But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish (James 3:14-15).
The world comes up with all kinds of excuses to justify sin. Many of these excuses seem very wise, sophisticated and reasonable. However, that is part of demonic deception, which deceives all those who trust in earthly, and fleshly wisdom, and trust not God. All worldly wisdom as described by James 3:14-15 is a manifestation of bitter envying and strife:
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
One of the myriad of excuses for sin which the world thinks is totally and absolutely legitimate in justifying sin, is that of 'moral hazard'. It believes that moral hazard is a legitimate excuse for usury.
The "moral hazard" doctrine purports that a lender should be entitled to charge usury on a loan which he makes to protect himself against the risk of loss. It sounds so reasonable doesn't it? Even so many conservative, orthodox, Bible-believing, and evangelical Christians, believe that this is a legitimate reason for charging usury, let alone the unsaved.
Of course, to the human flesh, the idea that one is entitled to charge usury to protect oneself from risk of loss is justified, because the flesh is self-preserving, and self-centred. It is only generous to the extent that it does not offend the fleshly desire to satisfy one's own self-interests. That it is wicked to borrow and not repay (Psalm 37:21) is by no means an excuse to charge usury because charging usury is an evil unto itself (Exodus 22:25; Deuteronomy 23:19; Luke 6:34, See also Luke 19:22-23 where charging usury is ascribed to what a 'hard man' does in the Parable of the Talents, and not an endorsement of usury like what many in the modern Church in the west think).
Charging usury is in itself a sin, and for that reason, there are no excuses for it. That people think that the risk of loss justifies usury is itself a manifestation of self-preservation, contrary to the spirit of lending freely as Christ commanded in Luke 6:34: 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. In Luke 6:35, the following verse, lending to expect nothing in return is listed alongside loving one's enemies and doing good. These were all commands of Jesus, of which failure to keep is sin, and to hate Christ for Christ said "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).
Lending without expecting to receive in return is in the same category of commands as loving one's enemy. If one does not lend without expecting to receive in return, one sins as one disobeys Christ's command in Luke 6:34. Therefore, to even think that one is entitled to charge usury, for any reason, including for risk of loss, which is itself a manifestation of selfish fear and anxiety for to protect one's earthly needs, one disobeys Christ.
Do not be deceived. "Moral hazard" is a demonic excuse which seeks to justify usury.
The world comes up with all kinds of excuses to justify sin. Many of these excuses seem very wise, sophisticated and reasonable. However, that is part of demonic deception, which deceives all those who trust in earthly, and fleshly wisdom, and trust not God. All worldly wisdom as described by James 3:14-15 is a manifestation of bitter envying and strife:
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
One of the myriad of excuses for sin which the world thinks is totally and absolutely legitimate in justifying sin, is that of 'moral hazard'. It believes that moral hazard is a legitimate excuse for usury.
The "moral hazard" doctrine purports that a lender should be entitled to charge usury on a loan which he makes to protect himself against the risk of loss. It sounds so reasonable doesn't it? Even so many conservative, orthodox, Bible-believing, and evangelical Christians, believe that this is a legitimate reason for charging usury, let alone the unsaved.
Of course, to the human flesh, the idea that one is entitled to charge usury to protect oneself from risk of loss is justified, because the flesh is self-preserving, and self-centred. It is only generous to the extent that it does not offend the fleshly desire to satisfy one's own self-interests. That it is wicked to borrow and not repay (Psalm 37:21) is by no means an excuse to charge usury because charging usury is an evil unto itself (Exodus 22:25; Deuteronomy 23:19; Luke 6:34, See also Luke 19:22-23 where charging usury is ascribed to what a 'hard man' does in the Parable of the Talents, and not an endorsement of usury like what many in the modern Church in the west think).
Charging usury is in itself a sin, and for that reason, there are no excuses for it. That people think that the risk of loss justifies usury is itself a manifestation of self-preservation, contrary to the spirit of lending freely as Christ commanded in Luke 6:34: 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. In Luke 6:35, the following verse, lending to expect nothing in return is listed alongside loving one's enemies and doing good. These were all commands of Jesus, of which failure to keep is sin, and to hate Christ for Christ said "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).
Lending without expecting to receive in return is in the same category of commands as loving one's enemy. If one does not lend without expecting to receive in return, one sins as one disobeys Christ's command in Luke 6:34. Therefore, to even think that one is entitled to charge usury, for any reason, including for risk of loss, which is itself a manifestation of selfish fear and anxiety for to protect one's earthly needs, one disobeys Christ.
Do not be deceived. "Moral hazard" is a demonic excuse which seeks to justify usury.
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