Recently, a Christian was entreated to pay back personal debts, which the person had incurred by promising to pay back the loan immediately
(one would assume that means "before anything else"). With a promise to pay back as soon as .... this person brushed that obligation under the rug and out of their memory in order to engage in other pursuits--spending more---while again "borrowing" money from others to do so.
This Christian responded to the lender's request to settle the debt by reprimanding him with the accusation,
"It's all about your precious money, isn't it?" The money was not "precious" to the lender, but obviously it was to the debtor.
To that ... I would say "No, that's not what it's about." And this post has to with with my reasons "why."
It has to do with God's law of love, doing unto them as you would have them do unto you,
and obeying his Word, which clearly commands us to "owe no man anything," except love. And obeying His commands determines whether one is "in Christ" or not
(1 Jn. 2:3-4). Usually, such violators of God's Word are "into themselves" instead. It also has to do with not keeping your word (lying) and betraying the trust of those who believed you and therefore acted on your words when you said you would pay them right back "as soon as." Treating anyone like that, even non-Christians, much less brothers and sisters in Christ, is what the Bible calls "dealing treacherously with"---the Hebrew word "bagad"(בָּגַד). It is clearly a most heinous sin.
I decided to do a little research through various commentaries on the subject, and the following is a brief digest of what I found. Hopefully, this post will be good for all of us who profess Christ to be better Christians in our fiscal responsibility to all men
("not slothful in business"-Ro. 12:11) and diligent in matters of the heart, for keeping God's Covenant in Christ is a matter of love and faith with all those who comprise His Body on earth, particularly those to whom God has enjoined us in our local church and community of faith.
Rom 13:8 - "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another" (NIV- "Let no debt remain outstanding")
Matthew Henry Commentary -- "Christians must avoid useless expense, and be careful not to contract any debts they have not the power to discharge. They are also to stand aloof from all venturesome speculations and rash engagements, and whatever may expose them to the danger of not rendering to all their due. Do not keep in any one's debt. Give every one his own.
Do not spend that on yourselves, which you owe to others. But many who are very sensible of the trouble, think little of the sin, of being in debt . . . for men industriously to run into debt, and take no care to pay, but live upon the property and substance of others, is scandalous to them as men, and greatly unbecoming professors of religion, and brings great reproach upon the Gospel of Christ."
Psalms 37:21 - "The wicked borrows and does not repay"
The wicked man borrows with a light heart, though he may have no prospect of ever being able to repay. Living under God's curse (ver. 22), he is for the most part not able to repay; when he happens to be able, he is often not willing--"The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again." While the wicked live, they are scandalous;
they live by borrowing, which was always reckoned mean;
see Deuteronomy 28:12; and what is worse, as they borrow, they do not design to repay; they take no care nor thought about that,
but live upon what they borrow: for this either expresses their incapacity that they cannot pay; or the evil disposition of their mind, which rather seems to be the sense, that they will not pay"
"When a person buys on credit or borrows money, he promises to pay in the future for goods or services he receives now. Yet when the time comes to pay, many refuse to pay. This again is wrong for several reasons. (In many cases it is illegal)
James 5:12 - "Let your yes be yes"
"Not paying a debt is a failure to keep your word.
It violates the law of love. You wouldn't want somebody else to buy or borrow from you, but then refuse to pay.
It constitutes a form of stealing. You have someone else's property or money. You have a right to that property only if you pay for it. If you don't pay, then you are keeping property that rightfully belongs to another.
THAT IS STEALING!
"It is possible to steal things that legally belong to us? Yes,
we can steal money that God has given to us!
Malachi 3:8,9 - God accused people of
robbing Him in tithes and offerings. Our possessions ultimately belong to God
(Hag. 2:8). He gave them to us to use as He directs. If we keep them for ourselves, withholding them from His work without His permission, then He says we are thieves. We may think we are just using what belongs to us, but God says we are keeping for ourselves that which belongs to Him."
Many times people like this have not been faithfully tithing; therefore they are not afraid to rob others, when they are not afraid to rob God
(Mal. 3:8).
The sad thing is there may be many who profess Christ, yet are unethical and dishonest, even to brothers and sisters in Christ. And many are even so "self-deceived" as to think that they can start anew somewhere else (greener unpillaged pastures) and "forget" their prior responsibilities and obligations.
The only thing is that the Apostle Paul charged the church to excommunicate or disfellowship a person for lesser continuing sins than this from which the transgressor refused to repent.
To think so lightly of "offending a brother," which 1 Cor. 8:12 says is a "sin against Christ" and against His body, shows one is in precarious territory with no fear of God
("But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ"). They most likely are unaware that there is a sin against the Body, the covenant Blood and Spirit of God
(He. 10:29).
But how does this show no fear of God? Because if one did fear God, they would take seriously Christ's warning that "
“Whoever causes one of these little ones [or "least of these]
who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
Now a postscript to the second part of the verse of Rom 13:8 -
"Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law."
From "Gills Exposition of the Entire Bible" --
"But to love one another. This is the only debt never to be wholly discharged; for though it should be always paying, yet ought always to be looked upon as owing. Saints ought to love one another as such; to this they are obliged by the new commandment of Christ, by the love of God, and Christ unto them, by the relations they stand in to one another, as the children of God, brethren, and members of the same body; and which is necessary to keep them and the churches of Christ together, it being the bond of perfectness by which they are knit to one another; and for their comfort and honour, as well as to show the truth and reality of their profession. This debt should be always paying; saints should be continually serving one another in love, praying for each other, bearing one another's burdens, forbearing each other, and doing all good offices in things temporal and spiritual that lie in their power, and yet always owing; the obligation to it always remains. Christ's commandment is a new one, always new, and will never be antiquated; his and his Father's love always continue, and the relations believers stand in to each other are ever the same; and therefore love will be always paying, and always owing in heaven to all eternity. But what the apostle seems chiefly to respect, is love to one another as men, love to one another, to the neighbour, as the following verses show. Love is a debt we owe to every man, as a man, being all made of one blood, and in the image of God; so that not only such as are of the same family, live in the same neighbourhood, and belong to the same nation, but even all the individuals of mankind, yea, our very enemies are to share in our love; and as we have an opportunity and ability, are to show it by doing them good."
And finally, for further study,
a LINK to "5 Biblical Principles About Borrowing and Debt":
http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2005/12/five_biblical_p.html
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