Many in the modern western Church are in debt, and the things they are in debt for are non-necessities, rather than 'basic needs', a term subject to much abuse, especially when speaking about being in debt. They do not understand the spiritual implications of debt, thinking that it is simply an amount of money to pay to another person, just as one pays money to the person who sells him food. This is indeed a manifestation of the heart of the problem of such Christians. They think that there is nothing wrong with being in debt, or make exceptions for indebtedness. Such is itself the manifestation them being under the spirit of mammon, to believe that one can serve both God and mammon, in their double-mindedness, in trying to serve two diametrically opposing masters:
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).
You may ask, how does being in debt, and thinking it is legitimate a manifestation of trying to serve both God and mammon? Debt is a master. Proverbs 22:7 makes this clear: The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. The borrower is not only a slave to debt as he services his debt. It is a slave to the lender. A slave is fully obliged to do as his master says, and no excuse, in any case to do so otherwise. All he does is owed to the master.
A person who is in debt is obliged to fully repay his debt to the lender. The borrower has no excuse otherwise whatsoever. He must repay all his debt in full. If he is to be able to get away with repay his debt in full, it is either because he acts wickedly in borrowing and not repaying for "the wicked man borrows and does not repay" (Psalm 37:21), or the lender forgives his debt out of his mercy. The lender is not in any way whatsoever obliged to forgive. Thus, the borrower is obliged to repay his debt, or else he would be a wicked man for "the wicked man borrows and does not repay" (Psalm 37:21). That a person may be released from his debt by the borrower through debt forgiveness does not take away from this truth, or exempt a person who borrower but not repays. This is because debt forgiveness means that the debt itself is cancelled, therefore cancelling the repayment obligation itself. It is different from still having debt to repay, and not repaying it.
Debt is money, which is that which is needed to obtain things in the world. Debt itself is money, and it is absolutely possible for a person to be serving debt. In fact, people who are in debt, can only but serve debt because debt by its very nature confers an obligation to repay, to service the debt. Even the very words 'service the debt' indicate how debt is served, rather than that debt serves the debtor.
Debt is always that which is served by the debtor, and never that the debt serves the debtor. Thus, as long as one is in debt, even by a single cent, one is a slave to debt. Since debt is money, a person serving debt is a person serving money, or mammon.
As long as one is in debt, one will be serving mammon, not might or may be, but will. You will be serving mammon as long as you are in debt, even you are one who is a true follower of Christ. This is because is what debt is, and what its spiritual implications are. The spirit behind debt is the spirit of mammon. Therefore, to be in debt is itself to serve mammon.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).
You may ask, how does being in debt, and thinking it is legitimate a manifestation of trying to serve both God and mammon? Debt is a master. Proverbs 22:7 makes this clear: The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. The borrower is not only a slave to debt as he services his debt. It is a slave to the lender. A slave is fully obliged to do as his master says, and no excuse, in any case to do so otherwise. All he does is owed to the master.
A person who is in debt is obliged to fully repay his debt to the lender. The borrower has no excuse otherwise whatsoever. He must repay all his debt in full. If he is to be able to get away with repay his debt in full, it is either because he acts wickedly in borrowing and not repaying for "the wicked man borrows and does not repay" (Psalm 37:21), or the lender forgives his debt out of his mercy. The lender is not in any way whatsoever obliged to forgive. Thus, the borrower is obliged to repay his debt, or else he would be a wicked man for "the wicked man borrows and does not repay" (Psalm 37:21). That a person may be released from his debt by the borrower through debt forgiveness does not take away from this truth, or exempt a person who borrower but not repays. This is because debt forgiveness means that the debt itself is cancelled, therefore cancelling the repayment obligation itself. It is different from still having debt to repay, and not repaying it.
Debt is money, which is that which is needed to obtain things in the world. Debt itself is money, and it is absolutely possible for a person to be serving debt. In fact, people who are in debt, can only but serve debt because debt by its very nature confers an obligation to repay, to service the debt. Even the very words 'service the debt' indicate how debt is served, rather than that debt serves the debtor.
Debt is always that which is served by the debtor, and never that the debt serves the debtor. Thus, as long as one is in debt, even by a single cent, one is a slave to debt. Since debt is money, a person serving debt is a person serving money, or mammon.
As long as one is in debt, one will be serving mammon, not might or may be, but will. You will be serving mammon as long as you are in debt, even you are one who is a true follower of Christ. This is because is what debt is, and what its spiritual implications are. The spirit behind debt is the spirit of mammon. Therefore, to be in debt is itself to serve mammon.
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