What Now?

Debt is sin that is a fact. A choice must be made (not choosing is a choice).
There are three possibilities.

One can ignore the sin and go casually on their way. ‘De Nile’ (denial) is the longest river in the world, it winds its way through all of our lives.

One can acknowledge that debt is sin, ask forgiveness, and go blithely on their way. That is not repentance. A person that has an affair can ask God and their spouse for forgiveness. IF they continue the affair or have another affair; they are not repentant, just seeking absolution.

One can acknowledge that debt is sin and repent.
Repent is a verb. It is an attitude (deep sorrow, regret) and two actions, confession, followed by resolution not to continue. When a person repents, they are sorry for something, ask forgiveness, and resolve not to continue.


"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5, 6. Many have heard these verses. What does the next verse say? "Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil." "Depart from evil", means stop doing what we know to be sin.

Many know the story of the prostitute that begins in John 8:1. The Jewish leaders were testing Jesus. They brought him a prostitute, and quoted the Mosaic Law regarding stoning. Most remember the quote in verse 7, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” That is not the end of the story. The story ends in verse 11, “...And Jesus said to her, ”Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."" Jesus forgives her, yes, but he also gives her the command not to do it any more.

The point here is simple, if a person is truly repentant of debt sin. They acknowledge the sin, and beg forgiveness. Then they stop doing it. Will Rogers said, “If you find yourself in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.” That is true of debt. A person HAS to stop spending money they do not have. It is easier said than done. Getting out of debt is not easy. The only thing easy about debt is going into it.
While God is faithful and promises to forgive our sins if we confess them, sin still has consequences. Not the consequence of eternal proportions - eternal separation from God - but the earthly consequences. A thief, that confesses the sin, must still pay ‘society’ for their crime. A promiscuous person that gets a sexually transmitted disease may confess their sin and change their behavior, but they still have to live with the medical consequences. Debt is no exception. A person can be convicted of the sin and confess it, but they still have to live with the consequences.

Step one is confession.
Step two is repentance.
Step three is ‘stop digging’.
-Dealing With the Consequences-
Step four is get out of the hole.

Step one is straightforward. Confess sin. 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

After step one, it starts getting complicated. It requires we change.


Change is not easy. Becoming debt free requires change. Changes in attitudes, changes in behavior, changes in lifestyle, changes in spending habits, and changes in trusting God are all part of the process. It is not an overnight process, it is a work in progress, in a world that does not want a person to change.
God remains the same. He promises to help make the changes. Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." "...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" is the promise from Philippians 1:6. Additionally He promises in John 14:18, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

God promises to help us, if we will let Him.