Romans 13: 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.Bible Study on Wednesday night featured an interesting coversation. It seems we often get stuck when considering how far we are to go when it comes to setting aside the Law. The teaching of Paul in Romans, where he stresses that the Law has been fulfilled for us through the life of Jesus, is a tough concept to grasp. However, when we unite what Paul says with the concept that Jesus introduced,  that "our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees", something begins to click. It is impossible to be more righteous than these characters, unless of course we change the definition of righteousness, which is exactly what Jesus did. He was not just speaking to hear himself talk when he said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:38-40 (New International Version, ©2011) 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[a] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” As it turns out, the Law is fulfilled and set aside not to lower the standard, but to raise it. Even those who believe themselves righteous according to the standard they set up for themselves and others, fall woefully short when it comes to the Law of Love. Paul stresses in Romans 13 that the Love debt we owe is a debt that we can never pay off, that we will never reach the place where we don't owe more love to people. And as we strive to Love, Paul makes it clear, as did Jesus, that there need not be any worry about keeping the law, for the keeping of any of God's law hangs on our ability to love people in the first place. So how do we know that we are living according to the Law of Love, a requirement which far exceeds the moral standards we set up for ourself and others? My grandfather use to have a pet answer for this question. "How do we know that people are being loved by you and me? Simple. Ask them." Those who are loved by us know they are loved. And those who do not believe we love them are simply highlighting our inability to fulfill the Law of love. As one of his favorite verses reminds us from 2 Cor. 10:18"For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends."