TOPIC:“A Debt to Be Disturbed About”
“I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise” (1:14).
All of us receive all sorts of financial bills that we are obligated to pay each month. Mortgage bills, electrical bills, oil bills, medical bills, and many others we are indebted to take care of the first of each month. I wonder how each of us would respond if we received a bill in our mailbox the first of each month with these words inscribed to it: “Payable to God”?
The reason for this question is because God before anyone else deserves to be our number one creditor. He is the One who created us and wants to redeem us. He is the One who provided for us a Savior, His only dear Son. We are totally indebted to Him not only for our forgiveness, but for all the provisions of life. It was precisely this that the Apostle Paul was writing about when he declared: “I am debtor.”
Here this first-century Christian announced for all to hear that he has a debt to pay to all men. Not only does Paul realize that fact, but he is laboring every day of his life to pay that debt off. I ask: Do we as professed Christians have that same feeling of indebtedness as this man Paul? And what are we doing about it? Let's take a closer look at these words of Paul
Consider, to begin with, in these words of Paul we find the CONFESSION of a debt. Notice once again Paul's words: “I am debtor.” The NIV renders it: “I am obligated.” Paul continues: “both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.”
In Paul's usage of the words “I am debtor” let us keep this in mind. There are two possible ways of being in debt. You may borrow money from someone or you may be given money for someone by a third party. For example, if you lent me a thousand dollars I would be in debt to you until I paid you back. But equally is true, if a friend of yours handed me a thousand dollars to give to you, I would be in debt to . . .