By Wayne Coleman

The word debt is not the issue, but must be defined.

One commonly used definition of the word debt states that as long as ones assets exceed the value of their liabilities, technically they are not in debt. {This definition is made presumptuous by not considering that the value of the asset can fall while the amount of liability is not affected by market values. Should the value of the asset become lower than the liability before the contract is satisfied, that which was not debt, becomes debt.}

Another definition states that as long as one makes their payments and does not violate the terms of their credit contract, they are technically not in debt. {This definition leads to financial suicide. By the time you cannot make your payments, you have long since been in trouble.}

The third definition states that if you borrow for an appreciating item, that is an investment.  To borrow for a depreciating item constitutes debt. {This definition fails the same test as the first because it presumes the value of the asset to always appreciate. In definitions 1 & 3, debt is not determined by the borrowing, but rather by the value of the assets. }

The common bond between all of these definitions is that money must be borrowed before debt exists.  Therefore the true definition of debt becomes very simple, if you borrow you are in debt.

In order to settle the issue as to the obedience of the church borrowing money, one must first settle the issue of the obedience of borrowing money personally.  The following items should be given consideration in making this determination:

Borrowing was prohibited in the Old Testament.

Duet.15: 6 and Duet. 28:12 issue commandments from God that state “Thou shall not borrow”.  Careful study of these areas, especially Duet. 28:1-14 will define the loving grace of God as completely sufficient, to eliminates the need to borrow.

• Verse 10 is one of the key verses.  God chose to take a people the prosperity driven world {same as today} looked upon as being absolutely worthless and show this world who their God was by the way he prospered them.  This prosperity was not purposed to bless the people, but to glorify God.  However, in the process of God being glorified the people were blessed.
• Verse 13 states that by not borrowing they remain the head and on top, the positions given over to the lender when borrowing takes place.
• Verse 14 states we must be very careful not to bow down to other Gods for provision.  It is God’s desire that he meet all our needs from His grace according to our faith as part of an obedient relationship with Him

This passage most definitely warns us of the false God of credit. In the New Testament we are told in Romans 13:8 to “owe no man anything.”  Every building and renovation program in scripture was accomplished without borrowing.

Borrowing forces the borrower to become servant to the lender.

There are no exceptions.   Proverbs 22:7 states that the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.  Matthew 6:24 states, “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or will hold to one and despise the other.  You can not serve God and mammon”. {material things}.

In order to use the lenders money, you must first bow down to all of his requirements, and since his wheel squeaks the loudest, he gets his money first.  If the lender is not completely satisfied he can pick up all the assets and leave you with nothing but the liability.

Borrowing is established through presumptuousness, not a faith that comes from hearing God.

Romans 14: 23 states that, “whatever is not from faith is sin”  Romans 10:17 states, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”  I make the assumption that anyone reading will agree that God was, is, and will always own all of His creation and that as stewards we are called upon to manage them according to His will.  Then how can we purchase a new automobile, finance it for 48 months without knowing the mind of God 48 months in advance, and assume that we are functioning by faith.  Do we have a guarantee from God of the income required to meet the lender’s requirements and do we have advance permission from God to use this future income for this purpose.  I personally have never met a person that had the mind of God 48 months in advance to this kind of detail. Use of the credit system is a presumptuous leap into the dark.  Acting upon the revealed truth of God, is a solid step into the light.

Borrowing hinders God from meeting our needs supernaturally .

God has never allowed a need for which He had not previously appropriated a provision.  We are accountable to submit all our need before Him in order that He may confirm the definition of our need and provision, define the circumstances as to our receiving the provision, and especially the timing of our having it.  It is God’s desire that he meet all our need in order to show us and those around us that He is our sufficiency.  II Corinthians 3:4-5 states in the KJV translation, “And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward, not that we are sufficient of ourselves as to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency  is of God.”  There is no greater experiencing of God for the believer than to have a personal need, seek God, and have that need met in a way that can only be explained as God being the source.  The more often we experience God the keener our awareness becomes as to who He is in our life and we become an exhibit of the loving grace of God to those who watch us.  God defines our need as everything it takes to completely perform His total will for our lives.  If there is one need anywhere in our lives He has not met before we see the need,  He is not God and we should stop pretending that He is.  Part of the evangelistic ministry of our lives is to show others of His sufficiency.

Borrowing causes stress in the life of the borrower.

A little borrowing, a little stress.  More borrowing, more stress.  Bankruptcy is a privilege set aside exclusively for borrows.  Only those who borrow can declare bankruptcy.  Many if not most, marriages that end in divorce fail because of financial disorder.  Of the marriages where divorce does not occur, financial disorder robs the intended joy from the marriage.  Almost all family financial disorder is caused by borrowing.  Surely we can agree that borrowing causes stress.  This kind of stress is truthfully not a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but that of an evil spirit and does not exhibit a peace that passes all understanding.

Borrowing prevents God from saying “no” as an act of love to protect us when we have desires for things that prevent His will from being done and may harm us.

Has your child ever had a burning desire for something that you were wise enough to know would harm your child.  If so, your loving answer -was “no” in order to protect your child from the foreseeable harm.  Your child could go outside your loving care and borrow the item.   The harm comes because the child made a conscious choice to move outside to loving protection of the parent’s “no”.  When we pray we have usually self evaluated the situation and are simply asking God to agree with us.  Rarely ever will we hear a “no” and believe it is from God.  His “no” is from the same love as is His “yes”, but we can borrow and receive the slavery position with the lender, and stress that he was trying to protect us from.  Borrowing money is always a personal choice, never an accident.

The most critical indictment against Christians using borrowed money is that there is not one element of genuine God glorifying faith involved in the process.  Answer these questions:

1. How can you explain God as the source when money is borrowed? If the lender is an agent for God’s grace then the lost  and saved alike have the same access to His grace through the lender.
2. Does borrowing meet your need?  No, it actually increases your need by the increased cost added by the lender, but it does get you what you want, when you want it, without having to seek God.
3. Does borrowing eliminate paying cash?  No, in fact it causes more to be paid back in such a timely manner as pleases the lender and in all probability creating stress for the borrower.
4. Can you name one single anything about borrowing money that exposes God to you as a source of provision received in a state of freedom?  If you have ever had a need you know beyond all doubt that God met, you could testify the provision came with no strings attached.  The practical definition of the word “faith”, as it relates to provision and need in our relationship with our Father which art in heaven,  is that we are to live within  the limits of our provision.  Cash pay as you go is the definition of “Faith “.

We live in a culture whose objective of life is to have what it wants, when it wants it.  The false god of credit can satisfy that self-centered desire.  Paul implies in II Corinthians 5:9 that his ambition or objective is simply to please God.  Hebrews 11:6 informs us that this is impossible without the function of faith.  There is no evidence of genuine faith in borrowing. Until pleasing God becomes of a higher priority than having the thing you want and want now, the above referenced truths will not be understood.

Now to answer your original question, “Why should the corporate church be debt free”.

1. To set a good example for the believers.
2. To not make the Church servant to the lender.
3. To show a lost world that God is the sufficiency to all the things they are seeking.
4. To free moneys for missions and ministries. {Most of the evangelical  denominations of today spend more of God’s money on debt service than on missions.}
5. To confine God’s financial activities inside the framework of His Church.
6. To prevent the stress from borrowing that can quench the spirit of the people and even destroy the local corporate Churches {There have been numerous Churches across the land in the recent past that have lost their facilities due to foreclosure.}
7. To be obedient to His word.

BeatingDebt.org

–Convincing People To Stay Away From Debt–

Christmas has always been known as a time of giving.  Everyone recognizes Christmas’ ever growing cost to our budgets.  We all feel the temptation to spend what we have not earned to buy things we cannot afford for people who already have enough.  So is spending Christmas shopping in the mall the best use of our time, or is there a better way to $pend Christmas?

DebtFreeChristmas.org

to make your commitment.

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Why do we give gifts at Christmas?

Many people give gifts ‘in remembrance’ of the Christmas story.  Specifically, the tradition comes from the New Testament when the three kings gave gifts to Baby Jesus.  However, have we ever examined the actual event to see if this is something that relates to us?  So, the story of the three magi goes as follows…

If you would like to learn more and help tell others about the good news of Christmas that does not lead to more debt, then please go to:

DebtFreeChristmas.org

Image by: blmurch

On Nov 6th, BeatingDebt.org introduced a new product to help spread the word about debt prevention called Debt Free Press.  The Debt Free Press will be a monthly newspaper highlighting news and commentary from a debt prevention perspective.  Check out this month’s articles and subscribe at:

DebtFreePress.org