Righteousness

Righteousness

One part of righteousness concerns borrowing, seeking a loan, receiving a loan, and lending to others.

The ancient law states: “You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow . . . .” Deut. 15:6. And in Psalms 37:21 it states: “The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives.” And in Psalms 112:5 and 9: “A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion . . . . He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever, his horn will be exalted with honor.”

Both righteousness and ungodliness can virtually be put up on a scale: eager to borrow much and does not repay; eager to borrow a little and does not repay; eager to borrow and is slow to repay; does not like to borrow and is quick to repay; does not borrow and does not lend; does not borrow but is eager to lend a little; does not borrow but is glad to lend all day long.

When a person is unrighteous, he considers a loan like a find; he considers himself really fortunate. If a righteous person should borrow, he would view it as a misfortune or a great sorrow. His happiness would not be that he was able to borrow, but rather that he was able to repay the loan. Lending is of course the complete opposite. It is a virtue, and it is a joy for the righteous person to lend. Yet it is even better to give away of his own accord. Then the poor person is not oppressed by debt or the possibility of being oppressed by debt.

If you have borrowed, it is of the utmost importance to repay the loan. You cannot buy and live like usual. On the contrary, your first priority is to repay what you owe. In such a case the unrighteous person would despise the small payment by thinking and saying that it doesn’t help much. However, when he uses that same small amount on something for himself, he does not say that it does not help much. There is a fair amount of apathy among God’s people in this area. It produces grief and vexation and disgrace.

We read in the Scriptures that you shall give gifts of everything that is yours. When the person who has borrowed money from others and has not repaid it gives money away, he gives away what belongs to others, which is gross unrighteousness and impudence regardless under what pretext it is done. This shows a glaring lack of true respect for the right of ownership, confirming that the person has considered the loan a find.

We must differentiate distinctly between borrowing for what we in our need might think we require for our daily upkeep, and borrowing an amount in order to start a business with which we hope to earn money. Starting such an undertaking with other people’s money is irresponsible and completely unjustified. There is no guarantee whatsoever that it will succeed; it amounts to risking other people’s money. It plainly announces the person’s indifference with regard to other people’s possessions, or in other words, his unrighteousness.

When a poor person is quick to borrow and slow to repay, and when a rich person is slow to disperse to the poor, unrighteousness clings firmly to such people. Then they truly need to seek salvation from their sin with vehement cries and tears.

May all the friends who are burdened with this sort of thing depart from unrighteousness, as it is written: “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity [unrighteousness].” 2 Tim. 2:19.