Read Textual Sermon from Jack Hibbs
I Owe You — The Law of Love
(Romans 13:8–14)
Romans chapter 13, verses 8–14. We are now in a brand new section of Romans 13, and for the next few weeks, we’ll be under this title: “I Owe You.”
And it’s true — I owe you. But because our Christianity operates on a two-way street, you owe me. You owe one another.
What could all this mean? It becomes clear in Romans 13, starting at verse 8:
“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he 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 bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
— Romans 13:8–10, NKJV
Father God, we pray that these eternal truths — written for 2,000 years — would be our life’s example and purpose. May we live these truths out to Your glory. In Jesus’ name, and all God’s people said, Amen.
The Call to Live Rightly
This title theme, “I Owe You,” comes on the heels of that great challenge in Romans 13:1–7 — the call to be citizens who are obedient, loving, and standing for what’s right. Those verses taught that when we live according to God’s order, we have no reason to fear the government, which is meant to be an instrument of righteousness.
And yet, we need guidance. We need leading. That’s where the Holy Spirit comes in. God has given us His rule, and when we go outside of it, we face the consequences — not because God is cruel, but because He loves us.
Just as loving parents discipline their children for their good, God disciplines us for ours. Discipline prevents repeated wrongdoing. When there is no fear of consequences, you have lawlessness. And lawlessness is evil.
Romans 13:7 told us:
“Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, and honor to whom honor.”
That word “honor” comes from phobos — meaning both fear and reverence. Context determines meaning. In this sense, it refers to a reverential awe. And we are to love others with that same sense of awe.
Love is not casual. It is commanded, sacred, and to be practiced with reverent seriousness.
The Law of Love
Leviticus 19:18 says:
“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
And 1 John 4:18–19 tells us:
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. He who fears has not been made perfect in love.
We love Him because He first loved us.”
The foundation of Christian life is love.
1. I Owe You — Love (Romans 13:8–10)
Verse 8 says, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”
This does not mean you cannot take out a mortgage, a loan, or use a credit card. Paul is not forbidding borrowing; he’s commanding integrity and honesty in what we owe. A Christian must not live in ongoing debt that damages relationships or creates mistrust.
We are to keep our word. Jesus said, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” If you make a promise — whether in business, family, or marriage — you must keep it.
But the one debt you can never finish paying is the debt of love. You owe it to everyone, always.
The Proof of Love
Love fulfills the law. Paul lists the commandments — do not commit adultery, murder, steal, or covet — and sums them all up in one phrase:
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Because if you truly love, you will not harm.
Dr. J. Vernon McGee once said:
“Don’t tell me you love someone while committing adultery with them. That’s not love — it’s sin in God’s sight.”
If we love one another, we cannot steal, lie, or covet what belongs to someone else. Love does no harm to a neighbor.
And that means we owe each other everything good. I owe you goodness, honesty, kindness, and purity — and you owe me the same.
Love Is the True Measure of a Disciple
John 13:34–35 (KJV):
“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.”
The measure of our discipleship is not church attendance, giving, or service — it’s love.
True discipleship produces a heart that loves God first and others sacrificially.
You cannot claim to love God while living in open sin, cheating your spouse, or harboring hatred in your heart. Love without holiness is not love; it’s self-indulgence.
When God’s love fills your life, you will find yourself loving those who are unlovable, forgiving those who hurt you, and serving even those who oppose you.
The Practical Outworking of Love
Paul wrote in Galatians 5:13–14 (NKJV):
“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
This is not optional.
The Holy Spirit gives us the power to love when our natural heart resists. The true Christian struggles to love better — and that struggle itself is proof of life in Christ.
If you are not struggling to love, if you feel no conviction, it’s time to examine your heart. The false believer feels no grief over lovelessness. The true believer longs to love as Christ loved.
The Love That Changes Everything
When love governs our actions, our homes, and our churches, it brings transformation. Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
This love is sacrificial, not sentimental. It’s practical, not theoretical. It shows itself in obedience, repentance, and restoration.
Love disciplines. Love tells the truth. Love forgives.
And love changes lives.
I owe you love. You owe me love. Together, we owe one another everything good in Christ.
Key Scriptures (Quoted)
- Romans 13:8–10 (NKJV) – “Owe no one anything except to love one another…”
- Leviticus 19:18 (KJV) – “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
- 1 John 4:18–19 (KJV) – “Perfect love casteth out fear… We love him, because he first loved us.”
- John 13:34–35 (KJV) – “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
- Galatians 5:14 (KJV) – “For all the law is fulfilled in one word… Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
🙏 Questions This Sermon Answers
- What does it mean to “owe no one anything except to love”?
- How does love fulfill God’s law?
- Why is love the true mark of a Christian disciple?
- What is the difference between worldly love and biblical love?
- How does the lack of love lead to lawlessness and division?
- How can genuine love restore marriages, homes, and communities?
- Why must believers practice love with both truth and holiness?
