Romans 13:1-14

How to be Spiritual 2

Knowing this will be dated in a few years I simply must say it anyway. Paul is still talking about how we are to not be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are to submit to the governing authorities because we understand that God put them there.

In the USA we are so used to the notion that the “people” put our leaders in office and so we feel at liberty to tear them down and complain as much as we want. This is in particular an issue with Christians who consider that any leader who doesn’t agree with “our”politicks is wicked and fair game for the righteous, which of course is us. Either all authority comes from God or it doesn’t. If it does then it is God we are grumbling against. How’s that for straight talk?

“Let no debt remain outstanding” is not a command to not borrow money. It does mean that we are to pay our debts in a timely manner. But it is far deeper than that even. If we don’t give respect and honor where it is due (and that is not exclusively our arbitrary decision to make) then we have already failed regardless of how we handle money. Furthermore, of even more importance is the one debt we are to always feel beholden to; the continuing debt to love one another. Some argue that the Bible forbids us to borrow money based on this passage, yet they are mean as snakes and don’t think anything about it. I don’t think God is impressed with such depth of biblical wisdom.

Love fulfills all of the laws demands. What an idea! But it’s true. The ten commandments are nothing more than basic instructions on how to love God and love each other. John Lennon may not have really understood love but he certainly got it right when he sang, “All you need is love.”

This being spiritual is really pretty easy, huh?