Relationship with His Fellow Citizen
Notes
Transcript
Handout
We are looking verse by verse through the practical teaching of Romans.
Now in Romans 13:8-10, we learn about the Believer’s Relationship with His Fellow Citizen.
Last week we looked at the Believer’s relationship with the government, now the citizenry side of the believers relationships continue.
God has very strong desires for how the believer is to treat other people, his neighbors…his fellow-citizens in this world.
He starts off by expressing that we are to owe no man anything except to love one another.
Let’s not gloss over this phrase…Owe no man any thing…we must be careful that we set an example of paying men what is due..
Never purchase above your ability to pay!
If an item needs to be paid by payments, you must make sure that the payments are within your abilities to pay.
This is a matter of testimony!
The only thing the people of this world live for is money and possessions.
And therefore they will judge the Christian by how they handle their finances.
Do not owe any man anything or you may damage the name of Christ, and push men further away from hearing the truth about Christ.
8 Better is a little with righteousness Than great revenues without right.
Secondly, the verse says we are to owe no man anything but love.
We owe one another love.
It is expected of the citizen of a country for that man or woman to obey the laws of that land.
It is what is owed to that land as it’s citizen.
We are citizens of another country…
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
As such we have been sent to this land to be our King’s ambassadors.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
As citizens of this land where God is King, we are bound to obey the law of that land…What is the Law of that land?
Love the Lord your God with All your heart…this is covered in Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
This is the following through of that first command.
The second is like unto it…thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Verse 8 says, “…for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”
This showing of love from God’s Children demonstrates for the world around us what society can be!
Then in verse 9 he goes forward to expound on the other points of the commandments, specifically those of the 10 commandments that deal with man’s behavior toward his neighbor.
I. Love Forbids Adultery
I. Love Forbids Adultery
“For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery...”
Of course taken from...
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Here in Romans the Greek word that is used is the word moicheuō [moikyoo-o].
Although the original Hebrew word in the commandments spoke directly to a spouse cheating, or breaking the marriage vow…the Greek word that God chose to have Paul use is a broader term.
This word is used in committing adultery, or any sexual infidelity of any kind, whether it involves a married person or not.
Love forbids this behavior
Any sexual relationship outside of the marriage bond.
How can love forbid this?
Relationships like this outside of the marriage bond, the Bible says is a sin against your own body.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
It is a sin against your body, because there is no closer bond or relationship, and that is meant for one person.
Many marital problems come from past indiscretions and sins.
When we give in to these desires outside the bonds of marriage we just degrade ourselves to the level of animals, only satisfying needs without rational or moral concern.
When we give into our sexual desires outside of marriage we turn the human body into an object or tool to satisfy the urges and passions that we have.
Whether a married man, a married woman, a single man or woman…outside of the bonds of the man and his wife…this kind of relationship damages the relationship that God intended us to have.
We turn the other person into an object rather than seeing them for who they are - a man or woman made in the image of God.
Whether extra-marital, pre-marital, pornography, or fantasy and lustful thoughts this Greek Word includes them all.
And of course we cannot forget what Jesus said...
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Love does not allow—it forbids Adultery
II. Love Forbids Murder
II. Love Forbids Murder
“…Thou shalt not kill...”
This is the sixth commandment, Exodus 20.13
13 Thou shalt not kill.
God gave the commandment to protect human life.
Life ought to be protected, it is precious and should be cherished.
We should never be guilty of taking a life, any life — our own or the life of someone else.
And once again Jesus said, Matthew 5.21-22
21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Jesus is likening hate to be equal to murder in our hearts and minds.
1 John 3.15 says,
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
So what is the answer to solving the ongoing problem with murder that we have in our society?
Get rid of this anger and hate that is so pervasive in our society.
verse 8 tells us “He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”
Verse 9 tells us “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
Verse 10 tells us “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor.”
as well as “Love is the fulfilling of the law.”
We owe to God to love one another.
God expects this from us!
Words alone will not do this, we must dispel the anger and hate with love.
It is our responsibility to actively and openly love our neighbor so that they can see the love of Christ which will remove this blight on our society!
If we are going to see a change made:
people must come to know the Lord as Savior…True love is only possible through Christ.
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
That person must really think about and understand the love that God has for us.
When we think, really meditate on God’s love, we will begin to love others.
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Third, a Person must seek to yield to the Holy Spirit…the fruit of the spirit begins with love - Greek lists are placed in order of importance, and the first one listed is love
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The Bible tells us to Follow after love…seek after it.
Fourth, a person needs to seek to obey God through this command to love His neighbor.
We will never love like we should by accident.
It is on purpose.
And it is seen by others!
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Then and only then will we make a difference in the hate and rampant murders we see around us.
Loving our neighbor forbids Adultery
Loving our neighbor forbids murder.
III. Love Forbids Stealing
III. Love Forbids Stealing
“…Thou shalt not steal...”
That is to take wrongfully form another person.
By the way the laws of men does not determine whether a person is stealing or not…we are held accountable to a higher law.
Sometimes the law is used to steal
Sometimes people take from others without breaking the law.
The taking of anything that rightfully belongs to another is stealing according to the Bible.
You may steal by taking what is actually possessed by another person.
This is obvious.
If we take something that is not ours we have broken God’s Law
By the way, by the spirit of the law, I believe borrowing without asking is stealing!
I know many kids have used this as an excuse…I didn’t take it…I just borrowed it.
No without permission it is stealing.
A person may steal by hoarding more than they need.
God has placed within this earth the resources that we need to meet the needs of all people that He has given life to.
The taking of more of those resources than is needed without the benefit of those who need it is stealing.
Jesus tells us to keep our focus right…Matthew 6.19-21
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The Lord told the publicans who accepted him...
Luke 3:13 (KJV)
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
Now if our desire is to help others by gathering more than we need so that you may share equitably, there is nothing wrong with this…in fact you obey biblical principle.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Be careful about hording!
Paul told Timothy to...
17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
What is the answer to the problem we have with stealing?
Love - loving people will stop you from taking what is not yours!
Loving our neighbor forbids Adultery
Loving our neighbor forbids murder.
Loving our neighbor forbids stealing.
IV. Love Forbids Lying
IV. Love Forbids Lying
“…Thou shalt not bear false witness...”
We see this phrase and automatically go in our minds to a court room.
And it is truly applicable there, but the word speaks to any kind of lying.
Including:
Slander
thinking something bad about a person and sharing it, or misrepresenting something about someone else, or tearing down the reputation of another by spreading bad news about Him.
Love will prevent this… because love “thinketh no evil!”
Gossip
It may be true or not…if you are not part of the problem or part of the solution…stay out of it.
We have played the telephone game and know the nature of gossip.
It just ends up turning into lies.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
Deception
Thinking or speaking something that isn’t true, or leading someone to believe something that isn’t true.
Assuming something is true without verification.
Again love thinketh no evil.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; And deceive not with thy lips.
We could go on and on, but we just need to adhere to what God tells us to do!
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
When someone sins, fails, or you hear bad news love causes us to comfort the one who has hurt.
Go to the source, verify truth, assume good, and love them if they are hurting.
Work for restoration rather than alienation.
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
If you are spiritual…and you ought to be…we have a job to do!
Loving our neighbor forbids Adultery
Loving our neighbor forbids murder.
Loving our neighbor forbids Stealing
Loving our neighbor forbids Lying.
V. Love Forbids Coveting
V. Love Forbids Coveting
“…Thou shalt not covet...”
The word covet means to crave or desire.
If you love your neighbor like you are supposed to love them, you will not crave or desire what they have.
This speaks directly, for the first time, to what is going on inside our heart.
Covet is a desire.
The rest are actions.
Covetousness precedes the other sins.
I covet another person’s spouse - this leads to adultery
I covet living in a word without someone else - this leads to murder
I covet having what someone else has - This leads to stealing
I covet others believing evil of someone - this leads to lying.
So the command here is to not covet what our neighbor has.
Keep your eyes on what you have, and you will never be guilty of coveting.
The tenth commandment goes into more detail about what we are not to covet:
house: personal provisions
• wife: companion and love
• manservant or maidservent: employee, position, employment, authority
• ox and colt: possessions, property, wealth
And this isn’t an exhaustive list, so God adds, “Thou shalt not covet…anything that is thy neighbor’s.”
Keep your focus on what is important!
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Be content with what God has given you…if you have nothing…yet have God…you have enough!!!
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Loving our neighbor forbids Adultery
Loving our neighbor forbids murder.
Loving our neighbor forbids Stealing
Loving our neighbor forbids Lying.
Loving our neighbor forbids Coveting.
Basically, as he says here...Love Sums Up All Commands
“...and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
And then He wraps it up in one command or statement:
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Love does no harm to his neighbor at all.
Working no ill doesn’t mean just physically don’t do something bad to him, rather it means...
thinking evil
wishing or hoping evil
planning or devising evil
practicing or doing evil
withholding good
The Bible clearly tells us that withholding good from a person is evil.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, When it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; When thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
If you love like you are supposed to, you will not work evil!
So what does love look like…Scripture tell us!
⇒ Love suffereth long (endures long, is patient).
⇒ Love is kind.
⇒ Love envies not (is not jealous).
⇒ Love vaunts not itself (brags not, boasts not).
⇒ Love is not puffed up (is not vainglorious, arrogant, prideful).
⇒ Love does not behave itself unseemly (unbecomingly, rudely, indecently, unmannerly).
⇒ Love seeks not her own (is not selfish, self-seeking, insisting on one’s rights and way).
⇒ Love is not easily provoked (is not touchy, angry, fretful, resentful).
⇒ Love thinks no evil (harbors no evil thought, takes no account of a wrong done it).
⇒ Love rejoices not in iniquity (in wrong, sin, evil, injustice), but rejoices in the truth (in justice, in righteousness).
⇒ Love bears all things.
⇒ Love believes all things (exercises faith in everything, under all circumstances).
⇒ Love endures all things (never weakens; has the power to endure).
We have the command from God - love your neighbor!
God’s love is demonstrated to this world through our lives!
We are ambassadors for the King…let’s represent Him well!