When we as Christians and churches deliver people from debt slavery, we are preaching the Gospel by proclaiming freedom to the prisoner.  This ministry of mercy requires a significant alms fund and great wisdom.  But one can hardly imagine a more powerful and challenging evangelistic outreach than this. 

The Lord redeemed His people from slavery in Egypt, therefore they were His people by right of redemption.  Consequently, His people were not to be enslaved to the nations nor, especially, to one another.  When an Israelite became so impoverished that he had to sell himself into bondage to a fellow Israelite or a resident non-Israelite, severe treatment was prohibited and a right of redemption was available to a relative or to the slave himself if he recovered sufficient means.  In any case, the slave was to be released in the seventh year.

While some forms and conditions of employment can approximate slavery, an especially clear case of bondage in our current culture is debt slavery.  The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.  Four financial states can be identified.  On the positive side there is abundance (investments) and surplus (savings).  On the negative side, there is deficit (day late and dollar short) and bondage (minimum payments).  Good debt is debt that you can pay off in full and on time.  Good debt may not be wise, but it’s not bad debt which is debt you can’t pay off in full and on time.  There ought to be no interest on loans for necessities (food, clothing, shelter) while loans for gain rightly involve shared interest.

The wages of sin is debt, therefore, we should not borrow unless we must nor should we co-sign a loan.  If we borrow, we must have reasonable certainty that we can service the loan faithfully.  If we do not have that certainty, we should not take a loan or co-sign for one.  If we find ourselves in debt slavery (e.g., unable to repay in full and on time, paying only minimum amounts or interest only) we should seek someone to redeem us from this bondage.  Ultimately, we should flee to Christ to redeem us from the unpayable debt of our sin (Mt.6:12) even as debtors fled to David (1Sam.22:2) and the widow to the judge (Lk.18:3; note: “bankruptcy protection”).

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