We Don’t Owe Anything To Anyone.
We Don’t Owe Anything To Anyone
By: Dr. Danny Purvis
Despite the fact that this might seem to be a bit of a provocative title, there is something about this we need to talk about. This is advice that is commonly given by the most well-meaning folks mostly during the times we are in conflict with other people. Regardless of the specifics of that conflict. I know that previous sentence is a sentence fragment, but bear with my bad grammar. Christians and non-Christians alike have given this advice either to others or ourselves on more than one occasion. And, as mentioned before, this advice is offered during times in which we find ourselves in conflict with another person. But we have to ask ourselves a question. Is this advice Biblically true? The short answer is…it depends.
It depends on how you define “anything” and “anyone”. To be true, there are a great many things that we do not “owe” to other people (excluding, of course, rightly incurred financial debts). If we see a homeless person, we do not owe it to them to help. It is, of course, a very good thing to do. And we should do it as much as we can in the ways that are the most helpful. But we do not owe them. Forced altruism is not altruism. If someone openly, unapologetically, and continuously attempts to take advantage of us…we do not owe them our time or energy. We can certainly choose to do so…but it is not owed. So, in that vein, numbers wise, there are not many things we owe other people. But there is a huge caveat to that statement.
In Paul’s letter to the Roman church, he says something very interesting in chapter 13. Paul writes: “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law (Romans 13:8)”. I hope you see how much weight hangs on the preposition “except” in this sentence. Paul starts out seeming to conclude that there is very little we actually owe other living people on this planet. But “except” changes everything. There is an exception that clearly indicates that there is at least one thing that every Christian owes every single human being on the planet. Love. But that begs the obvious question: What does that look like?
First of all, let’s not take any cues about love from the world. The world loves to lecture us constantly about love, but they lack one key ingredient. Love. This is noy my assumption, it is God’s assertion. The only people capable of true love on this planet are the children of God…Believers. That’s not me saying this, these are God’s words (1 John 4:7-8). And it makes sense. Since God IS love, then only those who have God indwelling them are capable of love. The best the world can do is create a very cheap imitation. And they deconstruct love into a sappy, emotion-driven feeling instead of what it actually is…an act of the will. And the only ones who can truly love are those with the supernatural ability to love which can only come from the Holy Spirit Who indwells us Who empowers that will.
Jesus points this out very clearly in Luke 6:32-36. There He tells us that the world is only capable of loving those who love (their version of love) us back. Here He is telling us that the world’s version of love is completely self-motivated and self-rewarding. Which is the exact opposite of God’s love. He openly says that if you “love” like the world, that is no love at all. So, along with everything else the world has to offer, we cannot define love as the world defines it. But make no mistake…we do owe the world love. Ana, again, what does that look like?
Since we are not shackled by the emotion driven aspects of love, we need to see it for what it actually is since we do, in fact, owe it to people who abjectly hate us. Does the mean we have to be buddies with them? Does it mean that they have to reciprocate? Does it mean that we have to spend any quality time with them? It appears that we do not. There is an interesting verse tucked away in 2 John. In talking about false teachers, John writes in verses 10-11: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works”. In context, John is referring to people who espouse false teachings about Jesus. But more broadly he is saying that you do not owe these folks hospitality in your home. That would seem to is, in our culture, rude or maybe even lacking in love. But it does not say that you should not love the person, but you do not owe them a platform for harming you. We owe love…not an opportunity for them to hurt us.
That love is a mirror of God’s love for His people. Why? “But God shows His love for us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). If God only loved those who loved Him first…we would all be doomed. So, it is a picture of that love. Also in Romans 13 we are told why we owe the world love. In verse 9, Paul lists off a few of the 10 Commandments. They are to represent the 2nd table of the Law that deals with our interactions with other people on the planet. He lists that we should not commit adultery, murder, stealing, and covetousness. See what God is doing here? He knows that we will be less likely to commit these acts against a person (our neighbor, used in the broadest sense possible) the more we realize that we are to love them. And even if we do them, then we are more likely to feel repentance for such acts. So, love for others…actually benefits us.
God instituted the Law and gave His commandments out of love. They are the framework for having as much of a peaceful life as possible while on this planet. These “rules” are motivated by His love for us. What did Jesus say? “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). And God knows…is showing us here in Romans 13…that if you do not love your neighbor, it will make it easier for you to NOT keep His commandments.
It is an act of the will for us to love those who hate us and treat us badly. But it is His will. And the onus is on us. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). The desire to love others comes from Him. The ability to love others comes from Him. It is an act of the will because now our will is redeemed into lockstep with His will. You don’t necessarily have to have warm feelings about them…but we are to love them. After all…we owe them that.
-Dr. Danny Purvis
By: Dr. Danny Purvis
Despite the fact that this might seem to be a bit of a provocative title, there is something about this we need to talk about. This is advice that is commonly given by the most well-meaning folks mostly during the times we are in conflict with other people. Regardless of the specifics of that conflict. I know that previous sentence is a sentence fragment, but bear with my bad grammar. Christians and non-Christians alike have given this advice either to others or ourselves on more than one occasion. And, as mentioned before, this advice is offered during times in which we find ourselves in conflict with another person. But we have to ask ourselves a question. Is this advice Biblically true? The short answer is…it depends.
It depends on how you define “anything” and “anyone”. To be true, there are a great many things that we do not “owe” to other people (excluding, of course, rightly incurred financial debts). If we see a homeless person, we do not owe it to them to help. It is, of course, a very good thing to do. And we should do it as much as we can in the ways that are the most helpful. But we do not owe them. Forced altruism is not altruism. If someone openly, unapologetically, and continuously attempts to take advantage of us…we do not owe them our time or energy. We can certainly choose to do so…but it is not owed. So, in that vein, numbers wise, there are not many things we owe other people. But there is a huge caveat to that statement.
In Paul’s letter to the Roman church, he says something very interesting in chapter 13. Paul writes: “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law (Romans 13:8)”. I hope you see how much weight hangs on the preposition “except” in this sentence. Paul starts out seeming to conclude that there is very little we actually owe other living people on this planet. But “except” changes everything. There is an exception that clearly indicates that there is at least one thing that every Christian owes every single human being on the planet. Love. But that begs the obvious question: What does that look like?
First of all, let’s not take any cues about love from the world. The world loves to lecture us constantly about love, but they lack one key ingredient. Love. This is noy my assumption, it is God’s assertion. The only people capable of true love on this planet are the children of God…Believers. That’s not me saying this, these are God’s words (1 John 4:7-8). And it makes sense. Since God IS love, then only those who have God indwelling them are capable of love. The best the world can do is create a very cheap imitation. And they deconstruct love into a sappy, emotion-driven feeling instead of what it actually is…an act of the will. And the only ones who can truly love are those with the supernatural ability to love which can only come from the Holy Spirit Who indwells us Who empowers that will.
Jesus points this out very clearly in Luke 6:32-36. There He tells us that the world is only capable of loving those who love (their version of love) us back. Here He is telling us that the world’s version of love is completely self-motivated and self-rewarding. Which is the exact opposite of God’s love. He openly says that if you “love” like the world, that is no love at all. So, along with everything else the world has to offer, we cannot define love as the world defines it. But make no mistake…we do owe the world love. Ana, again, what does that look like?
Since we are not shackled by the emotion driven aspects of love, we need to see it for what it actually is since we do, in fact, owe it to people who abjectly hate us. Does the mean we have to be buddies with them? Does it mean that they have to reciprocate? Does it mean that we have to spend any quality time with them? It appears that we do not. There is an interesting verse tucked away in 2 John. In talking about false teachers, John writes in verses 10-11: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works”. In context, John is referring to people who espouse false teachings about Jesus. But more broadly he is saying that you do not owe these folks hospitality in your home. That would seem to is, in our culture, rude or maybe even lacking in love. But it does not say that you should not love the person, but you do not owe them a platform for harming you. We owe love…not an opportunity for them to hurt us.
That love is a mirror of God’s love for His people. Why? “But God shows His love for us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). If God only loved those who loved Him first…we would all be doomed. So, it is a picture of that love. Also in Romans 13 we are told why we owe the world love. In verse 9, Paul lists off a few of the 10 Commandments. They are to represent the 2nd table of the Law that deals with our interactions with other people on the planet. He lists that we should not commit adultery, murder, stealing, and covetousness. See what God is doing here? He knows that we will be less likely to commit these acts against a person (our neighbor, used in the broadest sense possible) the more we realize that we are to love them. And even if we do them, then we are more likely to feel repentance for such acts. So, love for others…actually benefits us.
God instituted the Law and gave His commandments out of love. They are the framework for having as much of a peaceful life as possible while on this planet. These “rules” are motivated by His love for us. What did Jesus say? “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). And God knows…is showing us here in Romans 13…that if you do not love your neighbor, it will make it easier for you to NOT keep His commandments.
It is an act of the will for us to love those who hate us and treat us badly. But it is His will. And the onus is on us. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). The desire to love others comes from Him. The ability to love others comes from Him. It is an act of the will because now our will is redeemed into lockstep with His will. You don’t necessarily have to have warm feelings about them…but we are to love them. After all…we owe them that.
-Dr. Danny Purvis
Recent
Archive
2026
2025
April
August
October
November
2024
January
February
March
July
August
November
December
2023
July
August
September
October
November
Categories
no categories
No Comments