![]() Matthew 5:42 " Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.Īccording to these scriptures, faithfully obeying God's commandments results in being blessed, giving you the ability to lend, having no need to borrow. More on this later.ĭeuteronomy 15:6 - If you are faithful in obeying God's commandments, you will be blessed and able to lend and not borrow.ĭeuteronomy 28:12 - You will lend to many nations but not have to borrow. Borrowing without having a sure way to pay violates another principle, the principle of surety. It's imperative that when we engage in any borrowing, we consider our ability to repay. Someone refusing to repay reveals a wicked heart and not the generous and giving heart God wants us to have. The Bible is clear that when something is borrowed is should be paid back. Ps 37:21 - The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives. If what is borrowed is lost or injured, full restitution must be made. Like debt, the Bible has few verses that specifically use the word borrow(er) (ing), but those few verses are enough to give us the insight and wisdom we need.Įxodus 22:14 - If anything is borrowed, it should be paid back. To better understand debt and its implications, we must consider the action that precedes debt, which is borrowing. Doing so would be unfair and could lead to all kinds of abuses. But we should not ascribe morality to debt issues or simply judge them to be wrong in all situations. Another way to state this is that ninety percent of the scriptures using the word debt are about how we should respond to it, and only ten percent on avoiding it.Īm I saying debt is something we should engage in? No! I don't believe financial debt should be a pursuit for anyone, especially Christians. It doesn't always refer to debt as financial, and it overwhelmingly focuses on our response to debt situations while only referencing one verse instructing us not to guarantee a debt. The Bible's central message regarding debt is that it should be released/canceled, paid, or forgiven. ![]() Romans 4:4 - Wages, like a debt owed, must be paid.Ĭolossians 2:14 Jesus canceled the record of debt we owed by nailing it to the cross. Luke 7:42-43 - He who is forgiven much (debt) loves much he who is forgiven little (debt) loves little. Matthew 18:27, 30, 32, 34 - Forgive because your debts have been forgiven. Matthew 6:12 - Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Proverbs 22:26 - Do not become guarantors for debts. Nehemiah 10:31 - Forgo the exaction of every debt. Here are the Biblical references to debt and what they mean:ĭeuteronomy 15:1 - Debt is to be released.ġ Samuel 22:2 - Those who were in debt came to David. We assume it does, but not because it says it directly, but because of what we've heard or what we've interpreted from other scriptures we've read. The Bible doesn't say debt is a sin or a result of disobedience. Should we judge her as being in sin or disobedient toward God's laws because she was in debt? The widow of 2 King's 4 found herself in debt and at risk of losing her sons because her husband passed away, and she could not satisfy his creditors. The problem with this approach is that we often get it wrong because there are many reasons people get into debt, sometimes of their own choosing and other times not. To ascribe morality to a debt situation is to form an opinion as to why the debt was created and judge the person(s) accordingly. Being in debt is owing someone something with the expectation that it be paid back at some point in the future. That's it! Notice the definition doesn't qualify debt as good or bad it's simply a condition. Get into any debt, and you're like to be ostracized or removed from fellowship.ĭebt is something, typically money, that is owed or due. A few spiritual leaders even go as far as defining debt as sin or a result of the disobedience of God's laws and impose strict rules for congregation members to avoid it. Yet, in speaking with most Christians, you will find their opinion leaning toward a moral (right or wrong good or bad) understanding. ![]() Literal translations, depending on which one you look to, only show between 10 to 12 verses on the subject, and none of them address the morality of it. There are surprising few scriptures that address this topic of debt. ![]() There are many opinions regarding debt and its impact, but what really matters, especially for us professed Christians, is what the Bible says about it. Everywhere we look, from most governments to a majority of individuals throughout the world, debt is a way of life, with consequences from mild to severe.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |