"THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS"
Indebted To Love (13:8-10)
INTRODUCTION
- In our duty to government, Paul commanded to pay what is due (taxes
and customs, fear and honor - cf. Ro 13:7
- He then proceeded to discuss our duty to our fellow man (to owe no
one anything, except to love one another) - cf. Ro 13:8
- This does not forbid borrowing where contract obligations are met...
- Otherwise Jesus would not have permitted borrowing - cf. Mt 5:42
- Certainly debts should be paid - cf. Ps 37:21
- This appears to be a use of the comparative "not"...
- Where "not" is not used as a literal prohibition
- But to compare one thing to another (not this..but this)
- For example, look at Jn 6:27
- Did Jesus condemn working for food?
- No, He was emphasizing what is most important
- The point is this: we owe a debt to always love one another...
- "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to
love one another" (NIV)
- "Leave no debt unpaid except the standing debt of mutual love"
(Weymouth)
[Thus Christians should always feel "Indebted To Love". As to reasons
why, consider...]
- WHY WE OWE THE DEBT
- IT FULFILLS THE LAW OF MOSES...
- Jewish Christians were slow to give up the Law - e.g., Ac 21:20ff
- Some tried to bind elements of the Law on Gentiles - e.g., Ac
15:1,5
- The apostles (and Holy Spirit) withstood such efforts - cf. Ac
15:28; Ga 5:1-4; Ro 7:4-6
- The command to love fulfilled much of the Law - Ro 13:8-10
-- Jewish Christians could take comfort in knowing that keeping
the command to love one another fulfilled the Law
- IT FULFILLS THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST...
- Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment - Jn 13:34,35; 15:12
- To love one another
- As He loved us
- The gospel reveals that God is love, and love is of God - 1Jn
4:7-11
- Those who love are born of God and know Him
- God loved us, and so we ought to love another
-- As disciples of Christ, it is only natural that we emulate the
love shown us
[For such reasons, we "ought" (indebted) to love one another. How can
we pay this "debt"...?]
- HOW WE PAY THE DEBT
- THROUGH IMITATING JESUS...
- Jesus sets the standard - Jn 13:34; 15:12
- We are to love as He loved us
- This raises the quality of love (compared to loving one as
yourself)
- Jesus sets a high standard - Jn 15:13; 1Jn 3:16-18
- By laying down His life for His friends
- We also ought to lay down our life for the brethren
-- In principle, the example of Jesus illustrates how we pay the
debt we owe
- THROUGH ACTIVE GOOD WILL...
- Paul defined true love - 1Co 13:4-8
- Defined by what it does
- Suffers long and is kind, rejoices in the truth
- Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things
- Defined by what it does not do
- Does not envy; does not parade itself, is not puffed up
- Does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not
provoked, thinks no evil
- Does not rejoice in iniquity, and never fails
- We can pay on the debt by treating one another in this way
- Be patient and kind; rejoicing in what is truth
- Forbearing with one another, believing and hoping for the
best in one another
- Free from envy, arrogance, pride, and selfish interests
- Thinking no evil of a brother, and grieved when seeing one
transgress
- Never failing to love as Christ loved us
-- In practice, Paul's description provides guidance on how we pay
the debt we owe
CONCLUSION
- The debt we owe can never be fully paid...
- For we are to love one another as Christ loved us
- Yet His love "passes knowledge" - cf. Ep 3:19
- Thus we should always feel an indebtedness...
- To increase in love - cf. 1Th 4:9-10
- To abound in love still more and more - cf. Php 1:9
In this way we can "approve the things that are excellent" and "be
sincere and without offense till the day of Christ." (Php 1:10). Is this
not sufficient motivation to be "Indebted To Love"...?