A brief meditation designed to snap you back into the restoring power of God’s love.
2026-09-06
Owe No One Anything, Except…
Today we’ll continue our brief journey through the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans. Over the past weeks, we’ve read several passages from this letter and learned about the Gospel. It all begins with God’s love for broken, fallen mankind and His sending of His Son, Jesus, to save us from our sins and eternal death.
Paul explains that everything in God’s plan comes by His grace and mercy and reminds us of the hope we have in eternal life in Jesus. But the gospel is not just for salvation after we die. The gospel has the power to transform our lives right now, turning our spiritual darkness into clear, shining light.
However, dark clouds in a Christian’s life constantly try to block that light. We live in a world of temptation that opposes everything holy and pure, and it is not easy to keep ourselves clean and shining.
That’s why Paul tells us, “Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). “Good” is not something we invent or produce; it is the indwelling light and life that God gives us through his Holy Spirit.
Paul gave us practical advice on how to overcome evil with good. This is just part of it:
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8).
“The borrower is the slave of the lender,” says Proverbs 22:7. Paul’s instruction first calls for financial freedom and self-control. One of the most vulnerable positions is being drawn into debt. You may lose your peace of mind, become self-concerned, and even be tempted to commit illegal acts to pay your debts. Therefore, controlling our personal debt is part of living in the light of God.
But Paul makes an allowance for one big debt, one that doesn’t involve money: to love one another. Why is mutual love a debt? Have others lent me or given me something? Yes, in many ways. I owe my parents the love and care they invested in bringing me into the world and raising me in the fear of God. I owe my siblings and other relatives for their companionship and help on many occasions. I owe all the good teachers and friends who taught me valuable lessons I still remember; you get the point.
None of us is the product of independent effort, self-sufficient resources, or skills. We need each other, especially in the Community of Faith. Above all, love is a debt because “God first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Our first debt of love is to God, the initiator and sustainer of our lives and all good relationships.
So, shouldn’t it be enough to love God back privately, and then we’d be at peace? That’s not how God receives our love. “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40). Jesus equates loving others with loving him. We can never pay our debt of love to Jesus, but we can fulfil God’s will and law by loving those He loves. That will bring light and joy into their lives and ours, even today.
In Christ’s abundant grace,
Alvaro Palacio
Speaking of Life
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