In Debt

“I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and the unwise.” (Romans 1:14)

There are many “I am” titles given to Jesus. For instance, He said, “I am the bread of life.” “I am the door.” “I am the Good Shepherd.” “I am the vine.” There are many others.

His followers have some “I am’s,” also. We find three of these in the first chapter of Romans. The first one is found in our text. “I am debtor…” Paul is describing his responsibility of sharing the Gospel with mankind. He is in debt.

This is the kind of debt a starving man who has found food has to other starving men who have not found food. It is the kind of debt a trained and skilled cancer surgeon has to folks who have cancer. It is the kind of debt a person who has been rescued from a burning house has to those still in the house.

This debt will never be paid as long as there are lost people yet to be saved. You and I are debtors to this generation of lost people just as every Christian before us was debtor to their generation and every redeemed soul of the next generation shall be debtors to their generation.