This Biblical passage (Romans 13:8) presents a puzzle to so many people since it says: “Owe no man anything except love.” We need to understand the Biblical principles of dealing with money. Does it mean if we lack money and there is an opportunity to borrow from friends or to get soft loan, we should not attempt such since the Bible says, “owe no one anything?” This is absolutely “No!” We can take loan from people or organisations, and can even buy houses on loan; but we must resolve that we are going to pay back and we must be working towards paying our debts.

The scripture says pay your taxes. We are to submit to the government; good Christians pay their taxes. Do not evade taxes. In fact, verses 6 and 7 of Romans Chapter 13 tell us why. “For the authorities are God’s servants.” In other words, we are to pay our taxes. You are also to pay your private debt. The goal of every Christian ought to be to get out of debt and stay out of debt.

Paul says in Romans 13:8 that we must pay the primary debt of love. It’s not your public debt, paying your taxes. It’s not your private debt. It is your primary debt, and it is to love your neighbour. The passage presents love as a debt that must be paid no matter the circumstance. It is a continuous debt we pay as we continue in the Heavenly race. You can come to a place where your financial debts are paid off. But when it comes to the debt of love we owe, we never completely pay it off. We are always indebted, and we will keep on paying it. Jesus has designated our neighbours as our creditors. Who is your neighbour? It is the person who lives next door to you or down the street from you. That is true! But it’s also the person sitting next to you in the pew or behind you or in front of you. Your neighbour is also the person you pass by on the road every week. This says everyone is your neighbour and we are bound to show love to everyone. That’s to whom we repay the debt. You find someone who needs love; write them out a check of love. You find someone who hurts you and needs forgiveness, you write them a check of forgiveness. That’s how you repay this debt.

Love is not some ethereal concept you just can’t grasp. Love is so practical, it means you don’t think of yourself, you think of the other person.

Apostle Paul invited us to know and live out real love; not fake love. Not transactional or temporary love. Not say one thing and do the opposite thing. Genuine love! Our obligation to love is actually viewed by God as a debt that we owe. That’s an interesting concept: “Don’t let your debt to anyone be outstanding except to love one another.” Why should we love? It is because it is a debt. It is real love that we owe to others that will never end (“love never fails,” 1Corinthians 13:8). Our debt of love can never be fully paid, and we need to live every day in the light of that truth. Romans 13:10 says: “Love does no harm to a neighbour.” No harm! No negative! If you love somebody, you won’t commit adultery with his or her spouse, whichever the case may be.

• Today’s nugget: Love is a Debt. Prayer: Lord help me to love like Christ
Prayer lines: 08033299824. E-mail: [email protected]. Rev. Abel Ukachi Amadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria.