INTRODUCTION
In Rome love was certainly not thought of as a virtue. It made you weak. You would never hear anyone tell you to love your enemies. You needed to destroy your enemies.
When Romans said, as it was reported they did, “Look at these Christians, how they love one another” it was not a compliment. It was ridicule.
If I ask, “Who is the “apostle or disciple of love”?” whom would you say it was?
If you said, John, you’d have a good reason to do so.
John uses the word love times in his gospel, letters and the Book of Revelation.
The other three gospel writers together only use the word love times.
A very good case can be made for also being an apostle of love.
Evidence:
1. Paul tells us about the fruit of the Spirit. Which is the first fruit of the Spirit? . Galatians 5:22
2. Who wrote the only chapter dedicated to describing love?. 1 Cor 13
3. What one thing is better than possessing the best of spiritual gifts? Possessing . Paul told us that. 1 Cor 12:31+
4. Paul also reminded the people he wrote to of his love for them, sometimes multiple times.
1 Corinthians 16:24
2 Corinthians 2:4
2 Corinthians 11:11
2 Corinthians 12:15
Philippians 4:1
5. Paul set an example of love for others
2 Timothy 3:10
6. Love was the centerpiece of much his instruction on how believers were to live
Romans 12:9, 10
Romans 13:8-10
Romans 14:15
1 Corinthians 8:1
1 Corinthians 16:14
Galatians 5:13, 14
Ephesians 5:2
Ephesians 5:25
1 Thessalonians 4:9
1 Timothy 1:5
Titus 2:4
In 103 of all of the verses that Paul wrote, he mentioned love times.
So, I think we could make a good case for Paul being an apostle of love.
That said, neither John nor Paul invented the idea of Christians loving each other and of loving their enemies.
The OT commanded love for others:
Leviticus 19:18
Jesus also commanded us to love each other as he loved us and to treat others as we would want to be treated.
As we said, Paul brought up the rule of love in Romans 12:9 and 10
Romans 12:9–10 (ESV)
Here Paul was thinking especially of the love we should show to in Christ – other members of God’s family, members of the church.
In 12:14-21 Paul urged us to live in and harmony with all people, at least as it is in our power to do so. It would be right to see this as the practical application of the principle of love toward those .
So, in from Romans 12:9 to Romans 12:21 Paul spoke of loving others both inside and outside the church. Last week we saw that in Romans 13:1-7 he changed the subject. He urged us to submit to civil authority, to pay our taxes and to show honor to civil authorities.
However, in today’s passage, Romans 13:8-10, we learn that Paul is not finished talking about love. Why, you might ask, so much emphasis on love? The proper answer is: . God knew what the Roman Christians needed, and then what we, 2000 years later, would need. What God knew they needed, and what he knew back then that we would need is more encouragement to love.
Let’s follow the simple outline Paul gives us. It consists of just two points: a debt we need to pay, and the reason we need to pay it.
The one debt need to pay: for everyone, 8a
“owe” – to be indebted to. Used almost exclusively in NT for financial debt. Here the word refers to the obligation to love others.
Paul specifically says not to owe others anything .
Paul’s point here is simple. There is one thing we are to continually owe to all other people: love. It is a debt that is on-going. We can never say we’ve made the final payment on the love we owe to others.
The reason why paying this debt is so important: it , 8b-10
Here Paul explains reason for paying the debt of love to everyone. It fulfills the law.
Perhaps he was thinking of the Jewish believers in Rome who were still zealous for the Law. For them, and also for all of us, the way to do all that God wants us to do is simply to love Him and love others.
If Paul’s words sound familiar it might be because this is exactly what Jesus taught:
Matthew 22:36–40
When we love God and love others, we fulfill the very commandments God ever gave.
By loving others we do that God would want us to do for them.
action can fulfill a of the Ten Commandments. That action is to others.
All the laws regarding how we treat others can be summed up by just one: Love your neighbor as yourself.
As Paul says, love never wrongs a neighbor, so love ends up fulfilling the law.
If you and I are serious about obeying God and being pleasing to him, we must and then this debt we have to all people, to love them with agape love.
CONCLUSION
We have a debt to others that must be paid. Our payment of this debt never ends. We are to love people at times.
The love we owe is agape love:
Not Hollywood love.
Not love.
Love that is a .
It is the choice to give ourselves unselfishly for the best that is possible for someone else.
This love is:
: It is not love or love .
: not concerned about the cost, inconvenience, expense, etc.
Aimed at the for others: focused on doing what is and good for the other.
While Paul is clear about what we are to do and why, let’s be honest, it’s much easier to about love than to .
It was in a Peanuts comic strip that Charlie Brown overheard Lucy saying, “People, people, people! I can’t stand people.” Charlie: “I thought you said you loved all mankind.” Lucy: “I do love all mankind. It’s people I can’t stand.”
You may have had many moments like this.
The love command wouldn’t have come naturally for Lucy and it doesn’t for us.
The good news?
1. Agape’ love has been poured out through the Holy Spirit
Romans 5:5
2. If we rely on rather than our own efforts, love will be the result.
Galatians 5:22 (ESV)
This means we love just as God wants. He’s put his love for others in our hearts. We just need to . He’s also given us the Holy Spirit within us to enable us to supernaturally love others unselfishly and unconditionally.
First we have to own this debt. Then we have to pay it.