By: Robert Serreyn
Question… In your opinion sir, What does “Owe No Man Anything” mean to you. I have heard it preached it means to not to borrow money or owe payments to anyone.
Rom_13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Answer: To give you an answer let me put it in this way. In our modern economic world If you have lots of money and can afford to pay for everything one hundred percent up front WITHOUT having to make payments then you can do what others preach, but in my opinion I do not believe this is what Romans 13:8 is saying.
To give evidence to what I have stated above lets take look at V 7 of Romans 13 for I believe it gives light to what V 8 saying.
Rom 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Lets break V 7 down…
DUES… Greek – of-i-lay’ means A debt due (a tax owed).
TRIBUTE… Greek – for’-os means A tax (an individual assessment on property) in other words Property Tax.
CUSTOM… Greek – tel’-os means A Levy (IE Income Tax).
HONOUR… Greek – tee-may’ means A value or price (a tax) paid.
As you can see from V 7 TO SAY not to borrow or owe no man money you would have to tear out Romans 13:7 out of the bible and throw it away. I believe what V 8 is saying in today’s language is… PAY YOUR DEBTS, as long as you are making your payments for the debts you owe whether levied upon (such as property, or income tax) or incurred debt (like house, car, or rent payments) you are oweing no man anything.
In Conclusion:
In this modern world of ours the final conclusion is…
When you are born, they tax it, If you earn it, they tax it
If you spend it, they tax it , If you save it, they tax it
If you invest in it, they tax it , If you build it, they tax it
If you sell it, they tax it , If you live in it, they tax it ,
If you drive it, they tax it , If you eat it, they tax it
If you give it away, they tax it , When you die, they tax it
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as YOUR savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins – See 1 Cor. 15:1-4.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved – Acts 16:31
The moment that you do, YOU HAVE (at that second and forever) Everlasting Life which WILL NEVER be taken away no matter what.
John 10:28-29 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8
-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24
–BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23
IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH