1. A Lifestyle of Loving my Neighbor Romans 13:6-10

2. My Objective In the interest of full disclosure, my objective this morning is to influence the way you apply the Gospel to everyday living in a secular world.

3. Romans 13:6-7 Servants of God always pay their: Servants of God always pay their: – Debts – Taxes (tribute) – Revenue (custom) – Respect (fear) – Honor

4. Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing Owe no man any thing Two interpretations of this verse: 1)Never borrow money 2)Pay what you owe on time

5. Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing Owe no man any thing What happens to the testimony of Christ when Christians don’t pay their bills?

6. Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: What happens when love doesn’t accompany the payment of what I owe?

7. Romans 13:8b for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. The Law stands as a constant reminder of how much I need the gospel.

8. The Law The Law still stands as a constant reminder of God’s Holy expectations for how men should live.

9. Five Commandments Adultery Adultery Murder Murder Stealing Stealing False Witness False Witness Coveting Coveting What do these commandments all have in common? Look at the rest of the verse.

10. Adultery Please Turn to Matthew 5:27–28

11. Murder Matthew 5:21

12. Stealing Sometimes stealing seems to be justified when it is against a corporation or govt.—but, isn’t there a shareholder or taxpayer behind either?

13. False Witness Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

14. Coveting Exodus 20:17 Exodus 20:17 – Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.

15. Question What’s the issue with coveting? How do I know if I am coveting?

16. Coveting When a person covets, he allows the desire for that which is coveted to govern his relationship with other people; this may become the motivation for murder, stealing, or lying either to attain the desired thing or to keep it from someone else. When a person covets, he allows the desire for that which is coveted to govern his relationship with other people; this may become the motivation for murder, stealing, or lying either to attain the desired thing or to keep it from someone else.

17. Coveting is Idolatry Ephesians 5:5 Colossians 3:5

18. Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. You cannot be saved and not have a handle on this sin.

19. Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

20. Romans 13:9 and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Perhaps there isn’t anything easier to understand and harder to do than to love your neighbor as yourself.

21. Application How do I balance loving my neighbor as myself with? 2 Thess. 3:10-12

22. Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Love does NO wrong to a neighbor therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Love does NO wrong to a neighbor therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. See Leviticus 19:18

23. Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, Thou shalt not avenge, Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

24. Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD. but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.

25. Two Commandments And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31

26. Notice Between Romans 12:9 and 13:8 there are 19 verses about how we should love our neighbor.

27. Romans 12:13a Distributing to the necessity of saints Distributing to the necessity of saints Tithing to a local church— which takes care of people—becomes a way of loving my neighbor as myself.

28. Romans 12:13b given to hospitality. given to hospitality. Inviting someone to dinner becomes a way of loving my neighbor as myself.

29. Application How does obeying the governing authorities relate to loving my neighbor as myself?

30. Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: Render therefore to all their dues: tribute [taxes] to whom tribute [taxes] is due; tribute [taxes] to whom tribute [taxes] is due; custom [revenue] to whom custom [revenue] custom [revenue] to whom custom [revenue] What is the difference between the way a Christian and a lost person pays their taxes?

31. Application What is your attitude toward paying taxes? I am not asking about your attitude toward welfare and government fraud and waste.

32. Application Question What about this idea? “I don’t want to pay more than my fair share.”

33. Application How could paying taxes be anything like loving my neighbor?

34. Question How does the application of the gospel fit into this?

35. Drawing a Parallel Taxes and the Tithe 2 Corinthians 9:7-11

36. Application What do I do about the fact that I don’t like the way my money is being spent? 1)Do anything you can that doesn’t hurt the testimony of the gospel. 2)Trust in the Sovereignty of God.

37. Conclusion The Words of Christ Matthew 18:21-35