Owe no man but to love them!

I pulled into the parking spot at my townhouse and became angry. My neighbor had taking my sprinkler and moved it out of place to cut his lawn again (I water my grass with a set timer and the sprinkler sits right on my property not to far from his property line. To get his entire grass cut he sometimes has to move my sprinkler for some reason). Anyways, I said allowed to my wife that “he should have put my house back!” I was angered because he didn’t care to place my sprinkler back. It’s just a thing a respect. See I know that he sees my sprinkler turn on daily and he knows I take care of my lawn well. Just have the respect of putting my sprinkler back, which is not even on your property. Anyways, my wife attempted to correct me, saying “I didn’t have righteous anger”. I told her that “anger should not lead to sin” is what the scripture says. She said okay waiting to see if I was going to defend my answer. I just kept a peaceful tone and finished helping her and my sons get out of the van. When I left for work this morning I put my sprinkler back in the right spot and began to think about God’s love. I thought about cutting my neighbors grass for him. I thought about doing something good to him, even though he angered me yesterday. I said within myself, “I am going to cut my neighbors lawn next time I see his grass growing, so he doesn’t have to worry about cutting it. This way he doesn’t have to go outside and can be with his family.” That’s love in action my friends.

No doubt, I was angry, but was I to let the sun go down on my anger. Oh no, instead I desired to love my neighbor, to do something good to him. You may say, “you cutting his lawn keeps him from moving your sprinkler!!”. True, but I want to cut his yard so he can rest for change and spend time with his family. What’s more important is that my neighbor is comforted. Do you see Christians, how the love of Christ operates? There’s no thought of me getting him back. There’s no anger that I want to go and tell him off. No, I desired to love him and do good to him. This leads us into the scripture.

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8)

Many times we can look at this verse and only take what the first part says: Owe no man any thing. But we have to look at the whole thing to understand what the scripture is teaching us. In the 13th Chapter of Romans, the verses before this one, Paul is speaking about the governments and authorities all being under God’s rule. He teaches us how to be peaceful with the governments that rule over us. To help us get the full concept Paul writes about what fulfills the law: LOVE. In verse 7, the scripture says:

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. (Romans 13:7)

Then we are told in verse 8 to owe no man. Wait, I thought I was to render therefore all their dues? Yes, but that is done through loving them. Aha, do you see it? LOVE. In verse 8, the Greek verb agapaō (ä-gä-pä'-ō ) is used. This used to mean to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, or to love dearly of a person. Verse 10 in Romans 13, explains even better:

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:10)

So the love that I am to owe to everyone is that which works no ill against my neighbor. If I love my government, then I will pay what they say is due them because I don’t want to work no ill towards them, according to the will of God. Remember what Jesus Christ taught about this love:

And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. (Luke 10:30-37)

Doing this type of love to all men shows the very nature of God. For God’s divine nature is to love. The love that seeks not to work any ill towards His people:

The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:7-8)

If God loves like that, should not we do the same, even when our neighbor upsets us? Or have we forgotten what the Lord Jesus Christ has said to us?

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)

The love of God should be in our actions. When neighbors do us wrong, and as angry as we are, our minds should be focused, or should become focused on doing that which is good. Taking the situation I presented to you earlier, what would have been the wrong action? Sure, to go up to my neighbors door, knock on it at, and let him know just how I really felt about him, displaying all my anger over a sprinkler being out of place. Or maybe lie in wait for the best time to tell him not to move my sprinkler again. I’ll even add a please in there for respect’s sake. This is still wrong because where is the love of Jesus Christ being shown? Oh I told him about the sprinkler but where was the good that comes with it. I just wanted him/her to know not to disrespect me anymore, but what does the scripture say:

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)

Do you see anything about me getting my way? You may be thinking of some situation to challenge me about what is being presented here. Maybe like me being in court, looking at a man who just killed my wife and family, receive his sentence of death. What good could I do to him? He received his just reward, and I did the right thing by testifying against him. I didn’t kill him when I saw him viciously attack my family. Oh I wanted to, but I didn’t. What love could I do? I’ve done enough right? No, I’m talking about a love that would write this inmate as he’s waiting on death row. I’m speaking of a love that would tell him that I love him and though I miss my family, I forgive him. And that if he has nobody to be their for him while he’s in jail, I’ll comfort him and love him until the day he’s taken to the gas chamber and his lungs are filled with all sorts of stuff. Could you do that type of love? Because that is the type of love the scriptures speak about.

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21)

Is that the kind of love that we as Christians show today? Is that what the world sees? Don’t get mad; let’s get real with our Christian walk. Debating the issues in Christendom is fine, but what about living out the Word of God? Do they see Jesus Christ, or just that Reformed Baptist Calvinistic robot? Do our neighbors see you loving the erring sister, or just flashing your “I disagree with women preachers badge”? I have worn that know-it-all badge and acted like a robot, instead of living out the Christ-is-all life at times. Look what did Jesus say we would be known by:

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34-35)

Wouldn’t it be great if people can say to you, “I definitely know you are Christian! What must I do to be saved?” That’s because they saw you living out Romans 13:8. They knew anytime they come to you, they receive the truth in love, and not truth in condemnation with damnation. But Jesus Christ spoke the truth in love. He tore up tables and drove out the money lenders. Where is love and good seen in that?

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. (Matthew 21:12-17)

Or Mark 11 says it better:

And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. (Mark 11:15-18)

Why teach or talk to the people you just cast out right? Aha, because if we had casted them out, we wouldn’t of said a thing to them later on. We would have turned up our noses and said “I am done with you!” Could you be like the Lord Jesus Christ, and teach them, and heal their blind and those sick that came to them? Would the people see you do wonderful things after you have just thrown over tables? Oh my friends, we are called to love, and to love really the way the Lord Jesus Christ loved. We owe no man but to love them. I encourage you to love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul. But also, love your neighbor as yourself. Let’s begin to do good to all men.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10)

Stay in the Word of God and live Him by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. May His grace be with you!

Love,
Bro. Karsten Miller