Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Romans

Romans 13:8-10

     I would venture to say that almost everyone here this morning has one or more credit cards, and one or more loans they are paying on. I would also venture to say that most of you pay your credit cards on time, as well as your rent, mortgage payments, car and other installment loans. Why?

     One reason is because of your credit rating. If you don't pay your bills on time, if you skip payments, you will get a bad credit rating. And the next time you go to buy a car or get a loan of some kind, you  might be turned down or you may have to pay a higher interest rate because you did not honor your agreement to pay back your debt on time.

Exp: Having just dealt with the requirements of obeying governing authorities and giving them their due, Paul now moves to a more general requirement, one that belongs to all.

    Owe nothing to anyone; not to civil authorities, not to Believers and not to unbelievers. Give to all what is due. Owe no debt to anyone. Except the debt of love. Paul is saying that loving your neighbor  is an obligation just as real as paying taxes, obeying laws and paying your financial debts on time. Why? Because your testimony to the world is your love credit rating. If we fail to show love to the world around us, we will get a bad love credit rating and our testimony to the world will be tarnished.

Trans: Open your Bibles to Romans 13:8. Here we will find that...
I. Love is a debt never paid in full (vs. 8a)
Read: Rom. 13:8a
    A. Financial Debt
      Is Paul talking about not borrowing things, using credit cards or taking out loans? Let's see. The immediate context goes back to verse 7 'Render to all what is due'.  This is the key, I think, to understanding what Paul is saying here about consumer debt.

      Some have said that because of this verse we should never borrow money.

ILL: Hudson Taylor, the missionary to China would never incur a debt. Charles Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher had the same conviction. Larry Burkett teaches how to live debt free in his seminars.

      However, does the Bible teach that we should not borrow money? I don't think so. The Bible mentions borrowing money and things but only seems to condemn usury which is charging exorbitant interest.

Note: If you borrow money and the lender agrees to be paid back in installments, then the debt you owe is to pay the installment payment on time, every time until the loan in paid in full. In reality then, we don't owe any money until the payment is due. So as long as we pay our debts on time, I believe, we are obedient to this passage.  We are rendering to all what is due.

      If, however, you don't pay your debts on time, then you have failed to meet your financial obligation, and you have lied to the one who lent you the money because you promised to pay it back on time. You are also being disobedient to God by notr giving all their due AND you have disgraced God's name with your deceit.

Trans: There is a lot that could be said here about financial obligations, especially since many, even in the church, have been overwhelmed by envy, coveting and greed and have been devoured by the credit monster.  But since Paul doesn't spend much time here I can't either. Perhaps later in a small group study if you like.  Paul takes our obligation 'to render to all what is due' and connects it with the much more important issue, our obligation to 'love our neighbors'.

    B. Owe a debt of love
  Own nothing to anyone, EXCEPT to love one another.

Ill: Origen in the 2nd century said ' So Paul desires that our debt of love should remain and never cease to be owed, for it is expedient that we should both pay this debt and always owe it.'

      Paul may have been thinking about the great love God has 'Poured in to our hearts' as he told us in Rom. 5:5 Or, maybe he was thinking of what he said in Rom. 5:8 'But God demonstrated His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us'. Perhaps he was thinking of the great and strong love of God he mentioned in chapter 8:39 'nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord'

      Christian, we have been shown a great love and with that love comes the obligation TO love. Remember to whom much is given, much will be required. Loving our neighbor is a debt we are obligated to pay because of the great debt of love we owe to Jesus Christ our Lord.

Trans: Paul, in verses 8b -10 take this a bit deeper when he says that...
II. Love is the fulfillment of the Law (vs. 8b-10)
Read: 8b, 10b
    A. Theology (vs. 8b, 10b)

      Verses 8a and 10b form what is called an inclusio. It is a literary device where a passage begins and ends with a similar phrase and everything in between those similar phrases gives further explanation to the phrase.  The phrase is 'fulfilled the Law.'
What has fulfilled the Law? Love. Paul is primarily looking at the 2nd tablet of the Law.  Commandments 6-10 that specifically address our relationship with one another. If you continually pay your debt of love to one another, you fulfill the Law.
      Paul give us 5 very practical ways to show our love to one another; believer or unbeliever alike.

    B. Practice (vs. 9,10a)
Read: Rom. 13:9-10a
     1. True Love forbids Adultery
          In connection to the 10 Commandments, adultery includes all forms of sexual immorality, promiscuity, homosexuality, as well as adultery. It forbids any sexual activity outside marriage and with anyone other than your spouse. Why does true love forbid adultery and all sexual activity outside marriage? Because it destroys the body.

Read: 1 Cor. 6:18

     a. Sexual immorality conflicts a persons mind.
        Since we know that the Bible condemns sex outside of marriage our minds will be in constant conflict because we know what is right to do and we don't do it.

    b. Sexual immorality lowers our body to the level of an animal.
      We neglect our spiritual nature and live only on the level of passion and lust.

    c. Sexual immorality corrupts the most intimate temple of the Holy Spirit.
      Our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, where God's HOLY Spirit resides. When we commit sexual immorality we violate, misuse and abuse God's Holy temple.

 d. Sexual immorality creates all sorts of emotional and spiritual problems.
      Guilt, negative thoughts, depression, withdraw, constant lying to cover up your sin and fear of being found out can have devastating effects on your body and mind.

App: If you truly love someone you wouldn't want to do anything to destroy their body, confuse the mind and harden the spirit. And anyone who says they love you and still pushes for sex outside of marriage is NOT showing you love. One who truly loves would never want those sort of problems to come upon you. What they are showing you is lust..make no mistake. When you love you fulfill the commandment not to commit adultery.

     2. True Love forbids Murder
          God gave us this commandment to protect human life because mankind was created in the image of God. Civilized societies have always recognized the seriousness of murder and have made it a crime with stiff penalties. Unfortunately, our society calls murder by other names such as; abortion, euthanasia, crimes of passion  and the punishment is either non-existant  as in abortion or a reduced sentence as in euthanasia or crimes of passion.

          Another thing we do not consider as murder is hate. Jesus made it very clear in Matt. 5 that to hate someone is the same as breaking the commandment not to kill. Loving our neighbor is the answer to anger and hate and must be displayed by Christians to an angry, hate filled world. When you love you fulfill the commandment not to murder.

     3. True Love forbids Stealing
          Stealing in Scripture has a couple of meanings. It means...

   a. Taking what is rightfully owned by another.
      Office supplies at work, an answer on a test, funds from the petty cash drawer, making false claims to your insurance company, shoplifting, not telling the salesperson when they have given you too much change.

    b. Hoarding more than you need.
      Keeping back is stealing too. Ananias and Sapphira did that by withholding  some of money they got from the sale of land they owned. Stealing is keeping back for yourself what is needed by others.

    c. Withholding from others
      Withholding from the body of Christ the  time and talents God has given to you.  By not using your God given gifts, you are withholding from the Body of Christ growth, blessing and knowledge. When you love you fulfill the commandment not to steal.

     4. True Love forbids Coveting
      Coveting means to crave or desire something another has. What are we not to covet? According to Ex. 20 our neighbors...

    a. House: which may represent security for his family.
    b. wife: which may represent companionship, sexual intimacy, love
    c. man/woman servants: which may represent his position, authority and job.
    d. ox/colt: which may represent his material possessions and wealth
    e. or anything else that is your neighbors: which   may represent many things such as: good  looks, social standing,
        role in the church...

      Love shows an interest and deliberate action in sharing with your neighbor, wanting the best for him, not envying what he has and desiring it for yourself. When you love you fulfill the commandment not to covet.

     5. True Love does NO wrong to a neighbor
        This not only means not Doing evil to them, it means not
 a. Thinking evil of them  b. Wishing evil on them   c. Planning evil to them  d. Withholding good from them

      The call of believers is to love their neighbor. The world is to be given the opportunity to see God's love in action. So that they will be drawn to Jesus Christ.

Conclusion
     Folks, you can not give too much love, you will never give enough love. Love is a debt you will always owe to one another.
And you must pay it even more diligently than you pay or bills each month. You must take every opportunity to show love to others. Every person you see, you should be thinking how you could pay your debt of love to them...

Because of who they are? No.
Because of what they have or have not done to you? No.
Because of the great, great love God has shown to you and placed in you hearts.
Because by displaying love you bring honor to God.  How do we show love?

Listen to one another,  share yourselves with one another,  forgive one another and  serve one another.
 Love is the only debt you never, ever stop paying.