Romans 13:8-14 – The Debt You Owe

Romans 13:8-10 – Your Debt

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman as fulfilled the law.” – Rom. 13:8  Paul frequently speaks of love - “love must be sincere”, “be devoted to one another in brotherly love”, let all that you do be done in love”, love your neighbor as yourself”, “walk in love”.  Love is the proper fulfillment of God’s moral law.  We are to love all people – believers and unbelievers. 

Love never fails; love never ends.  We Christians should pay our debts including the debt of love for others, because love fulfills God’s law.  We are to owe nothing to anyone and as in previous verses we are to pay our taxes.  There is one debt that we will always have a need to pay and that is the debt of love.  We have incurred this debt because we received God’s gracious love while we were still sinners.  If you have received the gracious gift of eternal life, then you owe a debt to love to all people.  Through His love for us, His love should spill over to others.

Paul reminds us to not commit adultery, or murder, or steal, or covet.  We are to “Love your neighbor as yourself.  Love does no harm to its neighbor.” – Rom. 13:9-10.  When we disobey these commands we are harming someone.  Who is our neighbor?  It’s anyone and everyone.  We are to love all people, not only other Christians.  Love is not a feeling, but a choice.

How are you working at paying the debt that you will always owe – the debt of love for others?

Principle:  Christians are to love all people.

Romans 13:11-14 – Your Walk

Paul tells us in Rom. 13:11-14 that at this present time we should wake up because our salvation is near.  We’re getting closer and closer to the return of Jesus so we should be ready and live as if He will return anytime.  We are to put aside deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  We are to behave decently, not in orgies and drunkenness, not is sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.  We are to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and not gratify our sinful desires.

This “present time” Paul is talking about is an evil time.  It was evil in Paul’s day and it is evil now.  It’s a dangerous time when there are many evil beliefs and behaviors.  It’s a time to wise up, repent and believe.  It is a time for salvation.  Now is the time to live faithfully for God.  Christians have unlimited opportunities to glorify God and influence others for good.

 

Believers should wake up.  We should not be lazy as we wait for Jesus’ return.  He has given us all work to do.  We are supposed to be awake and walking in the light of day, because we are looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus.  Unbelievers are more than asleep and lazy – they are dead spiritually.

How are you living out the gospel in light of our times?

What does it mean “to put on the armor of light”?  The Bible often describes the sinful world as living in darkness.  Satan’s territory in Col. 1:13 is described the world as the “domain of darkness”.  We are to not walk in darkness.  Unbelievers live in darkness, but Jesus is the Light of the world and when we follow Him we walk in the light.  To “put on the armor of light” is to put on the Lord Jesus and choose right behaviors.  We must live as Christ wants us to live and not think about the things that would satisfy our sinful human desires.

What does it mean to “clothe yourselves with the Lord”?  It’s walking in the ways of Scripture and being like Jesus.  It’s obeying His commands, being merciful and forgiving, and loving others as much as we love ourselves.  It’s putting on His character.  It’s staying in His Word as we learn how to live as He did, staying in prayer, and putting Him in the center of our lives.  It’s running from temptations and running to God.

In today’s culture we normalize behaviors that the Bible calls indecent.  Some of these indecent things are sex outside marriage, divorce, drugs, excessive drinking and partying, abortion, homosexually, murder, jealousy, and the list goes on.  Even churches are watering down the message of Christ and His truths.

The world says if you believe in moral absolutes, you’re living in the dark ages.  It says there is no judgment and hell.  How could a loving God judge good people?  The Bible tells us just the opposite.  The world is in darkness concerning God, concerning our purpose for living and concerning death and eternity.

How do you normalize unbiblical behaviors?

Principle:  The way to live decently is to clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Next time we will study Romans 14.  Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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