Sermon Notes - Romans 13:8-14 - Littleby Baptist Church - May 18, 2025

1.        Paul is continuing on the theme of being transformed and renewed.

a.        Last week it was a reminder that we are to submit to our government.

b.       They are God ordained.

c.        They are given their positions to lead.

d.       To govern.

e.        To uphold justice.

f.          We are to honor those that God puts in place to govern us.

g.        Even if we do not agree with them.

h.        We are to respect them.

i.          Even if they support things we politically do not agree with.

2.        The line we do not cross is when they ask us to defy Christ.

a.        When they suppress the truth of God.

b.       As long as they don’t do that, we as Christ followers are to listen to them.

3.        Pual uses this same logic as He transitions topics.

4.        Romans 13:8

a.        Do not owe anyone…

b.       That is another hard one for us to do today.

c.        It is hard to make major purchases without burrowing money.

d.       Not many people can buy a car, house, or do major repairs on either of them without borrowing money to do so.

e.        How to borrow and loan money was built into OT teaching, including the year of jubilee when things would be reset.

f.          When we get to the core of what Paul is saying here, he is not telling us that we cannot incur debt.

g.        What he is saying is that we need to pay it off as quickly as we can.

h.        We need to at a minimum adhere to the agreement and pay it on time.

i.          Be a responsible borrower.

j.          The second half of the verse… re-read

k.        Get’s its base from the OT.

l.          Leviticus 19:18

m.     Words Jesus repeated as the second of the greatest commandments.

n.        Matthew 22:39-40

o.        Paul would have known Leviticus well.

p.       Some in the Roman church would have as well.

5.        What we are being told here is that the only debt we should really owe is to love one another.

a.        A debt that we can never fully pay.

b.       As if we are loving as God loves.

c.        We will always have love to give.

d.       Loving our fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ deeply as we are told in 12:10.

e.        Loving without hypocrisy, or in all sincerity as we saw in 12:9.

f.          Loving your enemies by feeding them and offering them a drink.

g.        It is through always loving one another that we live out the second of the greatest commandments.

6.        That the law is fulfilled.

a.        Galatians 6:2

b.       As we love others.

c.        As we do some of the things we have been talking about in Romans 12 and 13.

d.       Seeing people as God sees them.

e.        Letting the Holy Spirit work in us.

f.          Sharing with those in need.

g.        Blessing others, even those who persecute us.

h.        Walking alongside others and carrying their burdens.

i.          That is how we love others as ourselves.

j.          We are living out what God’s intention was for the human-to-human interaction through the Law.

7.        Romans 13:9

a.        Any of the commandments that relate to human-to-human interaction.

b.       Are summed up with loving your neighbor as yourself.

c.        Keeping in mind that in Jesus’ eyes that a Samaritan, sinner, and tax collector would be our neighbors.

d.       Today that list would include people from other faiths, those who identify as a gender other than what they were born with, political extremists of any flavor, a drug addict, someone who watches porn, or about anyone else you can think of.

e.        Following Jesus’ and Paul’s teaching.

f.          They are people we are to love.

g.        To be clear, loving them and embracing sin are not the same.

h.        But we are still told to love them.

i.          That means treating them with respect.

j.          That means living in harmony with them.

k.        Not repaying evil for evil.

l.          Living peaceably.

m.     I am just pulling things we have looked at in the last couple of weeks from the letter to the Romans.

n.        Things that should come from us being transformed and renewed.

o.        A way of treating others that should be seen as we love our neighbors as ourselves.

8.        Romans 13:10

a.        The second half of this verse restates what we have already been talking about.

b.       The first half is a bit of a challenge for us.

c.        If we love those who we 100% disagree with.

d.       With those we know live in a life of sin.

e.        Who we want to call out the sin in their lives.

f.          How can we do no wrong to them?

g.        By taking to heart what Paul has been trying to teach us.

h.        By being a blessing to them.

i.          By not being proud and thinking better of ourselves.

j.          Trying to be honorable in everyone’s eyes.

k.        Remembering to conquer evil with good.

l.          When all else fails… love.

9.        I am not saying we celebrate sin.

a.        Jesus did not celebrate sin.

b.       But He showed love.

c.        He showed compassion.

d.       He showed kindness.

e.        He called out sin, but only after He had made a connection.

f.          After people understood that He cared for them.

g.        That He loved them.

10.   We should do the same.

a.        Love people so that they know that we care.

b.       Walk along side of them.

c.        Until we can point them to Jesus.

d.       Then let the Holy Spirit work on the sin in their lives.

11.   Romans 13:11

a.        Time is short.

b.       Each day we walk on this earth, we are drawing closer to our Lord’s return.

c.        We are closer to His return today than we were when we first accepted His amazing gift.

d.       Our time to Love God and others is limited.

e.        Our time to fulfill the Law by doing what God would have us do, does have a limit to it.

f.          We need to take advantage of what time we have.

g.        We need to be loving our neighbors as ourselves, each and every day.

h.        We need to be blessing to those who persecute us.

i.          We need to be feeding our enemies.

j.          We need to be carrying out our Lord’s mission.

k.        While we still have the time.

12.   Romans 13:12

a.        The night, the time of the evil one, is almost over.

b.       Might be taking longer than Paul was thinking.

c.        But the reality is we do not know when it will end.

d.       It could end today.

e.        The day, the return of our Lord, could happen at any time.

f.          Which means we need to be ready.

g.        We need to put on our armor.

h.        Ephesians 6:13-18

i.          It is with the armor of God that we can stand strong until we are with our Lord.

13.   Romans 13:13

a.        A general statement about being decent during the day.

b.       Then a bunch of behaviors that we would easily chalk up to as sinful.

c.        As Christ followers living in love.

d.       We should be living a lifestyle that would be viewed as morally and ethically decent.

e.        I would argue that it should be viewed as better than decent, but we are human.

f.          When we think about what Paul has been sharing with us over the last couple of chapters.

g.        If we are detesting evil, we would be avoiding this list of behaviors and others.

h.        I would say if we are loving others we would not be engaged in these activities.

i.          As they would end up hurting others.

j.          If we belong to the light.

k.        If we are followers of Christ.

l.          We are not saved by our actions.

m.     But we are called to be a ‘living sacrifice, holy, and pleasing to God’.

n.        We cannot do that if we are living as the world lives.

o.        We are not to be conformed to this age… to this world.

p.       We are a new creation.

q.       We are to live as a child of God.

r.          Spending time with Him.

s.        Drawing near to Him.

t.          Seeking Him.   

u.       Not perfect.

v.        But thankfully saved by grace.

14.   Romans 13:14

a.        Through our acceptance of the gift that Jesus has offered us.

b.       We have been united with Him in death and life.

c.        Yet, the Holy Spirit through Paul has made a point to tell us that we are to make no provision.

d.       To not make plans to pursue our sinful desires.

e.        Which means, instead we need to make plans to be united with our Lord.

f.          To put on our Lord Jesus Christ.

g.        To be united with Him.

h.        To be transformed from the sinful person we are.

i.          To be a child of God.

15.   We know that we are sinners.

a.        We are going to struggle each day and maybe each hour.

b.       So, we need to regularly and purposefully connect with our Jesus.

c.        It is not a once and done type of thing.

d.       We need to talk to Him all the time.

e.        1 Thessalonians 5:17 states “Pray constantly”

f.          Because we need to talk to our God all the time.

g.        It is the only way we make it through this life. 

h.        We need to study His Word.

i.          The more of His Word we know, the more it helps us navigate life’s struggles.

j.          We need to draw near to Him.

k.        We need to fellowship with His people.

l.          So that we can mature as a follower of Christ.

m.     In hopes that we can walk away from the sins in our lives.

n.        We put on Christ by spending time with Him.

16.   Today, I want to encourage you in two things.

a.        First… do you have people in your life that you need to transition from having a challenging relationship with to loving?

b.       If so, ask God to show you how you can love them and be true to His Word.

c.        Second, is to ask God to show you where you may be letting sin be a priority over Jesus in your life.

d.       Then ask Him to show you how to change it.

17.   If you are here this morning and have yet to turn to Jesus.

a.        If you would like to be set free from your sin.

b.       Be forgiven and restored as a child of God.

c.        I would love to talk with you.