Neville Goddard on Romans 13:9 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Romans 13 in context

Scripture Focus

9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Romans 13:9

Biblical Context

Romans 13:9 lists prohibitions and then sums them into one principle: love your neighbor as yourself.

Neville's Inner Vision

To the student of inner scripture, this verse reveals that what the outward law demands is not a list of do's and don'ts, but a single state of consciousness. The commandments disappear the moment you recognize them as branches of one root: love. When you identify with the self that is eternal awareness, loving your neighbor becomes loving the self in disguise. The 'other commandments' are variations of the same feeling: respect, truth, and generosity that arise from the I AM within. So long as you withhold love, you are insisting that your inner state is divided, as if God is not the unity you already are. By imagining that love is already true, by assuming that the neighbor is truly your own beloved reflection, you shift the life-world into harmony. The law is not external obligation but inner alignment with one, boundless love.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and repeat: I am love; I love my neighbor as myself. Visualize your neighbor as a reflection of your inner state and feel the unity between you.