romans 13 today:

For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.”  These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

These commands are summed up in that command.  Love.  Love your neighbor.  Jesus taught us in the Gospel that the entire law is summed up in that command, love God, love your neighbor. That’s it. That’s the list.

Simple.

Easy to understand.

Hard to do. But simple to understand.

You want to follow the law today?  You want to be good?  You want to be holy?  Love.  Love you neighbor.  Lay down your life for them.  Point them to Jesus. Care, pray, carry.  Love.

That’s the law.  Love God and love neighbor.  Simple.  Simple to understand.

So, the question for us today, is what will we do with it? Will we follow the law?  Will we love?  In that action, we are keeping the law.

May we see the simplicity and beautify of God’s law and God’s command to us today.  To love.