Let's Be Governed by Unconditional Love for our Neighbor

Rom. 13:6-10 NLT

    6  Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.
  8  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. 9 For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10
Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

In the previous paragraph, Paul applied the concept of replacing evil with doing good by outlining the good-natured cooperative spirit with Government that believers must have. Not that we have to agree with politics, just be engaged with the doing good to others and obeying laws. He next applied this to remind us of our social responsibilities to our nation-- to meet obligations of taxes. Again, not that we must agree with the philosophies that run our government at the top, but we do need to meet our obligations responsibly and support the services that clearly benefit us.

Paul expands this beyond responsibilities for our taxes to include all debt. Real wisdom is shared with believers when He says "owe nothing to anyone-- except for . . .love. . ." Love is the fiber of the fabric that makes up the individual believer and the whole body of Christ. Loving our neighbor takes care of all the laws-- the laws of our society and the laws of God.But this love is a special kind that humans cannot normally exercise without divine intervention. All of the sins, all of the social, legal and moral offenses listed both in scripture and in legal books will be avoided when we have unconditional regard for those nearest to us. We will invest in them. We will attend to them ahead of self. We will uplift them, encourage them, and build a culture of compassion. However, it requires divine intervention into one's life by the Holy Spirit of God for this love to exist within the heart-mind of a human being. "You must be born again" Jesus said. You must become a new creation" Paul said elsewhere. What can you do today that this passage inspires you to do? I pray you will do it.

Your servant in Christ's Love

Dan Elliott

drdanelliott@gmail.com