In some parts of Africa, a witch would get a piece of human flesh and secretly slip it in the meal of a person who he invites to his house. If the invitee eats the flesh, he incurs a "flesh-debt" which he owes to the witch for life. The spirit of witchcraft practiced by such evil, vile, abominable and superstitious people is indeed real, manifesting in the belief that a person owes something to oneself because one says or thinks so.
Witchcraft is not an exotic thing that only people in 'backward' and 'uneducated' tribes practice. No, it is a manifestation of the fleshy desire for independence from God by seeking power to do things apart from him. Romans 8:7-8 makes it clear that the flesh cannot obey God, but loves only to sin, reject God, therefore seeking to be independent of Him:
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
The flesh can do nothing but seek to please itself and indulge itself. It loves only to receive, but hates to give, taking pleasure when another owes it something, so that it can justify its vile, evil self-seeking desire in seeking to satisfy itself. This explains why people love it when others owe them money, so that they can justify their desire to be self-seeking, by using that debt another owes to him as a excuse to demand that its self-seeking desires to be served but not serve, out of its own legalism. Such is the way of this evil, wicked world. It is legalistic, whatever it might like to claim about itself, seeking that others fulfill moral obligations towards them, and thinking they are such "good" people by fulfilling these in return.
The case of debt is no different. It is true that it is immoral to not repay debt. Psalm 37:21 makes it clear: The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. The world would have no issue with Psalm 37:21 where it says "the wicked borroweth, and payeth not again" because it loves to think itself entitled to what its wants, and takes great pleasure at the thought of others being in debt to them, at their mercy. Such is the way the world perverts moral obligations to repay debt: by affording no forgiveness to those who cannot repay. Instead, the world, and also many in the modern western Church, simply think that if a person borrows money, think that because a debt has an obligation to repay his debt, it is entirely up to the creditor to determine whether to show mercy or not.
However, Psalm 37:21 also says that "the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth". This is the other truth that equally needs to be understood. This phrase is preceded by the word 'but' following the phrase 'The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again', indicating that the actions of the righteous in showing mercy and give freely is a contrast to the wicked who borrow and do not repay. What it means by the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth does not just mean that the righteous simply do not borrow and fail to repay. It also means that the righteous show mercy in lending money to people and give freely, not expecting in return.
The wicked referred to in Psalm 37:21 are not only disgustingly, and despicably self-seeking in borrowing and not repaying. They also expect all they lent to be returned, out of their vile, evil, abominable self-seeking desires, precisely because they are selfish, and devoid of mercy. They are devoid of mercy because they are God-hating, Christ-hating, evil, unrighteous, wicked abominable people. The true proper application of the Bible's teaching on mercy concerns the heart itself, and must not in any way be confused with unashamedly, fearlessly and unreservedly rebuked sin and sinners. To be truly merciful is to not insist on what one is owed, but to forgive it. It is in the context of lending and borrowing to, quite literally, forgive one's debtors as Jesus taught people to pray in Matthew 6:12.
Just as borrowing money and not repaying is evil because it is self-centred and devoid of love, lending money and expecting its return not forgiving debts is equally unrighteous as it is devoid of mercy.
Not only is the spirit of mammon this conflict, but also is the spirit of witchcraft when perverts what is right through lies, manifesting in all kinds of evil.
And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again (Luke 6:34).
Witchcraft is not an exotic thing that only people in 'backward' and 'uneducated' tribes practice. No, it is a manifestation of the fleshy desire for independence from God by seeking power to do things apart from him. Romans 8:7-8 makes it clear that the flesh cannot obey God, but loves only to sin, reject God, therefore seeking to be independent of Him:
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
The flesh can do nothing but seek to please itself and indulge itself. It loves only to receive, but hates to give, taking pleasure when another owes it something, so that it can justify its vile, evil self-seeking desire in seeking to satisfy itself. This explains why people love it when others owe them money, so that they can justify their desire to be self-seeking, by using that debt another owes to him as a excuse to demand that its self-seeking desires to be served but not serve, out of its own legalism. Such is the way of this evil, wicked world. It is legalistic, whatever it might like to claim about itself, seeking that others fulfill moral obligations towards them, and thinking they are such "good" people by fulfilling these in return.
The case of debt is no different. It is true that it is immoral to not repay debt. Psalm 37:21 makes it clear: The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. The world would have no issue with Psalm 37:21 where it says "the wicked borroweth, and payeth not again" because it loves to think itself entitled to what its wants, and takes great pleasure at the thought of others being in debt to them, at their mercy. Such is the way the world perverts moral obligations to repay debt: by affording no forgiveness to those who cannot repay. Instead, the world, and also many in the modern western Church, simply think that if a person borrows money, think that because a debt has an obligation to repay his debt, it is entirely up to the creditor to determine whether to show mercy or not.
However, Psalm 37:21 also says that "the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth". This is the other truth that equally needs to be understood. This phrase is preceded by the word 'but' following the phrase 'The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again', indicating that the actions of the righteous in showing mercy and give freely is a contrast to the wicked who borrow and do not repay. What it means by the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth does not just mean that the righteous simply do not borrow and fail to repay. It also means that the righteous show mercy in lending money to people and give freely, not expecting in return.
The wicked referred to in Psalm 37:21 are not only disgustingly, and despicably self-seeking in borrowing and not repaying. They also expect all they lent to be returned, out of their vile, evil, abominable self-seeking desires, precisely because they are selfish, and devoid of mercy. They are devoid of mercy because they are God-hating, Christ-hating, evil, unrighteous, wicked abominable people. The true proper application of the Bible's teaching on mercy concerns the heart itself, and must not in any way be confused with unashamedly, fearlessly and unreservedly rebuked sin and sinners. To be truly merciful is to not insist on what one is owed, but to forgive it. It is in the context of lending and borrowing to, quite literally, forgive one's debtors as Jesus taught people to pray in Matthew 6:12.
Just as borrowing money and not repaying is evil because it is self-centred and devoid of love, lending money and expecting its return not forgiving debts is equally unrighteous as it is devoid of mercy.
Not only is the spirit of mammon this conflict, but also is the spirit of witchcraft when perverts what is right through lies, manifesting in all kinds of evil.
And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again (Luke 6:34).
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