The Marks of a True Christian
December 18, 2024
Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Romans 13:8-14
Introduction
How does the rest of the world and even the people who know you in your neighborhood, work, or school know that you are a Christian? In Romans 13:8-14, Paul continues his theme of Christian conduct in the world, emphasizing love as the foundation of all relationships, particularly how believers should interact with their neighbors and the world at large. This passage transitions from the believer’s responsibility to submit to governing authorities (as seen in the first part of Romans 13 to a call for spiritual vigilance and moral purity, showing that love fulfills God’s law and prepares us for the return of Christ.
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:8–14)
1. Owe No One Anything, Except to Love Each Other (Romans 13:8)
The Command of Love:
Paul opens with a very clear instruction: “Owe no one anything, except to love each other.” This statement directs believers to live a life where the only debt they carry is one of love. Unlike material debts or obligations, this debt of love is never paid off. We are always required to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:4–5)
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18)
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35)
What Does It Mean to “Owe No One Anything”?
Paul uses the phrase “Owe no one anything” to emphasize the freedom and obligation believers have to love one another. It suggests that, beyond financial debts, the Christian’s primary debt is the ongoing obligation to love others. The idea of owing someone love is not one of burden or oppressive debt but one of constant, active duty.
Paul’s message here is that Christians are never free from the debt of love toward one another, but they are free from the other kinds of debts that could hinder their Christian witness or spiritual health. Love is the one debt that never needs to be “paid off,” because it is the essence of the Christian life. In fact, the debt to love is so important that Paul says it sums up all the commandments.
On a more practical level, the phrase “owe no one anything” also addresses financial debt, which can easily entangle believers in a cycle of worry, stress, and even sin. The Bible has many warnings about the consequences of debt. For example:
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. (Proverbs 22:7)
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you. (Proverbs 3:27–28)
While the Bible doesn’t outright forbid debt, it does encourage believers to live in a way that minimizes the need for borrowing and ensures that when debt is incurred, it is managed responsibly and paid off in a timely manner. Owe no one anything reflects an ideal for Christians to strive for: a life free from the anxiety or spiritual weight that often accompanies financial debt. Owe no one anything reflects an ideal for Christians to strive for: a life free from the anxiety or spiritual weight that often accompanies financial debt.
In a more spiritual sense, Paul is contrasting financial debt with the “debt of love.” Love, unlike other debts, is something that can never be fully paid off, because it is the very nature of God (1 John 4:8). Christians are to love one another continuously and unconditionally.
The Command to Love: Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39) and even our enemies (Matthew 5:44). This love is not a feeling but an action — a self-sacrificial love that seeks the good of others, as demonstrated by Christ.
The Everlasting Nature of Love: While we may be able to settle other debts or obligations, the debt to love is perpetual. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never ends.” It’s a debt we are never free from, but also one that doesn’t burden us, because it flows out of the grace and love God has shown us.
Love and Obedience to God’s Law: Paul connects this debt to love with the fulfillment of God’s law. Love does no harm to a neighbor, and in loving others, we fulfill the commandments of God (Romans 13:10). In fact, love is the key that unlocks obedience to the rest of God’s commands.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (Matthew 5:43-46)
The Commandments Fulfilled in Love (Romans 13:9-10)
Paul’s statement underscores the heart of God’s law, revealing that love is not merely an emotional concept, but the very action and motivation that leads to obedience. Love is the fulfillment of the law because it covers the moral essence of all commandments. The Ten Commandments can be divided into two sections: the first four focus on love for God, and the last six focus on love for others. Love for God and love for neighbor are inseparable. Jesus made this connection explicitly:
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 5:22:37-40)
Jesus, when asked about the greatest commandment, responded by tying all of God’s law to love. He identified two aspects of love that fulfill the law: love for God and love for others.
How Love Fulfills the Ten Commandments
Now, let’s explore how love fulfills the Ten Commandments.
1. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3)
Love for God: This commandment is fulfilled by loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). When we love God above all, we naturally prioritize Him over all else.
2. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image” (Exodus 20:4-6)
Love for God: True love for God means worshiping Him in spirit and truth, not giving our affection to false idols or worldly distractions (John 4:24).
3. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7)
Love for God: Love for God means honoring His name, speaking reverently of Him, and treating His Word with the utmost respect.
4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8-11)
Love for God: The Sabbath rest is a sign of trust and love for God, acknowledging His sovereignty and provision in our lives by setting aside time to rest in Him.
5. “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12)
Love for Others: Honoring parents is an expression of love for family and authority, and by honoring them, we show respect for God’s design for family.
6. “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13)
Love for Others: The commandment not to murder is fulfilled by loving our neighbors as ourselves. Love values life and seeks to preserve it in all its forms.
7. “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14)
Love for Others: True love respects the sacredness of marriage and relationships. Love is faithful and pure, valuing others’ dignity and commitment.
8. “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15)
Love for Others: Love respects the property and rights of others, and seeks to bless them, not take from them. Love fosters generosity and honesty.
9. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16)
Love for Others: Love speaks the truth in all situations, protecting the reputation and dignity of others, never slandering or deceiving.
10. “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17)
Love for Others: Love rejoices in the blessings of others and does not covet what belongs to them. It promotes contentment and celebrates the well-being of others.
Imagine a lawmaker who has spent years crafting the most detailed set of rules designed to keep a community in harmony. These rules cover everything: how to treat others, how to care for the poor, how to resolve conflicts, how to live in peace. But after presenting the law, the lawmaker explains: “All of these rules can be summed up in one simple command: Love one another.”
The community is initially puzzled, as they are so used to the detailed guidelines. However, over time, they realize that if they truly love one another, all the individual rules will fall into place. If they love one another, they will respect each other’s property, honor each other’s dignity, be truthful, avoid harming one another, and forgive each other when wronged.
In the same way, God’s law is not a collection of arbitrary rules but a reflection of His love. When we love God with all our heart and love others as ourselves, we are naturally fulfilling all of His commandments. Love becomes the ultimate law that underpins everything else.
This is the beauty of the Gospel: Christ has fulfilled the law on our behalf, and now we are invited to live out that fulfillment by loving others with the same love we have received from Him.
Love does not cancel or replace the law; rather, it fulfills it. As believers, we are not under the law of sin and death, but under the law of love. Jesus taught us that all the commandments are rooted in love. When we live out this love, we fulfill the law, not by following a strict set of rules, but by allowing love to guide our actions. In the same way, love fulfills the Ten Commandments — by placing others’ needs, dignity, and honor before our own and by pursuing God’s will in all things.
3. The Time is Near: Wake from Sleep (Romans 13:11-12)
Being spiritually vigilant in light of the world around us and the times we live in means being awake, aware, and awaiting in safeguarding our faith, maintaining our commitment to God, and discerning the influence of the world. It is about staying spiritually awake, discerning the times, and living in a manner that honors God, especially when faced with distractions, opposition, or the subtle encroachment of secular and ungodly ideologies into our lives.
1. Being Alert to the Deceptions of the World
The Bible warns us to be vigilant because the enemy is actively working to deceive and lead believers astray (1 Peter 5:8). Spiritual vigilance means recognizing the spiritual battles we face — whether they are internal temptations, external pressures, or societal changes. The world’s values are often contrary to God’s commands, and it’s easy to get swept up in the culture’s calls for conformity, materialism, or self-centeredness.
‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. (Revelation 3:1–3)
2. Guarding Our Hearts and Minds
Spiritual vigilance also requires proactively guarding our hearts and minds. The enemy often tries to infiltrate our thoughts through subtle temptations, distractions, or false teachings. A vigilant believer is one who stays grounded in God’s Word, continually renewing their mind with truth, and remaining steadfast in prayer. This is necessary to discern right from wrong, truth from lies, and to maintain spiritual purity in a morally confusing world.
We are called to protect ourselves from falling into sin or compromise, understanding that every small deviation can lead to a greater downfall. As Paul urges in Philippians 4:8, we must fix our thoughts on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23)
3. Keeping Our Love Alive and Active
As we discussed in this study, love is the fulfillment of the law. A spiritually vigilant believer does not grow weary in well-doing, but continues to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind, and loves others as themselves. Vigilance requires perseverance in love, especially in a world that often prioritizes self-interest over sacrifice.
Spiritual vigilance means refusing to let the love of Christ grow cold in our hearts, especially as we see the increase of evil in the world. It means staying rooted in love despite the temptation to become cynical, bitter, or apathetic about the needs around us. This is especially relevant in times of persecution, societal upheaval, or global challenges when it’s easy to focus inward and forget about our mission to love others.
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. (Revelation 2:4)
4. Staying Watchful and Prepared for Christ’s Return
The final aspect of spiritual vigilance is remaining alert to the return of Jesus Christ. As we see the sign of the times unfolding, with increasing moral decay, political unrest, and signs of a world ripe for the coming of the Antichrist, it’s crucial to stay watchful and prepared for Christ’s return. This vigilance is not just about anticipating His return, but also about living in a way that demonstrates expectation, readiness, and commitment to the mission He has entrusted to us.
Jesus repeatedly urged His followers to be vigilant, watchful, and ready for His coming — not in idle waiting, but in active living out His commands. This involves both personal holiness and a zealous commitment to spreading the Gospel.
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. (Matthew 24:42)
4. Put on Christ and Make No Provision for the Flesh (Romans 13:13-14)
Paul lists behaviors that belong to the darkness: drunkenness, orgies, sexual immorality, quarreling, and jealousy. These are works of the flesh that believers should avoid. Instead, they are to live in a manner that reflects the light of Christ, living uprightly and honorably, as children of the day.
Paul urges believers to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” This implies that believers should intentionally clothe themselves with Christ’s nature—His purity, holiness, and love. When we “put on Christ,” we are consciously rejecting the flesh and its desires.
Romans 13:8-14 teaches us that love is the key to fulfilling God’s law and is the driving force behind how we interact with others. As believers, we are called to be spiritually awake, rejecting sin, and putting on the character of Christ. The urgency of Christ’s return should shape our lives, motivating us to live with love, holiness, and purity.
Key Questions for Reflection:
• How can we actively love our neighbors as Christ loves us?
• In what areas of your life do you need to wake up and be spiritually alert?
• What practical steps can you take today to “put on Christ” and reflect His light?
