"You Owe Me a Favor"

Romans 13:8
8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

How often I hear that phrase in this day and time. It seems to be an economy of trading favors regardless of the ethics of such. So when a young lady at church came to me and started her sentence with: "You owe me a favor..." I answered:
"I owe no one but Jesus Christ".
Stammering then silence came after. Having grown up in the era of abundance and business favor trading, this young lady had known no other way.

As Christians, we do not owe anyone except Jesus for our salvation. If we were to "trade favors", too often we may be called upon to compromise our Christian ethics in order to repay such a debt. How can we be trusted if our ethics are traded for such tiny things as favors? We cannot and should not compromise our life in Christ.

He who walks in integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out. Proverbs 10:9

Finally, we should always be ready to give an accounting for our ethics, our words.

2 Peter 3
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

14Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless

So let us heed the Scripture and do good without any expectations of a favor returned

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Luke 6:35

That's me away then.