Debt Free. Romans 13.

“Debt free!” It’s a worthy goal and aspiration of many people. We want to be free from unnecessary financial obligations to others that enslave us. However, the Bible says that there is one debt that we should always owe. Your first inclination might be to think that the debt would be to God. However, Paul has another debtor in mind.

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another” (emphasis added). Our debt to God was paid in full by Jesus at the cross, but our debt to other Christians is never paid off. This means that we are never done demonstrating love to other people in the church. Jesus declared that loving others was a facet of the greatest commandment in the Law (Matt. 22:39 -40). Here Paul goes a step further by saying that if you love another Christian you have fulfilled the law.

This challenges us on a number of fronts. We want to believe that there is a basic standard and that there is an “above-and-beyond” standard. We feel that if we do more than the basic requirements that there should be some kind of reward for us. The way Paul presents this, there is no “above-and-beyond.” No matter how much love I have shown for another person, I haven’t given them all the love that I owe to them. This definitely challenges many of us. We don’t want to be in debt to another person. I have known people that intentionally refuse to accept the good graces of others because they don’t want to owe them anything.

This challenge to never be “all paid up” in the loving others category is a revolutionary idea, especially in light of our culture. The truth is that this world’s system is passing away and Jesus’ return is imminent. When we choose to live counter-culturally by loving others without end our attachment to this world diminishes, and we put ourselves in a better place to be ready to welcome Jesus when he returns.

hook's note: Scott Gassoway is Pastor of Middle School Students at BCC.