At the start of 2021, we began a study on How to Survive in a Post-Christian World.  The influence of Christianity, especially in the western world, is on the decline.

With this decline comes a change in how people respond to Christians. More and more we will find ourselves out of sorts with our community, even with people we know well and love.

We will begin to experience persecution. For that reason, I am preparing my church to handle the coming persecution.

Over the past three messages, we have studied how we should respond to our leaders, especially the government. Today we will begin to look at our responsibility to our community or to our neighbors.

Today you will learn that no matter how people in your community might behave or think you must love them.

And at the end of this message, I will share with you a piece of Scripture that I have intentionally held back these past three weeks.

Let’s pray.

Open your Bibles to Romans 13.

We will read verses 8-10.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Before we get into the Scripture I want you to make a list either in your mind or on paper of the people you meet and interact with every day.

If you are married with kids, then your spouse and kids would be on the top of the list. If you work, then your coworkers would be on the list. There are others in the community, maybe a business you frequent, or a school you attend. These are the names on your list.

Paul in the first 7 verses of Romans 13 taught us our responsibility to our government officials. Now he pulls the lesson back closer to home. He will now teach us what our responsibility is to those we see almost every day – your spouse, your kids, your parents, your co-workers, your neighbors.

 

The first few words of the passage – “Let no debt remain outstanding...” is not a lesson on credit. Rather, Paul is using financial debts to make a point about our obligations to one another.

He is saying that there is no maximum limit on the amount of love we are to give to someone else. Love is a permanent obligation that we must have for those close to us.

How much are we supposed to love our wives, husbands, or kids? How much are we supposed to love our family? There is no amount that is too much. Whatever the amount that you give in love to those close to you it is not enough.

And that includes unbelievers. And that includes people who are very different from you.

Before we get into the heart of this passage look at the end of verse nine. Paul sums all of the above by using Jesus’ teaching “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

When you love your neighbor you are loving those you interact with every day. The Bible is telling you to love real people.

Paul is referencing the Law and Jesus’ teaching. Let’s look first at Matthew 22:37-40.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

There is much we can say about this passage but let’s just keep the discussion centered around the reason we came here. Jesus teaches that the second greatest commandment is “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Let’s start inward and move out with these questions.

• How do you love yourself? What are some ways you love yourself?
• What are ways that you show love to those close to you? Spouse, kids, parents...
• How do you express love to your co-workers or to your neighbor?
• How do you love those in the community – cashier, a trade you hire,
• Finally, how do you show the love of God to those who are opposed to you?

The scripture that both Paul and Jesus are using comes from the Law and is based on the 10 Commandments. Turn to Exodus 20.

The 10 Commandments can be divided into two sections. Verses 3-7 are the commands that are between us and God. And verses 8-17 are the commands between us and our fellow humans.

Let’s read these verses – 8-17.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 

 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

 12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

So it starts with honoring the Sabbath. Then honoring your parents. After that, it covers murder, adultery, theft, lying, and coveting.

Now turn back to Romans 13 and let’s look at verses 8-10.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

At first glance it appears that Paul had omitted some of the commandments. But he covers them with verse 9 where he writes “and whatever other command there may be...”

These 10 Commandments are summed up in the idea of love. By choosing not to commit adultery, murder, theft, lying, and others, we are choosing to love our neighbors.

Remember this series in How to Survive in a Post-Christian World. This post-Christian world will turn against us. We will find ourselves at odds with many who live in our neighborhood. Even those close to us may no longer share our values. We will feel the sting of persecution.

But God commands us to love them. He tells us that we owe them more love than we currently give.

One other thing. Our neighbors are not commanded to love us back. The commands given in Romans 13 are to us. It is our responsibility to love regardless of whether they love us or not.

When we turned to Romans 13 a few weeks back I intentionally skipped and important passage. It is the key passage on which Romans 13 is constructed. All of our talk about obeying our leaders and today’s words on loving our neighbors is built upon it.

Now is the time to look at these important words. Look at Romans 12 starting at verse 9.

We will read these verses without comment.

Let’s pray over the passage before we read it.

Heavenly Father, we ask that God the Holy Spirit use this passage to teach us an important lesson. We ask for insight and clarity as we read it. Amen.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given[d] to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have[e] regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

So how do we do what God has called us to do in Romans 12:9-21?

We obey the leaders God has placed over us. And we love our neighbors. And wherever we have been wronged, however, we have been abused, God will take care of it. He will be our avenger.

Let’s pray.