Our Debt Of Love

(Romans 13:8-10) Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

We are to pay our debts - not to leave them outstanding. But one debt will never be retired. We always have a debt of love for others.

This is not to say that people are particularly lovable. It is not something they deserve because of their love for us - because we are also to love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44)

Our love for others is like God's love for us.

(Romans 5:8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(1John 3:16) By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Our love for others is based on our love for God.

(Deuteronomy 6:5) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Human beings are made in the image of God. While that image is obscured by sin, it is still there. We love God in godly love for other people. When we don't love other people, we don't love God either.

(1John 4:7-9) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

So we have a debt of love to other people. To see them. To listen to them. To care about them. To help them. To forgive them. To serve them. To bless them.

(1John 3:18) My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth