News Flash! Debt is not a sin!

I have never been able to find a Bible verse that says "Woe to ye sinners that are in debt" or maybe an 11th commandment that says "Thou shalt not borrow money". Yes, I have looked; but these verses are just not there. Sorry. Granted, they would make it easier for us to understand God's perspective on debt. A few verses like these might have even saved some of us the agony of the financial bondage we find ourselves today.

But this is just not the way God works. Many times, especially with financial principles, God will give us two extremes or boundaries with the instruction to walk within them. I have also heard this described as walls of a channel that He wants us to walk. For example Proverbs 30:8,9 tells us the temptations that will come with both poverty and riches, giving us some parameters (not commandments) for living a lifestyle of contentment.

OK, so the one side of the channel is that debt is not a sin or forbidden. But let's try to define the other side of the channel that God wants us to walk when it comes to borrowing money and going into debt. I remember that Larry Burkett used to say there were over 40 verses in the Bible that referred to debt or the act of going into debt. He would then say, "not one of them presents borrowing or being in debt in a positive light".

So what is God's position on debt or borrowing money? On one side it is not a sin, but on the other side it is not spoken of positively in God's word. I would have to summarize this by saying debt and borrowing money is discouraged in the Bible.

Why do think that God discourages debt in the Bible? I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on this subject. Here is a start to hopefully get the discussion going. James 4:14 says: "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away". Only God knows the future. Have you ever seen a loan agreement that says you will make the payments only if you are able? When we go into debt we are presuming upon the future.

I believe there are a number of other principles from the Bible that we violate when we go into debt. I would be interested in hearing from others as to what you think some of these principles are. There is a reason why God discourages debt and it has been helpful to me to understand why by looking at what can suffer in our walk with God when we opt for debt. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments.