Paul instructed Christians to pay their debts in their countries and communities. Such debts includetaxes, customs, respect and honour (Romans 13:7). They are debts that get paid off. It is also wise to avoid unnecessary debt just like Paul gave one exception regarding debt. We are to maintain the continuing debt to love one another. Debt could be defined simply as something we owe to a person, or perhaps a financial institution. Payment of that debt is an obligation. In the same way, love is the Christian’s obligation. Christians live under the continuing duty to show love. Paul went on to declare that love fulfills the law (verse 10). Our obligation to love is actually viewed by God as a debt that we owe. It’s not a debt we can ever pay off. Love is an endless debt we owe to one another. It never gets paid in full. Love isn’t a transaction.
We are debtors to God’s undeserved mercy and grace and all of the love that He has lavished upon us. The supreme commandment is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind and strength and then to love our neighbour as ourself (Matthew 22:37-40). Obviously by using the term “neighbour” this reinforces the idea that our love is to be all embracing. It is to be extended to all people. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:9 that we have been taught by God to love one another. And it should not be surprised that love is the first fruit of the spirit that we read in Galatians 5:22.
The commandment to love is not an exhortation to only love our brothers and sisters in Christ, but also to the unsaved. Romans 12:10 instructs us to be devoted to one another in brotherly love. We are all in debt to love. A church is a congregation of debtors and we must go on discharging that debt to Christ until our last breath.
We are indebted to the love of Jesus Christ for our entire salvation. He paid such a price to deliver us from eternal condemnation. What a debt we’ll always owe Him for His love – so amazing and so divine. It demands our soul, our life, and our all. We should do everything within our power to clear our debt of love for one another. When we love our neighbours then that motivates us to treat them fairly and promptly and kindly. It is by love that we can fulfil these words of Paul, “Owe no man anything.” Love is the fulfilment of every law. In fact, none of the laws of God can be fulfilled without love. To all the people around us, we demonstrate our Christian testimony by demonstration of love. Galatians 6:10 says: “Do good to all men, especially those of the household of faith.” Paul said, in Colossians 3:14, “Put on love.” First Corinthian 14:1, “Follow after love.” Philippians 1:9,
“Abound in love.” First Timothy 2:15, “Continue in love.” And Peter adds in 1 Peter 1:22, “Be fervent in love.” And, obviously, we are to be bound together by the bond of perfection, which is love.
So, we’re to love everyone and that’s the debt of love. Christians ought to be known in the world as those who love. What is love? It involves ministering to the needs of others. Ministering to the needs of others is labour of love. Hebrews 6:10 says, “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love.”
• Today’s Nugget: Abound in Love. Prayer: Lord help me to grow in love. Prayer lines: 08033299824. E-mail: [email protected]. Rev. (Dr) Abel UkachiAmadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria.
