Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Thought for Today
Romans is one of my favorite books. Paul's primary focus, as inspired by God, is His instruction for how to live and love each other, His way.
Right off the bat, Paul's against incurring debt. 'Owe no one anything', is this a prohibition against too much Christmas shopping or excessive indebtedness? No and yes; Paul's trying to convey that when we live according to God's perfect plan, we are to love God with our heart, mind and soul. His second commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:30-31, and Luke 10:27) As we love others as ourselves, we desire to fulfill our commitments and live within God's provision. So when it comes to shopping, we need to be responsible while being generous to those we love. In regards to indebtedness, we are to be responsible in our planning for meeting our family needs, and to pay off what we incur. Living responsibly and generously serve as an example for others, especially to our children and family.
Paul goes on to remind us about fulfilling, living out the Lord's commandments as living examples in all other aspects of our lives. Luther's Large Catechism is a great resource for going deeper into how we should understand the 10 Commandments. Another great resource is Rev. Colin Smith's "The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life, Finding Freedom In God's Commands".
When we 'cast off the darkness of night', our unbelief, and put on the 'armor of light', we put on Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have a new life, a new world view and perspective. God's heart desire is for us to become more like Jesus. That's His Will for you and me.
Prayer
Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the Holy Spirit. Thank You for the enlightenment that only You can bring into my heart, mind and soul. I submit to You and ask that You change me to become mare like Jesus each and every day. Amen
Devotional Quote
If thou dost continually draw thine impulse, thy life, the whole of thy being from the Holy Spirit, without whom thou canst do nothing; and if thou dost live in close communion with Christ, there will be no fear of thy having a dry heart.
― Charles Spurgeon
Quote of the Day
You cannot fulfil God's purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans.
My Role in God's Plan
Romans 13:8-14
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Thought for Today
Romans is one of my favorite books. Paul's primary focus, as inspired by God, is His instruction for how to live and love each other, His way.
Right off the bat, Paul's against incurring debt. 'Owe no one anything', is this a prohibition against too much Christmas shopping or excessive indebtedness? No and yes; Paul's trying to convey that when we live according to God's perfect plan, we are to love God with our heart, mind and soul. His second commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:30-31, and Luke 10:27) As we love others as ourselves, we desire to fulfill our commitments and live within God's provision. So when it comes to shopping, we need to be responsible while being generous to those we love. In regards to indebtedness, we are to be responsible in our planning for meeting our family needs, and to pay off what we incur. Living responsibly and generously serve as an example for others, especially to our children and family.
Paul goes on to remind us about fulfilling, living out the Lord's commandments as living examples in all other aspects of our lives. Luther's Large Catechism is a great resource for going deeper into how we should understand the 10 Commandments. Another great resource is Rev. Colin Smith's "The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life, Finding Freedom In God's Commands".
When we 'cast off the darkness of night', our unbelief, and put on the 'armor of light', we put on Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have a new life, a new world view and perspective. God's heart desire is for us to become more like Jesus. That's His Will for you and me.
Prayer
Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the Holy Spirit. Thank You for the enlightenment that only You can bring into my heart, mind and soul. I submit to You and ask that You change me to become mare like Jesus each and every day. Amen
Devotional Quote
If thou dost continually draw thine impulse, thy life, the whole of thy being from the Holy Spirit, without whom thou canst do nothing; and if thou dost live in close communion with Christ, there will be no fear of thy having a dry heart.
― Charles Spurgeon
Quote of the Day
You cannot fulfil God's purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans.
― Rick Warren