A debt you will never pay off
by Margaret Silvester
The Bible does not encourage debt. However, debt is very prevalent in our world today. Whether we live in the developed or developing world, debt is a major problem. People find it hard to survive and many borrow more money to try to stall existing debt. Of course, this serves only to tighten the debt trap and for many it’s impossible to break free from debt.
Immediately before the cross Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment – to love one another. To love one’s fellow believers is the clear evidence of being a disciple of Jesus. It’s so important to Jesus that love is predominant amongst His people that He gave the direct command three times in the last week of His life.
Paul told the Roman believers that they should pay off their debts to whoever they owed money and not let debts be outstanding. However, he told them that there was a debt which could never be paid off, and that was the continuing debt to love one another. It was a life-long debt.
It was an important debt to keep in mind constantly because the second coming of Jesus was something the early Christians desired to be ready for. The command to love one another is surely equally as important to us for the second coming of Jesus is so much nearer today.
To be trapped in the love debt is the normal way for any Christian to live. To live with the continuing debt to love one another is to live in obedience to the command of the Lord Jesus. It’s the outward expression of our love for Him.
Prayer: Lord, please forgive me when I have not loved others as You desire. Thank You for the cross, the ultimate expression of Your unfailing love to me. I ask You to change any heart attitudes in me that block the flow of Your love to others through me. Please help me today to live out the new commandment to love one another. Amen.
Margaret Silvester had a career as a teacher prior to being called into full time Christian Ministry with her husband, David, in 1986. They were involved in establishing a Healing Ministry in the local church and Margaret has a passion to see lost and wounded people found and restored. She and her husband joined the Ellel Ministries teaching and ministry team in 2000 after a clear call from God. Margaret`s book "Stepping Stones to the Father Heart of God" has recently been published.
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