THE CHRISTIAN'S ULTIMATE DEBT

Romans 13:8-14
Bob Bonner
May 5, 1996

Some speakers and writers are naturally gifted poets. With well crafted words accompanied by rhythm, they can tell a story, drive home a point or touch an emotional nerve that motivates or stirs one to the core of their being. I am not a poet. However, this morning, I wish I had the skills of a poet, for it would have certainly enabled me to better introduce a well known subject that we want to look at from God's word. For as soon as I mention this subject, your mind may instantly flick a mental switch that turns on a recording that says, "I have heard all of that before, so I'll just sit here for the next few moments, but mentally I'll sleep. This subject is so old and has been so over worked, that there isn't one more thing that Bob can say that I haven't already heard before." Well, as far as what we want to look at this morning that maybe true, but I doubt it. 

If you expected to hear a message on "love," what text or texts from the Bible would you expect the speaker to direct your attention to?

It interests me that none of you mentioned the passage of scripture that we are going to study this morning. If you haven't already, turn in your Bibles to Romans 13:8. This passage is one of the most fundamentally practical passages on "love" in the entire Bible. Furthermore, it introduces the final major segment of the book of Romans.

Verse 8, the introduction to this final section of Romans, is what I call a "hinge verse" or a "hinge statement." As a "hinge verse" it connects two different subjects with one common theme. Last time, we learned in verse 1-7, what the Christian's response to his government should be, including our responsibility of paying of taxes. In section for this morning, verses 8-14, Paul teaches us about the Christian's responsibility to others in the world, and that responsibility is to love them. The "hinge pin" or the thought that binds these two subjects of government and loving others together is the idea of a "debt" or an "obligation" mentioned in both verse 8 and verse 7.

Let's read just the first half of verse 8, and you'll see how this verse ties what went before with what comes later. Paul writes, "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another;"

First of all, Paul uses a double negative here in the original language to add emphasis to his point. He is very emphatic about Christians not owing anyone anything. But to correctly understand what he means by not owing anyone anything, we must consider the previous context of this statement.

If you look at verse 7, you will see that Paul mentions that we are to pay our taxes to the government. It is our responsibility to not be in debt to the government because we have held back from giving to the government what Paul calls in verse 7, its "due". This term for "due" is the same term in the original languages that we find translated in our English versions in verse 8 "owe". Why the English translators chose to use two different English words, to refer to the same term, I don't know. But in the original, the word "due" and "owe" are the same word.

Hence, the first application of the command verse 8, of not being in debt is aimed at not being in debt to the government and then it is more broadly applied to not being in debt to anybody.

This phrase, "owe nothing to anyone" is sometimes interpreted to mean that a Christian is never justified in going into debt for any reason. I don't agree with that for a couple of reasons. First of all, this term "don't owe" means "don't hold back" something. It doesn't mean "don't go into debt." In other words, if you suddenly owe taxes, don't play games with the government and hold back your taxes, pay up. Or, if you owe the utility company money, pay up. Don't go on forever holding outstanding debts. Pay your bills. Hence, to "owe nothing to anyone" refers to not withholding anything from someone to whom it is due. It doesn't refer to taking out a loan and going in debt.

The second reason that I don't believe the intent of this verse is to say that you can never go in debt is that neither the Old or New Testament categorically forbids borrowing or lending. In fact, in certain cases, the scriptures encourage it. For instance: Exodus 22 says that you can lend to the poor, but you are not to charge interest. Hence, if lending is permitted, then so is borrowing. For those who are in serious need and have no other recourse, go ahead and borrow. Jesus reiterated this in Matthew 5:42. The moral issue involved in this case is that when you do lend money to the poor don't lend it and charge usurious interest. In other cases, the scriptures do not forbid lending with honest and reasonable interest.

In the realm of business, apart from the needy, Jesus approved of financial borrowing and lending for the purpose of investment. In the parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-30, the master highly commended the two servants who had invested their monies wisely, but strongly rebuked the lazy man who never put his money to work. Hence, if you have money that you want to invest or loan someone else, do so and charge reasonable interest. If you want to take a risk to broaden your business, borrow money, but make sure that you repay it speedily and on time.

However, having said all of that, there are many warnings in the scriptures against going into debt. There are times in which you are not to borrow money. In those cases, to go into debt or to remain in debt with no intent of getting out of debt is sin. But not all debt is sin. 

If you would like to learn more about when debt is wrong or dangerous, or you want to learn more about how you can get out of debt or stay out of debt, I encourage you to take the course Crown Ministry that we offer here periodically. It will do more than just help you with your finances. You will discover ways to find freedom in other areas of your life that God intended you to enjoy as one of His children.

Having said all of this, Paul then tells us that there is one unpayable and unavoidable debt or obligation that every person who names Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and savior is under and never will be free from as long as that Christian lives; and that debt is to "love one another." True love, God's love toward us, which was given to us that we might, in turn, pass it on to others, can never be totally paid off. It is the "gift that is to keep on giving" because God continues to fill up our accounts of love with His love so that we can in turn have love to give others. Hence, we can never correctly state that, "I have loved that person enough and I am not going to love them anymore." Because God's resources of love in you, which are to be given to others, never run dry.

So the first thing we learn from this passage is that due to the boundless love of God toward the believer, we now possess a love that is an unpayable debt. Like taxes, loving one another is something you are obligated to do for the rest of your life.

And to whom are we to pass on this debt of love? Paul tells us. He says, "...for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled {the} law." Take note, will you. The word "neighbor" was added here by the translators to help this verse make better sense. It was not in the original text. If we read this verse as it was originally written, I think the broader and more intended meaning in light of the context can be understood. Reading it more literally, it states, "for he who loves has fulfilled the law." Reading it this way, we don't limit our thinking only to our neighbor next door. Instead, we are forced to think about loving or honoring even those mentioned in the previous verses, those who are in government, whether they agree with our politics or not. We are to show them the respect for their position, even if we don't respect their person.

For instance let's say there is a person you know who has an uncontrolled tongue and gossips. Let's say that that same person's gossip has personally injured your reputation and as a result, you have lost respect for that person. Then, one day, you discover that person wearing a uniform with a badge, standing in the middle of the street directing traffic. He is a policeman. Although you may not respect his person, you will respect his position as a traffic officer and stop when he puts up his hand. You will still love that person, just as Jesus showed love and respect to Pontius Pilate. You may not like them or feel warm fuzzies for them, but you will choose to act lovingly toward them, doing what is honorable for them and what is in their best interest, because you respect their position.

By loving others, or by rendering, as verse 7 says "to all what is due them: tax to whom tax {is due;} custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor." we are, as Paul says at the end of verse 8 "fulfilling the law." We are living out what is at the heart of the law, which is love. We are demonstrating the end purpose of the law. Which "law?" I believe that the law of which Paul refers to is the law written of under Moses. This law covered all three areas of law today. This law of love is the foundation upon which God intended all civil, religious and moral law to be founded. When we practice doing good and loving those with whom we may differ and even be at odds with, we are accomplishing what is the expected end purpose of the law.

Hence, love is not just an unpayable debt, but it is also the demonstration of the fulfillment of the law. Jesus, being the God of love, was said to have fulfilled the law in its entirety by the way He lived and treated all peoples, even His political and religious enemies.

So far, you may be thinking, "that sounds nice, but can we get any more specific? This seems too general." Sure, we can get more specific. Paul gives us something to bite into that is more specific and practical in verses 9-10. He expands on this idea of fulfilling the law through loving actions. Paul says, "For this, [or because of love] you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, [that's pretty specific] and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law."

Different than verse 8, in these verses, Paul does use the term "neighbor". Once more, this term does not refer to just the person next door or the government representative. It refers to the butcher, the baker and the Cadillac maker. It makes no geographical, social, racial or political difference. All people with whom you come in contact are your neighbors.

Think of who your neighbors are in this way. Imagine that you are an ambassador for the United States to Australia. Who is your neighbor there? As an ambassador of good will from the US, every Australian, friend or foe, is your neighbor, because you want all Australians to think good of your country. Similarly, as a citizen of heaven and an ambassador of Jesus Christ, every person in this country, friend or foe, is your neighbor. You want to live amongst them and do good toward them so that they might think good of Jesus.

Bottom line, Paul is saying that if you are loving your neighbor that means that you are doing him or her no harm. You can do what you like with your own property, but it stops at your neighbor’s property line or possessions. You can't do what you like with his property or possessions. Notice, these verses don't stop with the negative of don't injure your neighbor, but it positively states, "Do him or her good!" Serve your neighbor, reach out to your neighbor show your neighbor respect. Look for ways to do good to the other citizens of Grants Pass, regardless of their political or religious beliefs.

One of the hardest jobs in the world as a Christian, I believe, is to be a law enforcement officer. As an officer of the law, you are daily confronted with thugs and want-to-be thugs who would just as soon spit in your eye as kill you. After having ridden on patrol with a police officer, I understand why a Christian brother in Phoenix, Arizona, a friend of mine and sheriff, often referred to people he arrested as "dirt bags." It was so easy to forget that those he was arresting and who probably wanted to hurt him, are the very ones for whom Jesus died and in whom rests the image of God. But in referring to them as "dirt bags," he is making it more difficult as a government official of God, to arrest and respect the image of God in that person that God has called him to serve. If there is any group of ministers that deserve more of our prayers in this area of loving their neighbor while arresting them, it is that of the Christian law enforcement officer. They need our prayers to wisely maintain the balance of the application of the civil law, with the law of love in every encounter with a citizen.

Specifically, Paul notes in these verses that love practically means not sleeping with your neighbor's wife, husband, daughter or son. Love will not murder your neighbor, or poison his pet, or throw garbage over the fence into his back yard. Love will not steal from your neighbor, whether it be the government, a relative, friend or enemy. Love will not even keep his lawn mower for more than a month. Love won't drool over his new car. Instead, love rejoices with one's neighbor over what he has or his good fortune.

The commandment of love is so simple. You don't have to memorize a bunch of laws as to whether something is right or wrong. Simply choose not to practice harm but only to do good to your neighbor, and you will never have to think about the other commandments and whether something is permissible or not. Just answer the question, "Will it do your neighbor harm or good?" Is it loving? That's all that needs to be asked.

Notice how Paul repeats himself at the end of verse 10..."Love, therefore is the fulfillment of the law." Living for Jesus is not fulfilled by much religious activities or fervor or donating money to missions or Bible study. Living for Jesus is allowing Him to live his life out through you in such a way that He loves your neighbor through you, by you doing your neighbor good, not harm. Whether that neighbor lives right next door or temporarily lives 4,000 miles away, like in Ireland, you seek ways to do him or her good, because of love.

Paul continues in verse 11, "And this do..." meaning love. That is a command not a suggestion; which leads me to my next point about love. Love is not so much a feeling, as it is a decision to act in a supportive way to your neighbor. You can't command someone to feel something, but you can command them to act in a certain way. Often times, love brings about many warm fuzzy emotions. On the other hand, love often times has no emotion, except that which comes from pain and sacrifice. Love is seen in actions based on a decision to do what is best for another person.

Jesus decided to die for you so that He might be resurrected and then, if you would ask Him to, to come live in your life, to live through you and work through you to bring others to the Father. His death was prompted by a decision He made. His death on our behalf was not prompted by some warm fuzzy feeling of love. As I read the gospels, if Jesus had determined what He would have done based upon His emotions while in the garden, praying before His arrest, I doubt He would have willingly gone to the cross for any of us. If you remember, He would have relished another way to save people than having to die on the Cross. But that was the Father's will, so Jesus made a decision, a loving decision to obey God and to suffer a painful death for me and you.

But what drives us to make such a radical decision as this? What would drive me to love my enemy? Something must drive a person to make such a radical choice to love enemies as well as friends. Well, I will tell you what doesn't drive us to love this way. Selfish desires and materialism or consumerism doesn't drive us to make such a radical decision to reach out and painfully love others. It does just the opposite. Consumerism and love for the pleasures of this world drive us away from our calling to love.

Paul tells us what drives this decision to love others in the rest of verse 11-12a. He says, "And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand."

The ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA defines "sleep" as "a state of inactivity, with a loss of consciousness and a decrease in responsiveness to events taking place." With this definition in mind, Paul is telling us as Christians, to awaken from spiritual sleep---from spiritual unconsciousness, unresponsiveness and inactivity concerning the things of God. Especially in this country. We have been lead astray as to what is most important in life and made it our primary focus to be comfortable and to have fun. We have, as a whole, turned our backs on God's calling to live for Him and to invite others to meet Him. 

Paul is challenging us to "WAKE UP!" We are no longer to sit back idle, but the urgency of the hour should be driving us to love those around us. To fulfill the ultimate mission that Jesus Christ left us here on earth to accomplish, that is to introduce others to Him, through our first loving them.

Notice this term, "salvation." Most often, when we hear the term "salvation" we think of salvation as referring to our sins being once and for all forgiven and the guarantee that we will spend eternity with God. However, a careful study of this term's usage in the New Testament reveals that "salvation" refers to much more than that. There are three dimensions to salvation: past salvation, present salvation and future salvation.

In 2 Timothy 1:9, we see the first dimension of salvation past from the penalty of sin. Here, Paul speaks of the work of our Lord "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling." That dimension refers to our justification and the freedom from the penalty of sin.

In Philippians 2:12b-13 we read about salvation present, also called sanctification which is the present experience of freedom from the controlling power of sin over our daily living. There, Paul writes, "...Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure."

But in our passage for this morning, Paul is neither talking about salvation past or present. He is pointing to a salvation that is future, just around the corner. When this salvation comes we will be given our new resurrection bodies and will be totally free from the presence of sin in our lives. This is called "GLORIFICATION." In 1 Peter 3:5, Peter writes of this, when he speaks of those who have been born again as being "kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” A few verses later, Peter exults "Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Paul's point is that our future salvation is just around the corner. It is much closer than we think, certainly closer to us now than when we first trusted Jesus Christ to be our master and savior. "The night [meaning that time of mankind's spiritual darkness, life as we know it today] is almost gone and the day [meaning the day of the Lord when Jesus comes again] is at hand."

Sooner than you think, Jesus will be here. Hence, the question: Do you want your Lord, your Master to find you sleeping in the darkness, not being about your calling to loving reach out to others for Christ and to encourage them in their faith? Or, would you have Him find you actively loving others to Jesus Christ? The decision is yours, and should remain as one of the foremost occupations of your life, that drives you to put your selfish desires aside so as to do good, to love others to the savior. If that doesn't drive you, if it doesn't even twinge your conscience that you need to be about His business, then I seriously question if you even know Jesus Christ...if you are even saved.

But how do we go about loving others for Jesus sake? Especially those whom we may not respect, our enemies and maybe even some of our in-laws? Paul makes that very clear, very practical in these next two verses. 

Before we read those two verses, keep this image in your mind. Paul will be using terms in these next verses that lead the reader to picture a soldier who has been at liberty. It is at night, still dark and this soldier, off duty, has been engaged in a night orgy and drunkenness. He is still dressed in his party clothes, they may be covered with spilt food and even vomit. This soldier is passed out in a drunken sleep. The dawn is quickly approaching and the battle is at hand. It is time for him to wake, to throw off the clothes of the night, put on his battle gear and ready himself for war.

Paul writes, in verse 12b, "Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." The term "lay aside" carries the idea of forsaking or renouncing something. In this case, it is the foolish and wrongful priorities that the soldier has made number one in his life.

Paul adds, "Let us behave properly [literally, "Let us walk decently"] as in the day,..." This term "properly" or "decently" is used of noble people, gentlemen and ladies, who because of their dress and behavior commended themselves to others. If you know Jesus as your Lord and savior, then you are part of the court of the King of Kings. You are dressed in royal armor. "For Jesus sake", Paul is saying here, "start or keep on living like you are a part of the kings court! Live like a soldier of the king who is ready to serve Him, not dressed for the evils of darkness, but dressed to live and do battle for the Lord." Dress in the noble armor of the King and go to war.

Back to this chart on salvation. What Paul is hinting at is that there are those Christians who have been saved from the penalty of sin, Justification, but are failing to go on being saved, Sanctification from the control of sin in their daily lives and they are stuck in living in sin. Today, that is even truer. Consequently, the church today has become the largest spiritual nursery in the history of Christianity. Therefore, if this continues how can we expect to be making any impact on our world for Christ, if we don't change our clothes, change our ways and live like who we are in Christ?

Thus far, Paul has been speaking in generalities. In the rest of verse 13-14, Paul gets specific and tells us how to practice loving and living as a child of the King. First he tells us what to forsake. Then he tells us what to do. Or, if you want to continue the imagery of wearing clothes, Paul tells us what to take off and what to put on. He says, that first we are to put off the clothes of darkness. What do the clothes of darkness look like? If you are going to dress like a child of Satan, rather than a child of the king, what kind of wrong decisions will your behavior reveal? He says in verse 13, they figuratively look like "carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy."

"carousing" is a term that has an interesting history. Originally, this word was often used of a military or athletic victory celebration. Because such celebrations frequently turned into drunken and immoral orgies, this term came to be used of any wild party, brawls, rioting or sexual orgies.

The term "drunkenness", the second clothing of darkness refers to intentional and habitual intoxication. It doesn't refer to someone who accidentally sipped too much champagne at a wedding and gotten a buzz. Instead, this word refers to someone who deliberately drinks to get drunk.

Although the next two terms, both "sexual promiscuity and sensuality" obviously refer to immoral sexual activity, they are not the same. "Sexual promiscuity" literally translated comes from a word that means bedroom. It came to mean to "going to bed" with someone of the opposite sex, other than your spouse. "Sensuality" on the other hand, refers to the shameless excess and absence of any sexual restraint. Such as someone unashamedly taking off their clothes and dancing erotically at a party.

"Strife" refers to the persistent contention, bickering and petty disagreements that can happen amongst Christians. How often have we heard about people in churches fighting over their pet programs, equipment or room usage. It all starts out small, like a little irritant, and then pride inflates the problem, drawing our eyes off of the common mission of serving the Lord. Pretty soon, it turns into an unnecessary big deal, leaving some people hurt and others with puffed up egos. The Lord says, "put those things away. Those are not the clothes that a child of the king wears."

A close kin to "strife" is "jealousy". That's desiring something that is not yours or no longer belongs to you.

These last two, "jealousy" and "strife" were the two fleshly sins that caused the division at the church of Corinth, according to 1 Corinthians 3:3.

Hence, Paul is saying here that love is making the decision to put off the clothes of Satan, because that is no longer who you belong to. You belong to Christ, so start dressing for the success of living as a child of the king. Make no room in your wardrobe for this kind of behavior.

Instead, Paul says put on a different kind of wardrobe, in verse 14. He says, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to {its} lusts."

I don't know about you, but the night before I go to bed, I usually set out the clothes that I am going to wear for the next day. If I have a formal meeting with business men, then I will dress one way. If it is my day off and I plan to work in the yard, I dress another way. If I am going to coach little league, I will dress a different way. The point is, I put on my clothes, intending them to be part of me all that day, to go where I go and do what I do. They cover me and make me presentable to those with whom I meet. They say something about who I am. 

In the same way, I mentally put on Christ every morning. I remind myself who I am in Christ, making Him the central part of my day. He goes with me everywhere I go. I depend upon His resources, His life being lived out through me, to accomplish my Kings tasks. 

Be careful not to misunderstand what I am saying. I am not saying that putting on Christ is me trying to live Christ-like. It is not. Putting on Christ is laying a hold of Him by faith, and asking Him to live his life out through me everywhere I go.

But sometimes during the day, we can forget who we are and change clothes. To help us prevent making that mistake, Paul warns us not to "make provision for the flesh". In other words, there is something inside of us called the "flesh" that is diametrically opposed to anything that is godly. That "flesh" has lusts or drives or passions or strong feelings about self rights. These lusts or passions fire up the flesh and we must be aware of that. Hence, we shouldn't set ourselves up for failure by doing those things that will lead to us putting off Christ and putting on old behaviors of the old person we use to be.

Think of your flesh this way. Outside the door of your life is a spiritual, rabid Rottweiler dog wanting to get in and tear you to pieces. It sets outside the door of your life and barks, hoping you will let it in. Do you let him in? No, not if you are smart. But you also don't throw steaks out the window to feed it. If you feed it, it will stay around. God's word says, you resist the devil and he will flee from you. Feeding the dog would be similar to making provision for the flesh. It would be giving that rabid spiritual dog hope that in the future he can get into your life and make you miserable.

How does this work out in your life? If you have a problem with substance abuse or alcohol, then don't visit the bars and don't go to the street corners where you know the drug pushers hang out. Stay away from those places. If you are struggling with pornography, stay away from it and don't drive by those stores from which you can purchase it. If you are struggling with over eating, then don't purchase that junk food and bring it home. Leave it at the market. If you wrestle with gossip, then tell those around you that you wrestle with it and you wish they wouldn't bring up information about other people that isn't edifying. If they continue to gossip around you after several attempts to tell them to stop, don't hang around those people anymore.

Make no provision for the flesh.

Note, will you, how verse 14 sets the stage for what we want to look at next week. We have many freedoms in Christ, some of which fall into the social gray areas of life, like whether or not you feel the freedom to go to PG movies. Paul is saying that you better be careful not to use your freedom to stir up this flesh and cause you to sin. Furthermore, don't deliberately use your freedom to cause someone else to sin against their own convictions. That is not loving.

Love is a decision that is driven by the urgency of our times, realizing that many need to come to Christ, the days are wicked and others need to be encouraged to walk holy lives. And if we are going to love others, then we must live in such a way as to put off the old fleshly ways, the ways of Satan, and put on the ways of our savior Jesus Christ.

I can't live your life for you. Your life is your responsibility. And, you can't be responsible for my life. Our ultimate responsibility is to love others. We do that by starting the day making the choice that we do not want to harm our neighbors but to do them good. Next, we make the decision to love others by putting off the old life and choosing to live like the saints we are, in Christ.

I can pray for you, encourage you, show you what to do, but if you wake up in the morning and choose to put on the clothes of darkness and to live that way, forgetting who you are, then that is your decision. And I will guarantee you that if that is your decision, not only will you not truly love others, but you will get hurt in return. The decision is yours.

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