A.      Our nation and its citizens are being crushed beneath an insurmountable load of debt.  Nevertheless, most Americans think nothing of accumulating more and more debt as a way of life.

B.      This is another blind spot that should be exposed to our vision by the light of God’s word.

II.      A NATION IN DEBT

A.      The Bible has much to say about money, and Christians need to learn all there is to know.

                                                             1.      We may consider money to be "filthy lucre” or "sordid gain” (1Tim. 3:3, 8; 6:10; Tit. 1:7, 11; 1Pet. 5:2), but we all have to use it, so we need to have a godly understanding of it.

                                                             2.      Much of what the Bible has to say about money, debt, lending, and borrowing is found in the Old Testament.  "The Law is good if one uses it lawfully” (1Tim. 1:8), so let’s use it carefully.

                                                             3.      God’s universal laws for all people (His "higher laws”) do not change.  The Lord’s summary of the Law of Moses in Matthew 22:37-39 (the love of God and the love of man) should govern all men.  If we would all apply these principles to the topic of finances, we would all do very well.

B.      Let’s consider the Law of Moses for wise, godly principles pertaining to a nation’s debt.

                                                             1.      The nation of Israel was given several laws concerning borrowing and lending in Deuteronomy.

a.       Consider Deuteronomy 15:6, which says, "For the LORD your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.”  Notice that lending, not borrowing, was a sign of God’s blessing on the nation.  Lending was also associated with ruling, whereas borrowing was associated with being ruled.

b.       Similarly, the same principle is expressed in Deuteronomy 28:12, which says "…you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.”  On the other hand, Israel was told that if they disobeyed God, then "[the alien among you] shall lend to you, but you will not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you will be the tail” (Deut. 28:44).

                                                             2.      The principle that we learn from these passages in Deuteronomy is that it is a blessing for a nation to be in the position of a lender, and it is a curse for a nation to be in the position of a borrower.  This not only applies to nations, but to individuals as well.

C.      So then, why is our nation in the position of a borrower rather than a lender?  Are we being punished by God?  Is that punishment a natural consequence of violating God’s higher laws?  Did we put ourselves in the position of borrowers and debtors because of runaway materialism, greed, laziness, wastefulness, poor stewardship, and the loss of a work ethic (all violations of God’s laws)?  Is the vast extent of our debt evidence of the vast extent of our sins and our punishment?  The answers to these questions should be concerning if not alarming to you with regards to our nation.

III.   LEND EXPECTING NOTHING IN RETURN

A.      As with debt, there is much to be learned about lending in the Old Testament.

                                                             1.      Regarding the practice of lending, the Law of Moses prohibited the Israelites from charging interest (usury) to one another (interest to foreigners was allowed – Ex. 22:25-27; Deut. 23:19-20).

                                                             2.      Those who loaned money at interest to their countrymen were violators of the Law and were warned by passages such as Proverbs 28:8 – "He who increases his wealth by interest and usury gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.”  This prohibition prevented greedy men from taking advantage of desperate, poor people (such as those in Nehemiah 5:1-13).

                                                             3.      A person who loaned money at interest was classified with those who took bribes against the innocent and perverted justice (Ps. 15:5; Ezek. 18:8-17).  On the other hand, a person who was gracious to give and lend was called righteous (Ps. 37:21, 25-26; 112:5-6).

B.      In the New Testament, we find that Jesus addressed the topic of lending in the Sermon on the Mount.

                                                             1.      Jesus said, "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you” (Matt. 5:42).  Luke 6:34-35 gives greater insight into these instructions:

"If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.  But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.”

                                                             2.      Let us glean a few important points from these instructions.

a.       The words "lend” and "borrow” are translated from a single Greek word daneizō.  This word means to lend money or to take a loan of money with the understanding that the money is to be repaid to the lender by the borrower.

b.       The Lord commended the practice of lending, but He indicated that the lender should expect nothing in return.  The Lord was not addressing the responsibility of a borrower to repay his debts, but He was speaking in terms of the spiritual reward of the lender.

C.      So then, what does all of this mean for us?

                                                             1.      It is a blessing to be a gracious lender.  Such a person lends without charging interest or even expecting repayment.  Such a lender is motivated by the love of God and the love of man.

                                                             2.      It is clear that God has a disdain for those who use their wealth to take advantage of others.  Predatory lenders find victims among those who are broke, desperate, and/or stupid.  People of God have no business engaging in either side of such situations.

                                                             3.      It is necessary for each of us to examine our business practices carefully in light of these principles concerning lending.  Interest payments are an integral part of our nation’s economy, but Christians must not participate in any corrupt dealings that exploit others.

IV.    CONCLUSION: OWE NOTHING TO ANYONE

A.      For most of us, our blind spot over the issue of debt pertains to borrowing.

                                                             1.      Borrowing is a matter of leveraging the future against the present.  The borrower assumes that he will be better able to pay in the future for things he cannot afford to buy in the present.

                                                             2.      Many borrowers do not pause to consider exactly what the future cost of their present purchase may be.  As they borrow more and more, their debts accumulate, and they soon find that they cannot meet their obligations to repay.  This results in bankruptcy, misery, and a host of problems.

B.      The New Testament gives this very bold instruction regarding the subject of borrowing: "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law” (Rom. 13:8).

                                                             1.      This is stated within a large context of practical instructions for living as a Christian (chapters 12 and 13 of Romans) and within a smaller context of neighborly relations.

                                                             2.      The subject of borrowing fits into this context because it has a profound effect upon neighborly relations.  When money is owed from one neighbor to the other, it changes their relationship.  Such an arrangement often hinders neighborly love, in which case the law of God is violated.

                                                             3.      To avoid this situation altogether, it is best to follow the advice of Romans 13:8 and owe nothing to anyone.

C.      The Old Testament also teaches principles concerning the detrimental effects of borrowing money and becoming a debtor.

                                                             1.      Under the Law of Moses, if an Israelite was unable to repay his debts to his fellow countryman, then he would sell himself as a slave to his creditor (Lev. 25:35-43).

                                                             2.      Proverbs 22:7 states the reality of such an arrangement very bluntly, saying, "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.”

                                                             3.      The Proverbs give particular attention to the practice of ensuring debt on behalf of others (Prov. 6:1-5; 17:18; 20:16; 22:26-27).  The clear message to us is that we should not cosign loans for anyone, including our own family members.

                                                             4.      Today, the principles of the Old Testament concerning debt are the same.  The rich still rules over the poor, and the borrower is still beholden to the lender.  Many Americans live in a state of financial slavery in which they cannot afford to pay for their present expenses because of debts incurred years ago.

D.      All of these instructions from the Scriptures lead us to the same conclusion and the solution to most of our financial problems, which is to avoid debt.

                                                             1.      This means that we should live within our means, we should not buy that which we cannot afford, and we should be content with that which we have (Phil. 4:11-13; 1Tim. 6:6-10).

                                                             2.      These things are entirely within our power to control.  Some may blame irresponsible lenders who prey upon desperate people, but borrowers are obligated to pay the debts that they choose to incur.

                                                             3.      Let us teach our children not to borrow.  It is a terrible disadvantage for young people to begin their lives with crushing burdens of debt (student loans, mortgages, cars, credit cards, etc.)

                                                             4.      Psalm 37:21 says, "The wicked borrows and does not pay back.”  Lest we be counted among the wicked, let us repay our debts, and lest we are unable to repay, let us not acquire debts in the first place.  This is wise, godly, and blessed financial advice that we should all follow.