A tough commission

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. (Romans 13:8 NLT)

What debt do you carry today? Is it a financial one? A spiritual one? A relational one? Maybe all three apply to you today - but the greatest 'debt' we owe is love. We are loved so much by our heavenly father and all he asks of us is to return that love by loving others - even the unlovable!

You might have heard it said that we can hate the sin but love the sinner. This is true, of course, but how many times do we equate the sinner and the sin as 'one'? We see the sin and then reject the sinner in due course. This is just the opposite of what God did. He saw the sinner, hated the sin, but loved the sinner enough to make a way for the sinner to be made holy through the blood of Jesus. Love didn't overlook the sin.

Because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus, the sinner is now without sin. The love of God made a way for the sin nature we all bear to be 'replaced' with the nature of Christ. In turn, we are no longer sinners - we are whole individuals, no longer broken by sin, no longer under the penalty of that sin. Love embraces the sinner - never overlooking the sin - but pointing the way for the sinner to be set free from their sin.

Owe nothing to anyone except the debt of love. All other 'debt' pales in comparison. We focus so much on what we 'owe' to others, but we seldom focus on this debt of love. We might do well to consider 'relational debt' a little more! It could make for a much happier place to work and live!

The love for one's neighbor doesn't build walls to isolate, it removes walls in order to invite. It creates a welcoming environment. It looks beyond what one can 'get' and sees what one might 'give'. We might not always feel like we 'owe' an individual love, especially when their behavior has been less than stellar, but if we are to help others find the love of God in their own lives, we have to first model it in ours.

We are called to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul. It doesn't stop there. The love we show to each other is the very next command. There may be no tougher commission than this one - there also may be no greater reward than this one. Just sayin!