Today’s passage: Romans 13:8-14
Helpful thoughts:
- In accordance with the rest of Scripture, verse 8 does not forbid debt of any kind (e.g. Matthew 5:42). The idea, as is translated in the NIV, is to not let our debt “remain outstanding.”
- The one indebtedness that we remain under is to love one another. When we are giving of ourselves sacrificially for the benefit of others, we are fulfilling the Law.
- The call to love in verses 8-10 are seen in stark contrast with the warning and challenge of verses 11-14.
- When we are busy actively pursuing Jesus Christ and loving other people, it’s hard to get caught up in selfish sin.
Questions to consider:
- How does the illustration of darkness and light (Night and day) correlate with the reality of our conversion, new life in Christ and future glorification?
- In what way does love take the sting (Or even the annoyance) out of following laws? When good and right laws feel like a burden to us, what is revealed about our desires? How does our love for God and for others change our motivation for our actions?
- Where does our love come from? What is the context of the love that fuels us to love others (1 John 4:19)?