Romans 13:8 - Forerunner Commentary

Romans 13:8

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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans 13:8:

Romans 13:8-10
Excerpted from: Love's Importance and Source

In this context, it is shown by Paul that love is the sum of all duty. It is the sum, the epitome, the peak. It is the sum of all duty.

The contrast here is that there is a debt that we owe every man, every day. Reflect for just a moment on the principle Jesus taught us in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The lesson in that parable is: Who is your neighbor? Anybody who needs help. Anybody who comes across your path who needs help. What we have here is a debt then that we owe every man, every day. And regardless of how much a payment on that debt we pay one day, when we wake up the next day, the debt is restored, and we owe just as much as we did the day before.

Did you get that? This debt of love that we owe can never ever, really, be paid in full. You see, love never ends. It is always useful. There is never going to be a time when love is not needed. That is why it is the sum of all duties. And it is the Christian's duty to give help where it is needed.

This sets up an interesting paradox because we must owe everyone more than we could ever hope to pay. But this paradox is more apparent than real because the paradox is not what Paul is teaching about. What he is teaching is that love has to be the driving force—the motivation—of everything we do. That is the real lesson.

You see, the law on the books is not, of and by itself, enough to motivate us to obey it. But—and this is what Paul is getting at—love towards God and man can motivate one to do what the law says. It can make us do what the law cannot do.

One conclusion that we can reach here, then, is that it is Paul's claim that if one does this—that is, is motivated by love—then he will automatically keep all the commandments. A somewhat different conclusion is that Paul is saying that if one does not break the commandments, then he is acting out of love. You can take it either way. That is why he lists those commandments. I think that the second one that I gave is the weaker of the two. So, within this context then, he is saying that every phase, every facet, of our responsibility to God and man is covered if we make sure that love has its proper place as the motivation for all we do.

If we really love another person, we cannot possibly injure him. You see, love would stifle at birth the thoughts that lead to adultery, theft, any form of covetousness because love cannot hurt another in those ways. Therefore, it cannot break the laws designed to protect the other person. You see, love provides the right kind of coercion. Think about that.

Articles
Is the Christian Required To Do Works? (Part Six)
Is the Love of Many Growing Cold?
Passover, Obligation, and Love
The Fruit of the Spirit: Love
The Sixth Commandment

Bible Studies
Love
Self-Control

Booklets
What Do You Mean . . . the Unpardonable Sin?  (2)

Essays
No Need to Borrow

Sermons
The Law's Purpose and Intent
Liberty and Justice for All
Discerning Signs and Redeeming Time
Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Two): Cultivating Love
Lacking Nothing (Part 3)
The Handwriting is on the Wall (2008)
The Sixth Commandment
Sin and Overcoming, (Part 2): What Is Sin Like?
Debt and Obligation
The Essence of Self-Control
Strategies for Escaping Babylon (Part Six)
Foolishness and Cleansing
Whose Morality Are We Following?
Repentance and Righteousness (Part 2)
Warfare!
Self-Government and Responsibility (Part Three)
By This We Know Love!
We Give Our Heads and Hearts
Agape: Does Not Envy

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