Duties to Others

17 November 2013 AM – Romans 13:8-10 – Romans – Scott Childs

Introduction: During Jesus’ ministry, He made a statement that we often paraphrase as “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If everyone always did that, our world would be peaceful place in which to live. In fact, if every Christian did that the impact on our world would be very noticeable.

After addressing our duties to government, now Paul addresses our duties to others. Treating others as we wish to be treated is at the heart of our duties to others.

Transition: In these verses, Paul describes for us three aspects of our duty to others that we must put into action.

I.        We Are Not To Owe Any Man Anything Except Love

A.     Christians are not to owe anything (8)

1.      While the debts Paul had in mind here are more than financial, in context they do include financial.

2.      Verse seven tells us to have no unpaid taxes, customs, fear, or honour. Christians are to pay their financial and social debts to the government. However, the verse does not seem to limit the “owing” to just the government. It says “no man”.

3.      Solomon warned the borrower that he is a slave to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. It is far wiser to wait, save, and pay cash than to borrow and be enslaved.

In his book Victory over Debt, Larry Burkett states, “Even if a debt is current (all payments up to date), the borrower is potentially in a position of servitude.”

4.      I do not think our text totally forbids borrowing money, for Jesus did not condemn lending.

Matthew 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Matthew 25:27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

5.      Perhaps God is forbidding us to have unpaid or unpayable debts. Or maybe He is saying that we should not borrow if we do not have the capital to sell and pay off the loan if needed. This is a great danger in an ever-changing economy. If house prices go down, you may owe more than the house is worth. When buying a vehicle, it is often worth less than you paid the moment you drive out of the car lot. Those who file bankruptcy still biblically owe the seller.

6.      Here are some causes of financial debt that every Christian should flee.

a)      Impatience – “I do not want to wait.”

b)      Greed – unsatisfied with what God has provided. They are unwilling to live within their means.

c)      Pride – “I want nice things so people will think I am doing well in life.”

d)      Imprudence – some people lack prudence or carefulness. They cannot be trusted with a credit card.

e)      Foolishness – they lack the God-given ability to make right choices. They lack wisdom. They did not pray, seek counsel, and get God’s peace first.

Before you borrow, ask yourself this question. “If I was the banker, would I feel comfortable loaning my money to a person just like me, with my debts, with my assets, with my financial record, with my attitudes toward spending, and with my ability to repay?” If you are not sure, then you should not borrow.

7.      If you are in financial debt, keep up with your payments. If you cannot keep up, sell whatever you must to set yourself free. If you are a careless spender, ask God to change your attitudes and your bad habits.

B.     Christians will never escape their debt to love (8)

1.      We are to owe no debts but (lit. except) to love one another.

2.      Agape love is a debt that we will never be able to pay fully. We can always be more loving that we are.

3.      Christians are to love one another reciprocally – back and forth. I am to love you. You are to love me.

II.      We Must Love Because It Fulfils the Law

A.     The Law refers to the 10 Commandments (9)

1.      The 10 Commandments are in two categories

a)      Actions toward God (Ex 20:1-11)

(1)    Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

(2)    Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image

(3)    Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain

(4)    Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

b)      Actions toward others (Ex 20:12-17)

(1)    [Not mentioned here] Honour thy father and thy mother

(2)    Thou shalt not commit adultery

(3)    Thou shalt not kill

(4)    Thou shalt not steal

(5)    Thou shalt not bear false witness

(6)    Thou shalt not covet

2.      Here God is referring to just the last five commands that address actions toward others.

B.     Loving a neighbour as oneself sums the last five commands (9)

1.      We remember that agape love is the giving of oneself to meet the needs of another expecting nothing in return.

2.      The phrase briefly comprehended comes from one Greek word meaning “to sum up” or “to condense into a summary”.

3.      We naturally seek to meet our own needs. Needs are unpleasant so we always try to meet our own needs to avoid the unpleasant. There is generally nothing wrong with this. We are to love others just as we love ourselves.

III.     We Must Love Because It Treats Others Kindly

A.     Agape love is kind

1.      Loving a neighbour as oneself sums the last five commands because one who loves will not do any of those sins to his neighbour.

2.      The word ill refers to evil. Love is kind it is not evil to others. It seeks the very best for others.

B.     Therefore, love fulfils the law

Charles Hodge paraphrases this verse as, “He, therefore, who loves his neighbor with the same sincerity that he loves himself, and consequently treats him as he would wish, under similar circumstances, to be treated by him, will fulfill all that the law enjoins.”

1.      Because of the facts Paul listed, we know that love fulfils the law.

2.      The phrase fulfilling of the law speaks of the completeness of the law. Jesus taught the same thing during his ministry.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Conclusion: Today we have looked at our duties to others. Those duties begin with owing them nothing. If you have unpaid, late debts, you have serious work to do. If you are in deep debt, you are in deep bondage – take it seriously. Pay off your debts on time and early if possible. That is the loving thing to do.

All of us have a debt to love others as we love ourselves. We will never escape that debt. We should not do anything to another person that we would not want him or her to do to us. Treat them with kindness and generosity. Never do evil to them. As we love others as ourselves, we fulfil the demands of God’s law.

You may be a very loving person, but that will not get you into heaven. James 2:10 tells us, For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. We all have failed and we all need God’s forgiveness and cleansing. If you have not received God’s cleansing by trusting Jesus as your Saviour, do it today.

Song: More Like the Master – 325