The Marks Of A True Christian Series

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.