Christian Debt

While considering these verses let us remember that Paul, attorney for the defense in this courtroom scene depicted throughout the entire Epistle to the Romans, is now setting forth the way in which the pardoned sinner should behave in relation to the world around him. There might be a tendency on the part of one who has come to the knowledge of Christ; whose sins have been forgiven; and who has been cleansed from unrighteousness, to look on the scene and visualize the ascendency of evil in every sphere. If possible he might walk more separate from and independent of all that goes on in the world. Paul is telling us that such is not the case. As pardoned sinners our first obligation is to be obedient to the authorities because they are set up by God Himself. Moreover we are still in the body, enjoying protection of the law and material benefits of earthly citizenship. Thus, it comes home that although our spiritual citizenship is in heaven, yet we are obligated to pay our taxes and render to all their dues.

It is a potent reminder that although as Christians we may be heavenly-minded, still, we walk on earth. Although in Christ, under the eye of God, and seated in heavenly places, yet, in really, we are for the present a unit in human society. We are not of the world but we are in the world. Therefore, we must fulfill our obligations to those around us.

We must pay tribute or custom, and we should fear those who are in authority over us, rendering honor to whom honor is due. It is a preservation from an aloofness of attitude that might be engendered from religious pride, and it ought to have a bearing on every one of us.

This 8^th verse sets before us a principle that should be taken to heart. It says, “Owe no one anything, unless to love one another: for he that loves another has ulfilled the law.” One scholar, who understood the first clause here as the negative statement of the first clause in Romans 13:7, referred it to the obligations of custom, tribute, honor, etc. He said: “This means, do not continue in a state of owing any of the obligations referred to in Romans 13:7, but fulfill them and discharge them. There is only one debt of which you can never get rid of – the debt of love.”¹

The discharge of all debts and keeping all commandments is summed up thus: loving others as we love ourselves. This applies to all commandments of a social or man-ward nature. There are other commands which spring out of the love of God.

How different would be the lives of many of us if we obeyed this exhortation. The accumulation of debt has brought spiritual defeat to many a Christian, and perhaps they have wondered why. Surely the reason is evident from this Scripture. What a splendid rule – a Christian purchasing only that which he can afford; for which he can pay. It would save endless trouble and much anxiety if this rule were followed.

According to this passage, the only debts warranted on the part of Christian people are those of love toward one another. As Christians, we owe each other an expression of love, kindness and grace. Little wonder that when Paul raises this question he immediately directs attention to the law of Moses, indicating that love is the fulfilling of the whole law. He then quotes the negative requirements of the law: “Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not lust.”

Paul here adhered to the pattern of Jesus’ summation of all the Decalogue under the two headings of love to God, and love to people (Matt. 22:34-40; Mark 12:29-31), the latter division being the one considered here. The Christian life is realized, not by an item tabulation of commandments kept or broken, but by a conscious filling of the heart with love toward others, a fulfillment being made possible only by the sacred enthronement within, of the Holy Spirit.

That Paul consciously followed the teachings of the Master throughout is observable in several particulars, as noted by Lenski: “Already in connection with Romans 13:1-7, we noted that Paul is repeating the very teachings of Jesus with regard to government and taxation; he certainly repeats the Master’s instructions here, ... has the same order of the commandments as that found in Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20, where the sixth commandment is named before the fifth.”²

This passage does not teach that if one loves his neighbor he has license to break any of the commandments, but that truly loving one’s neighbor will positively restrain from any sinful action against one’s neighbor. This is profoundly true and means that the first and uppermost concern of God is that human hearts should indeed overflow with love to mankind, such love making it impossible that specific evil deeds in the social spectrum could be committed.

It is as though Paul is telling us that in relation to these moral requirements there is no question regarding a Christian’s behavior. He does not have to instruct his Roman brethren concerning those sinful practices, but he indicates to them that when they have obeyed the negative side of the law there still remains the far more important positive side, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” If this were the stringent requirement of the law of Moses in the somewhat dim light of the Hebrew Bible, how much more does the Lord expect of us who are in the glorious blaze of the declaration of the unfathomable love of God in Christ according to the New Testament. “Love is the fulfilling of the whole law.” This is the excellent subject taken up so beautifully in 1 Cofinthians 13: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” It is a challenging message for every Christian. We are so occupied with the way fellow believers treat us that sometimes we forget our debt toward them. There is a tendency on the part of too many Christians to become so self-centered that there seems no limit to the amount of kindness and love which they can absorb, without a single thought that they are obligated to show loving-kindness toward others. The contemplation of these truths should be humiliating to all of us.

The fact is we all stand dwarfed under the shadow of the mighty love of God declared in Christ. Our own love toward others becomes pitifully negligible by comparison,

That is the expression of the heart of divine love. There was nothing about us to commend us to the Lord. We were enemies in our minds by wicked works. The unsearchable love of Christ was like an artesian fountain gushing forth of its own power, independent of the attitude of him who should drink from its stream. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
Or were the sky of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
(Dr. William Harrison)

The only way in which to show that we value the love of God is by showing love toward those around us. It truly is a challenging thought.