This week signals the start of the second half of our 6 week study of the Book of Romans. Well done, and thank you, if you've been following along with me thus far!
Today, as we start Week 4, we're going to read Romans 13: 8 - 10 ...
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.
It's very easy in these days of social distancing, working from home, attending conferences via Zoom, and getting a medical diagnosis from a doctor online, to live an insular, self-contained life.
I see this phenomenon play out in my own home, sadly ... many nights, after we've had supper, we each retreat to our own tech device, put on our headphones - all of us in one room, but each in our own world of entertainment! It takes intentional effort to put our phones aside and engage in more conversation, or play a board game together, or simply go outside and sit on the lawn, looking up at the stars together.
But the Word of God shows very clearly that the Father is a God of community (see Matthew 18: 20), and that He designed us to be in community - not only with Him, but with one another (see Hebrews 10: 24 - 25 and Ecclesiastes 4: 9 - 12).
Being in community with other Believers is vital, because it gives us so many benefits. Being part of a local church offers us a place of accountability, guidance and encouragement. It is a place to deepen and exercise our worship and our prayer. The local church also gives us a place to serve the Lord by serving others, while also offering us a platform from which to serve the world and share the Gospel.
Of course we can do all of these things on our own, but I challenge you with this question: Do we??
Just as a coal removed from the fire grows cold, the majority of Believers who stop attending a local church grow cold towards the Lord, the world, and the Word.
We see from today's passage in Romans 13 that this is not a new phenomenon, but an issue in Paul's time too. Thus he writes: "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." (Romans 13: 8)
If you're unsure about what God wants from you, or how to please and honour Him, Paul says: "It's simple - love your neighbour!"
In fact, according to Paul, this isn't just advice he's offering us - in Romans 13: 8a, he tells us how important our care for one another is by calling it an "obligation"!
God’s commandments are summed up in this: "Love God. Love others".
Photo credit: Wham3622