The Debt of Love
Introduction
- Focusing on v8-10
- Previous focus:
- Being obedient, paying taxes
- It is a matter of the heart
- Do we love money? Are our hearts deceitful?
- If we love God we will live according our conscience and do what pleases God
- Moving on from v1-7 (submission to the government)
- Love to your neighbour
- There is continuity
- We should not owe a debt to anyone
- Owe only love
- Paul lists the last 5 commandments - which are about loving your neighbour
- James tells us that the Ten Commandments are a 'law of liberty'
- God's commands are not burdensome
- Overview:
- Owen no-one anything
- Accept the debt of love
- Love fulfills the law of God
Owen no-one anything
- Lending is permitted in the Bible (as long as you don't take advantage of anyone)
- Deut 23:19
- Lev 25:35-38
- Lend because you love the individual
- Context: v7 was about paying taxes
- v8 - 'debts to whom debts are due'
- As Christians we should pay on time
- We should fulfill our word
- We should not harm others by not paying on time
- It is not wrong to have a mortgage, buy a car on hire-purchase or by an item on credit
- We should ask if we have the power to repay the debt
- We should not live beyond our means
- At Christmas time many people get into debt
- We should check ourselves not to get over indulgent
- We should ask if we really need something
- We should not covet
- We should not grasp at things and get into debt
- We live in a materialistic society
- We must be good stewards of what God has given us
- We must have self-control
- We must know the peace of God
- 'I must not have any debts with other people that I cannot pay'
- We must be careful with those things lent to us to give them back
- Kings - Story of the iron axe head
- If we don't give back we are robbing another
- As Christians if we run up debts we dishonour God
Accept the debt of love
- This is something we can never repay
- We love Jesus by obeying Him
- By loving our neighbours as our self
- Matt 22:34-40
- What a wonderful debt to have - to love God and love your neighbour
- He who loves is born of God
- Jesus said that His disciples would love one another
- Paul spoke of a debt of love
- Roman 1:14-15
- His debt was to give the gospel to those who were perishing
- Do we feel this sense of debt to those around us?
- Examples
- We are called to love
- Example of/Quotation from George Whitfield
- May it be that the love of God is poured out in our heart that we may love all ...
- ... our neighbours and our enemies
- Jesus loved His enemies and went to the cross for them
Love fulfills the law of God
- v8b-9
- Think of these commandments - explanation
- As you love, you fulfill these laws
- Being content with the things we have, God weens us away from covetousness
- We must pray that we are content in all situations
- If we are covetous we harm others
- Love
- We must not show partiality
- This is the law of love (and liberty)
- We cannot do away with the Ten Commandments
- If we truly love, we fulfill His law
- Examples
- Only Christ fulfilled the law perfectly - by trusting in Jesus Christ we fulfill these laws
Closing Remarks