Community During Tense Times: The Defining Mark of Biblical Community | Listen to Sermon Audio
Love as a Debt
In the latter half of Romans 12 Paul offers a number of characteristics of the love that is intended to characterize those who follow Christ. In the latter half of Romans 13 he takes up the subject of love again, this time providing us with a picture of love. The picture he uses is that of a debt. He tells us in v.8 to “owe no one anything, except to love each other.” So, why would Paul use the picture of a debt to help us understand how to love one another?
First, the idea of a debt is that it is something that is owed to someone else in an ongoing way. In other words, we are never done loving others; rather, our love for others is meant to continue on, just like God’s love for us continues on. Though loving others is not always easy, this doesn’t change the fact that we are called to continue to love. Second, if I am indebted to someone, this will likely be the first thing I think of every time I see that person. Perhaps this is also another reason Paul uses this picture, to remind us that the first thing that should go through my head when I see someone is that I am called to love them. Again, there is no guarantee that this will always be easy, but to view others through a lens of love is to view them in the same way that the Lord views us through Christ.
Love, then, is like a debt. Because we will forever be indebted to the Lord for demonstrating his love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners, may we display that indebtedness through continuing to love others.
