We are to pray, “Forgive our debts, as we forgive (or, have forgiven) our debtors.” In other words, the Lord grants us our Jubilee only insofar as we are a Jubilee to others, i.e. insofar as we bring them atonement or Salvation through Christ, the cancellation of debts and restoration.
The believer is required to be a free man (I Cor. 7:23), because Christ’s salvation is freedom (John 8:36).
Debt living is thus a form of covetousness, and is practical atheism. Covetousness is forbidden to believers (and all men) by God’s law (Ex. 20:17; Luke 12:15;
Debt becomes a form of karma, a past which governs the present and the future and produces a society with a closed future. The slavery of debt blinds men to the worst of their past; their debt-living cripples their present and help determine and limit their future.
From Dr. R.J. Rushdoony’s Sermon on the Mount, pages: 68, 69, 70
I have seen young men, couples literally courted by credit card companies, charge up the card and cause themselves huge problems. We hope that thinking through this ahead will save young people from that burden.
But for those already in debt, aspire to gain freedom.
We are working toward Dad being able to be free of his state job. It is hard work for all of us and does not happen overnight. We all go from where we are.
My parents went into debt to buy their first home, but paid it off as soon as possible. It is amazing how God provides, when you have a goal and put everything toward it.
Jesus said, Look at the lilies. Consider the birds of the air.
I think David did the right thing. He proposed, and then put his savings down on a house. The scripture instructs that debt not be for more than six years. God gives us this model where freedom is the ideal. It is a worthy goal.
In Hebrew there was no word for debtor, only one for creditor. Debt was expected to be a temporary situation.
Our culture is materialistic and debt based. Our money is debt in itself; it is a loan from the private Federal Reserve Bank.
Young people are encouraged to go into debt for everything. Every department store has their own credit card. This is a major friction in many marriages, where one or both charge up the cards. Then the patriarchal state delivers with a zillion kinds of welfare, so we look to the state as “Big Daddy.”
The scripture warns us not to be surety for a debt. If we strive toward freedom, then we will be better able to help our brothers. Loans could be private, instead of to an impersonal state or bank. And we would be in better shape to minister like help each other with medical expenses or adopt children. Samaritan Ministries has a great concept going: share medical expenses instead of providing big money to insurance companies to invest.
Yes, we all have different backgrounds. My parents have laid down their lives to give us a better, hopefully more biblical background than they had.
Staying out of debt creates a different mindset of putting off what we want till God has provided for it. It is not easy because we may have to put up with old small vehicles or equipment or mud where we need gravel or pavement but eventually God gives those things.
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