Christian Debt

In the sermon this week, Pastor Andrew referenced Romans 13:8, which says, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” After hearing this verse, there were three questions that came to mind:

1) What does it mean to owe no one anything?

2) How can I demonstrate the type of love that Paul calls us to have toward others?

3) What is the connection between love and the law of God?

Owe No One Anything

My first question is what does it mean to owe no one anything? Does this mean that a Christian can never, under any circumstance, have any outstanding debt? Typically, when we think of a debt, we think of owing money to someone else. So, does the Bible forbid us from borrowing money for a house? Does it forbid a college student from taking out a student loan? Does it prevent us from taking out a business loan to start our own business?

No, the Bible does not teach that going into debt is always a sin. If borrowing money was always a sin, then it would also mean that Christians could never lend money. Think about it, if borrowing money is a sin, then by lending money we would be aiding and abetting sinful actions. Yet, in the sermon on the mount, Jesus said, “Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you” (Matt. 5:48).  Jesus encourages lending here. There are also other places in Scripture that lay out guidelines for lending money. Since there are guidelines for lending in the Bible, it only makes sense that both lending and borrowing are permitted and not always sinful. However, they can be!

Christians need to be extremely careful about getting into debt and they need to be prudently striving to get out of debt as soon as possible. Proverbs teaches that “the borrower is servant to the lender” (Prov. 22:7). This shows us that going in to debt can be extremely dangerous.

So how should Christians think about borrowing money? I think that Randy Alcorn is helpful in answering that question when he says, “unless there is an overwhelming need to borrow, it’s unwise for God’s children to put themselves under the curse of indebtedness.” There are certain situations that we will encounter in life that will require us to borrow money. House loans, school loans, and  even automobile loans can all fall under that category.

What we must be cautious of is living beyond our means just because money is available. Take buying a car for example. Cars can be useful in bringing us to and from work, going to get groceries, or picking up kids from daycare. However, I should not use that as an excuse to buy the fully loaded SUV with TV’s and a sunroof if that is going to place me under financial duress.

To owe no man anything means to pay all debts and obligations. But the most important debt that we owe is the debt of love.

The Debt We Always Owe

After Paul says that we are to owe no one anything, he makes one major distinction. He says, ‘except to love each other.’  There is one debt that will always remain outstanding for believers. That debt is to love each other. This debt is one that we can never pay in full and it is one that should never be neglected by us. To not express love to one another is to sin. But it doesn’t just mean to love our Christian brothers and sisters, it means to love all who are made in the image of God.

The Greek word that Paul uses for love here is Agape. It is the type of love that can only be wrought in our hearts by the Spirit of God producing the fruit of love in us. This type love expresses a strong interest in others and it even loves others even when love is not reciprocated. This type of love is sacrificial on our part (1 Cor. 13). It is a love that is focused on the needs and welfare of others even when they don’t deserve it.

Only Christians can manifest this type of love because they have personally experienced this type of love. We love God because he has first loved us (1 John 4:19). He sent his only Son to die for us, while we were still enemies. Since we have experienced such love, we are called to demonstrate that love to others.

This type of love would have been uncommon in the Roman culture to which Paul was addressing. Love would have been seen as a sign of weakness. Yet, this is how God would have His people act toward others. God is love (1 John 4:16) and when we love others we reflect his glory to others.

Love and God’s Law

In the last part of Romans 13:8, Paul says, “the one who loves one another has fulfilled the law.” What is the connection between the law of God and our love toward others? The connection is this – God’s law teaches us how to love. In verse 9, Paul defines God’s law as: not committing adultery, not murdering, not stealing, and not coveting. These are all part of the second table of the 10 commandments (the last six commandments). The commandments of the second table of the law all deal with loving our neighbor. In Matthew 22:39, Jesus summarized the second table of the law when he said “love your neighbor as yourself.”

In the hands of a Christian empowered by the Spirit, God’s law is gracious in this way. God’s law describes concrete ways for us to know how to love our neighbor. God does not leave us in the dark for our hearts to try and decide how to do his will. In this way, God’s law teaches us how to love our neighbor as ourself. That’s why Paul states in verse 10 that “love is fulfilling the law.”