DEBT-FREE 2018 AND BEYOND

FREEDOM FROM THE SLAVERY OF DEBT

COPYRIGHT 2018 JENNIFER B. DICANG DULNUAN

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 Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................4

WHAT IS DEBT?....................................................................................................5

CAUSES OF DEBT................................................................................................8

EFFECTS OF UNPAID DEBT..............................................................................11

STEPS TO GET OUT OF DEBT..........................................................................12

DEBTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW...........................................................................14

DELAY AND WITHHOLDING PAYMENT IS THEFT...........................................18

BEWARE..............................................................................................................21

CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................24

RESOURCES......................................................................................................26
 INTRODUCTION

Are you facing a financial trouble?

Emotionally stressed due to unpaid debts?

Regain your composure, get back in the world, learn to get out of debt and start
taking a concrete action NOW.

Confront your loans and learn the strategies how to be debt-free

It is not yet the end of the world. Don’t lose your confidence, you can start NOW.
You can live a happy and peaceful life again, read this book until the end and
start making a decision now to fully cut DEBT in your life and regain your
financial stability again.

Learn the simple steps and read the bonus articles to help you as you walk the
path of freedom from the slavery of debt.

Financial Freedom will be yours. Don’t just sit and wait,

ACT NOW for financial freedom. Prepare a Debt-Free 2018
 WHAT IS DEBT?

Business Dictionary

A duty or obligation to pay money, deliver goods, or render service under an

express or implied agreement. One who owes, is a debtor or debitor; one to
whom it is owed, is a debtee, creditor, or lender.

Use of debt in an organization's financial structure creates financial leverage that

can multiply yield on investment provided returns generated by debt exceed its
cost. Because the interest paid on debt can be written off as an expense, debt is
normally the cheapest type of long-term financing.

The Free Dictionary by Farlex

Any money owed to an individual, company, or other organization. One acquires

debt when one borrows money. Generally speaking, one acquires debt for a
specific purpose, such as funding a college education or purchasing a house. In
business and government, debt is often issued in the form of bonds, which are
tradeable securities entitling the bearer to repayment at the appropriate time(s).
Occasionally, especially for personal loans, debt is issued without interest or
other compensation; one simply pays back what was lent. This is exceedingly
rare in business and a debtor almost always compensates a creditor with a
certain amount of interest, representing the time value of money. However, some
areas of finance, especially Islamic banking, do not allow debt with interest.

The Free Dictionary by Farlex

Debt is a Liability

LIABILITY - In personal finance, liabilities are the amounts you owe to creditors,
or the people and organizations that lend you money. Typical liabilities include
your mortgage, car and educational loans, and credit card debt.

When you figure your net worth, you subtract your liabilities, or what you owe,
from your assets. The result is your net worth, or the cash value of what you own.
In business, liabilities refer to money a company owes its creditors and any
claims against its assets.

The Bible, especially Proverbs, is full of practical wisdom for business, career, or
money management. It praises diligence, savings, honesty, investment,
planning, disciplined spending, etc. It condemns slothfulness and waste, and it
warns against excessive debt, risk, sleep, and spending. It teaches respect and
service to those in authority; it gives secrets of the power of charity and
generosity; it details how to both buy and sell fairly.
Choose wisdom by rejecting the world’s ideas and trusting Solomon’s inspired
advices in Proverbs. Success will come. Ignore foolish and vain claims for
business opportunities (network marketing), investment deals (Ponzi schemes),
debt pyramiding, luxurious living, cornering markets, extorting sellers, or selfishly
defending yourself.

The debts you know well are rent payments, shared expenses, wages for
services, returning borrowed items, repairing damaged property, refunding
overpayments, replacing stolen things, returning unused deposits, and so forth.
The duty to pay these debts on a timely basis comes from God’s laws and the
civil rules of men

Romans 13:7-8

7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom

taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to
whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Love Your Neighbor

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another,

for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Consider how God demanded prompt pay for laborers.

Leviticus 19:13

‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The
wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you
all night until morning.
 Deuteronomy 24:14-15

14 “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor

and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of
the aliens who is in your land within your gates.

15 Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let
the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his
heart on it; lest he cry out against you to the Lord,
and it be sin to you.

DEBT IS SLAVERY NOT STEWARDSHIP

What does the Bible say about debt? It says that debt is slavery and obligation.

Proverbs 22:7

The rich rules over the poor,

And the borrower is servant to the lender.

The term, servant is really, slave. Debt is bondage. The Bible doesn’t say that it’s
always wrong to borrow; it just tells us that debt is bondage. How much bondage
do we want – because debt is an obligation to repay?

Many of us thought we are good stewards of God’s money but in debt.

Some wants to give God the full ownership of their finances but still in debt
because they can’t wait for God’s work and way and they do it on their way.
 CAUSES OF DEBT

1. Self-indulgence- satisfying your flesh and others (Vices, habits, gambling

etc)
2. Materialism – “I want syndrome”
3. No savings
4. No Spending plan / Budget
5. Shopaholic – “Shop till you drop”
6. Narcissistic Personality- these people will do everything because of their
excessive self-importance; they are preoccupied with fantasies of power,
success, beauty, intelligence, love. Seeking constant admiration, praise and
approval. This is dangerous because they do everything even they are not
financially capable of doing things to meet what they wanted.
7. Envy
8. Greed- I want more
9. Relying on your credit cards
10. Living outside your means
11. Did not fully entrust your finances to God
Some say that there are other causes of debts that are unexpected like:

1. Pregnancy
2. Illness or medication
3. Failed Business
4. Single parenthood
5. Reduction of income
6. Education
7. Loss of employment
8. Underemployment
9. Divorce
These unexpected causes that other people are talking about won’t lead you into
debt if you have saved for the rainy days, have self-discipline in spending and
have fully entrusted everything to God. If we have that Faith to our father in
Heaven to meet our needs as He promised us in His words then we will be at
peace to wait for God to work without borrowing money from other people or at
the bank.
You might be telling me now “It is easy for you to say that because you are not in
my shoes right now, you don’t know my situation” The truth is I have been into
situations where we have no money at all but we prayed to God for His blessing
and we didn’t thought of going to other people and borrow money. One day my
husband is just walking around the town because he’s saving the gas of the car
knowing we really have nothing that day. What was amazing was he saw $4 on
the road and nobody was there, it was for him. He’s so happy so he went on
walking then he tried to go inside a restaurant to offer his software a “Point of
Sale software/POS” by the way he’s a programmer then God gave him a job to
do, the restaurant said Yes. That job’s income let us live for one month
(December). Glory to God.

I have been pregnant and had to deliver my first child into a private hospital due
to an emergency because my baby’s water bag or “amniotic sac” burst. After the
delivery my child has to be treated because she had fever due to exposure of the
liquid for hours and I also collapsed after the delivery. We don’t have the money
to pay for the private hospital but because of Faith we entrusted to God
everything even my health and our baby. You know what, after a few days at the
hospital my husband was able to have money from his boss (pharmacy) even he
didn’t finish the POS. We went out from the hospital healthy and no debt. Wow,
God is really good. I could share more on how God had been so gracious to us
but this e-book won’t be enough to tell you all the good things God has done in
my life and my family.

God is a loving Father. He doesn’t want His children to suffer financially and end
up in debt. He meets all our needs. The culprit is us. Our actions, our motives,
our spending habits, our lack of Faith to God in terms of our finances, our wants,
our laziness and many more that causes us to be in debt. It is not God letting you
experience this; it is just the result of our wrong actions or dealings towards
money.

Think financially or professionally. Are you debt-free? Praise God. Are you in
debt? Do you have the highest credit rating? Why?

Self-examination is painful! But it is better for you to make the assessment than
someone else! What will you do today to be pure and right financially or
professionally? And while you are at it – consider your spiritual life, are you
spiritually healthy? If you are then you won’t end up in debt right now. An
obedient child of God follows His Father’s rules and commands especially on
money matters.

IS IT A SIN TO BORROW?

If we read the Bible, God discourages debt and warns about the dangers of debt
(Proverbs 22:7).

It is not a sin to borrow but it is a sin not to repay what you owe (Psalms 37:1).
But let me just share to you some insights about our misconceptions on debt.

 It is wise to borrow to accomplish things faster and successfully- I

can’t find any from the scripture that encourages us to borrow money for
us to accomplish our God-given goals either for our family, our future and
most of all for the ministry. An obedient child of God will be blessed and He
won’t borrow anything from anyone because God will bestow His blessings
to His children and become the lender not the borrower.
 Help others by guaranteeing their debt- this is what they call surety
(cosigning) a commitment to guarantee another’s debt. This is highly
discouraged by King Solomon in Proverbs 11:15
 God will pay my debts- Some Christians who are in deep debt
believes that God will pay their debts. They cling on the promise in
Philippians 4:19 that God will supply our needs and because they need
money to pay their debts they use Philippians 4:19 as the answer to their
problem. God promised to supply our needs but not to pay your debts, it
needs your action. You have to ask God’s help but not let God do the job.
Check the Steps to get out of debt below.
 Debt is an exercise of Faith- Some say that they borrow money
because they have Faith in God that He will help them repay the debt. O
my, this is foolishness. God doesn’t need a lender to provide our needs.
We are denying God the opportunity to provide. We are not faithful to God,
we are weak. Our Faith is on the person or the bank that will lend us the
money. If we are in need exercise your Faith by fully trusting God’s
provision. Wait for God to work and have pace that God is going to make a
way to meet that need without borrowing, that is Faith.
 EFFECTS OF UNPAID DEBT

1. Interests go higher and you will be more buried to debt if you don’t pay it at
once
2. You have no peace. Always nervous every time the phone rings or someone
knocks at your door
3. Lose confidence
4. Emotional stress
5. Loss of control (others make wrong or evil decisions and others commit
suicide)
6. Destroys relationship. When you don’t pay the money borrowed from a
relative or a friend, conflicts arises and sometimes led to lawsuits. It is also
Biblical that when you borrow money you became a slave of the lender.
7. Affects your marriage and sometimes end to Divorce. Some couples hide
debt on credit cards, but some day it all comes out and the trust in the marriage
is seriously damaged.
8. Bankruptcy/ Broke. Businessmen overextend on debt and then the business
goes bankrupt.
9. Not a good model. As a Christian, especially if you are in the ministry we are
carrying the light of Jesus Christ. How can we be a great example of Christ-like
life if we are buried to debt? How can we minister if we always borrow? We trust
other people’s money or the bank to give us a loan and didn’t fully entrust our
finances to God.
If you are in debt right now it is not yet the end of everything. There is hope, but it
all starts with our spiritual decisions to realign our finances with God’s principles.
We have to start making significant changes in our mindset and financial
management. It starts with deciding to put God back in the place where He has
belonged all the time.
 STEPS TO GET OUT OF DEBT

1. Assess the problem- what’s causing your debt? Your spending habit? Your
poor money handling? You are an arrogant person who always wants to show
off? You are a shopaholic? Materialistic? Well if you really wants to be financially
free, then you have to let go of this behaviors and start disciplining yourself
before you will be totally drowned with debt.
2. Make a decision now to stop borrowing money and ACT. Not just decide but
also act on it. Not tomorrow, not later but NOW. It takes commitment and
discipline to successfully start getting out of debt.
3. Let God take control of your finances. PRAY for self-discipline, and don’t let
worry, fear, discouragement and other negative emotions destroy you, let God
take control of everything as you do your best to get out of debt.
4. List all your debts, balances, interest rates and compare you income,
expenses and debts.
5. Set a goal. How much you can pay in a month and how long you can pay all
your debts.
6. Start paying from the highest to the lowest
7. Trade or sell your items. I’m sorry but you have to make sacrifices. Sell your
items that you are not using now for you to pay your debts. Sell almost
everything if you really want to get out of the slavery of debt.
8. Work, Work, Work – Work patiently, diligently, honestly, joyfully and with
positive attitude. Try having another job or a part time job beside your original job
or ask your boss for extra shifts to quickly pay your debts. But be careful not to
overwork yourself, balance. Check my eBook “Work that Works” it will be out on
February 2018.
9. Extra money goes to your debt. Gifts, bonuses, inheritance and other money
you didn’t work for and was given to you freely will have to go to your debt
10. Make a budget – Make a plan on what you need first and later your wants
after you pay your debts
11. Stick to your budget and your spending or budget plan. This needs self-
discipline. Say no to “buy now pay later”, “save 20%”, “sale” etc
12. Reduce your expenses- Now that you are in debt, try living below your
means or below the amount of your earnings to be able to save the extra for your
debts and for the future. Avoid buying things you can’t afford that leads you to
borrow.
13. Repair or Reuse other items instead of buying new ones.
14. Avoid money traps like “get rich quick schemes” (It will just distract your
mindset on paying your debts”
15. Avoid lending to others to pretend you are not in debt or just to show off. Be
honest to everyone on your situation.
16. Throw your credit cards and start saving. Pay in cash basis.
17. Have a savings goal- Save, save, save…..anything not spent goes to your
saving bank.
18. Stay Healthy- Eat well, exercise, maintain proper
dental/mental/emotional/spiritual/medical health to avoid costly and unexpected
expenses. Some financially stable people sink into financial trouble due to
medical debts. Take care of your body
19. Credit counselling. If you can’t still get out of debt using the other steps then
get a professional credit counselor that can help you review your debt situation
and identify repayment options and money management techniques that you
may not have thought of on your own.
 DEBTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW

Proverbs 3:27

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when

it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

You are in debt. And some debts you may not know about. Here is a rule of
wisdom to please God and men. You must give good things to those that need
them, when you are able to do so. Your debt may be a civil, employment, or
financial obligation; or it may be the very religious matters of mercy and charity.
This rule is also taught clearly in the New Testament (I John 3:17). Are you fully
aware of your debts, and are you paying them?

The context is minimal, but helpful. The next verse says, “Say not unto thy
neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by
thee” (Pr 3:28). Noble and virtuous men will not delay to provide the needs of
their neighbors, when they are in the position to help them. They will not put
neighbors off with promises of future kindness or performance. God and
Solomon have taught you true mercy and charity.

The debts you know well are rent payments, shared expenses, wages for
services, returning borrowed items, repairing damaged property, refunding
overpayments, replacing stolen things, returning unused deposits, and so forth.
The duty to pay these debts on a timely basis comes from God’s laws and the
civil rules of men (Rom 13:7-8). Consider how Jehovah demanded prompt pay
for laborers (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:14-15).

But there are other debts, which are created by the mercy and charity
requirements of God alone. The LORD made both rich and poor men (Pr 22:2).
Rich men did not get wealthy by their own abilities (Ps 75:6-7; Eccl 9:11; I Cor
4:7). And God expects them to share some of their abundance with those that
have less (Ps 112:9; I Tim 6:17-19). Since God expects the rich to consider the
poor, the mere need of the poor creates an obligation.

When God brings a person into your life with legitimate needs, and you have the
ability to help them, then your help is due. Godliness and wisdom create the
debt. God is expecting payment to them, and He will hold you guilty, if you
choose to not pay. For example, it is an obligation of heaven for you to help
widows and orphans in need that God brings your way (Job 29:12-13; 31:16-23;
Isaiah 1:17; 58:6-7; Jas 1:27).

Legitimate needs are food, clothing, and shelter (Job 31:19; Is 58:7; Ezek 18:7;
Jas 2:15-16). And only those working hard and not wasting assets deserve
charity. If a man will not work, he should starve (Pr 20:4; II Thess 3:6-12). If he is
financially foolish, he should be treated the same (Pr 18:9; 12:27; 19:10; 30:22).
Godly welfare was gleaning, which required hard work collecting scraps from
fields or vineyards (Lev 19:10; 23:22).

Christianity is not communism – from each according to his ability, to each

according to his need, until all are reduced to poverty. The rich may enjoy the
good life, if they are ready and willing to help the poor (I Tim 6:17-19; Eccl 5:18-
19; 9:7-10). If the rich gave all away, they could not fund their wonderful
enterprises that employ the poor, and the poor would be destroyed. Communism
is folly: look at Russia’s and China’s experiments.

Most charity should be done through your local church, where a pastor or
deacons can identify legitimate needs and protect both givers and receivers from
abuse or partiality (Acts 4:34-37; 6:1-3; I Tim 5:1-16). Such public giving does not
violate the Lord’s rule for secrecy, since He opposed Pharisees seeking the
praise of men (Matt 6:1-4). The Bible mentions persons and churches by name
that were generous givers (John 12:3; Acts 4:36-37; Rom 15:26; I Cor 16:15; II
Cor 9:1-2; Phil 4:10-19; Philemon 1:4-7).

The Bible does not teach you to seek out the poor in other places or feel a debt
toward them. God defines objects of mercy and charity, not social do-gooders or
televangelists. Godly men have a debt first to the household of faith, where they
are to provide for poor saints in their own local church and then in other places
(Matt 10:42; 25:40; Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-35; 11:29; Rom 15:26; I Cor 16:1; II Cor
8:4; Gal 6:10; Philemon 1:5; I Pet 4:9).

Your next line of obligation is your neighbor, even if an unbeliever. Who is your
neighbor? You asked a good question, which others have done trying to limit
their duty to their friends and companions only. And it has a good answer from
Jesus Christ, the son of Solomon. Your neighbor is anyone with a legitimate
need that God in His providence brings across your ordinary path in life (Luke
10:25-37; Gal 6:10).

Learn from the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). The Samaritan and Jew did not
live together. They disliked each other (John 4:9; 8:48). The Jew was in true
need, not lacking a television (Luke 10:30). The Samaritan chanced upon the
Jew; he was not looking for wounded Jews (Luke 10:33). The Samaritan did not
subsidize the Jew; he only rescued him from his desperate need. This is the
Lord’s definition of loving your neighbor.

Nowhere does Scripture teach a debt to the poor of the world. Israel was to be
generous to their own poor (Ex 23:11; Deut 15:7-11). If they had tried to feed the
Egyptians and the Arabians, there would not have been any resources left for the
poor in their own nation. Paul took gifts across the Mediterranean for poor saints
in Judea, though he ignored the orphanages in the cities of Europe and Asia
where he raised the money.

Social do-gooders suggest giving to every poor person in every corner of the
earth to earn the praise of men, and televangelists suggest the same to build
their television audiences and funding. But if you followed either consistently, you
would have nothing left for the two obligations God has given you – poor saints
and neighbors by providence.

The Bible is pure wisdom. Gifts to many countries simply subsidize and endorse
governmental and personal folly, much like the individual sluggard or waster
condemned above. People choosing to live in the desert and reproduce wildly,
where food and water have always been in short supply, should rethink their
governmental and personal habits. God does not require the rich to dump their
wealth for the poor of the world: they are merely to be ready to give it to God’s
two objects of charity (I Tim 6:17-19; Gal 6:10).

Do you pay your debts? Do you tell poor saints in your church that you are
praying for them? You are cruel! “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of
daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and
filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the
body; what doth it profit?” (Jas 2:15-16.) “But whoso hath this world’s good, and
seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him,
how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (I Jn 3:17.)
Do you aggressively take care of your parents? If not, you are behind on your
debts! You are denying the Christian faith, if you do not repay your parents for
what they did for you (I Tim 5:4,8). It was the perverted Jewish religion that
rejected parental support by allowing faith-promise offerings of assets in order to
deny parents (Matt 15:4-6).

Are you going out tonight for a nice meal? Why not take a poor couple from your
church or neighborhood? Listen to Jesus Christ: “But when thou makest a feast,
call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they
cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of
the just” (Luke 14:13-14).

The blessed God of heaven did not withhold the good of salvation from His elect,
even when they did not deserve anything but eternal condemnation and
punishment (Rom 5:6-10). He freely gave His only begotten Son and every other
blessing as well (Rom 8:32). Are you able to follow His example even a little?
Then pay your debts! Even today! There are blessings in giving that only those
who trust the Bible and Jesus Christ can experience (Pr 11:24-25; Eccl 11:1;
Luke 6:38; Acts 20:35; II Cor 9:12-14).
 DELAY AND WITHHOLDING PAYMENT IS THEFT

Proverbs 3:28

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and
to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

A delay can turn charity into cruelty! If you can help a needy person today, do not
wait. Help him today. Do not offer or promise to help in the future. Real love will
help now!

A delay can turn debt into theft! If you owe a person or business, and you can
pay, then withholding payment is theft, for you are keeping what is rightfully
theirs. Clear the debt!

The previous proverb condemns refusing to pay. It reads, “Withhold not good
from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it” (Pr
3:27). This proverb before you condemns delaying to pay. Godly men will pay
charity or debt and on time.

God’s rules for success include cash flow and timely payment of charity and
debts. There are good reasons for paying today rather than later. You may never
live to see tomorrow (Pr 27:1). You may lose the means you now have (Pr 23:5).
You cause the poor to live another day in grief (Jas 2:15-16; 5:1-5). A little when
needed is better than more later!

This godly rule of wisdom taught by King Solomon applies to bills, debts, dues,
wages, taxes, charity, family support, giving, and any similar obligations. If you
owe anyone or could help anyone, and you have the money to do so, you should
certainly give it today.

Why would anyone say, “Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give”? Is it a
selfish desire to hold things another day? Is it selfish hope the need will end? Is it
selfish hope someone else will give? Is it profane hope compassion will wane?
All four are shameful!
When God wrote the laws for the nation of Israel, day laborers had to be paid
their wages every day, and the poor had to have security deposits returned to
them every night (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:12-15). The God of heaven cares about
details. Beware of holding back!

The due date on a bill or loan payment is when it is due. Can you grasp that?
The grace period is the days a creditor will let you steal before seeking to put you
in jail. You do not have a Christian right to the grace period. Pay your bills before
the due date. Be noble.

A good rule is to pay bills and obligations when they are incurred, or when they
arrive in the mail. This creates financial freedom, and you are always ahead for
the unexpected emergency. Living from check to check, from bill to bill, is painful
and imprudent folly.

When you employ anyone for wages, whether to cut your grass, repair your car,
or watch your children, pay them that day! God will be honored, your reputation
enhanced, and the receiving persons thrilled. Doing such minor financial things
God’s way is win-win-win.

God cares for the poor. He expects you to also care, when they have a real
need, and you can help. He gave you the financial means to help them, so freely
share. Talk is cheap and does no good (Jas 2:15-16; I Jn 3:17-18). Performance
is what counts (II Cor 8:11).

Giving to the poor is lending to God (Pr 19:17); it proves eternal life (I Jn 3:11-
24); and it ought to be done as soon as a need is detected. Jesus Christ expects
the rich to be ready and willing to give money away, and He rewards them for it (I
Tim 6:17-19; Heb 6:10).

When a neighbor is in need, get it for him as soon as possible. You can produce
joy by a fast response. It has been said, “He gives twice who gives speedily.” The
trait of great men is not only mercy, but the love of mercy (Mic 6:8). Show such
love by quick help.

Paul gave a rule like this proverb when he wrote, “Owe no man any thing, but to
love one another” (Rom 13:8). You must pay all charity or debt that is due, but
then you will still be in debt to love your neighbor, which is the second greatest
commandment of God.
The crucified thief cried, “Lord, remember me” (Luke 23:42). Jesus, keeping the
rule of this proverb in matters far greater than money, did not defer until the next
day, when it would have been too late. He said, “To day shalt thou be with me in
paradise” (Lu 23:43).
 BEWARE

Proverbs 27:13

Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and

take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

Business optimists and risk-takers are financially dangerous, and so are men who live
or play with loose women. Stay away from both types. Do not work for them. Do not
invest with them. If you must do business with them, get a very tight contract for
protection.

Impulsive and immoral men are going down, and they will take you with them, unless
you protect yourself. This proverb has a twin in Proverbs 20:16, which doubles the
warning against risk-takers and immoral men. Learn to measure men, and avoid all
fools.

Consider the terms. A surety guarantees financial obligations of others, much like a co-
signer of loans. A pledge is a performance bond, much like a security deposit, which
gives reassurance a person will perform, or it can be retained to cover any damages. A
garment in this context is an example of an O.T. pledge – something valuable you hold
as a security deposit. A strange woman is any woman who will have sex outside
marriage.

King Solomon warned his son against guaranteeing debts of others. With great wealth,
connections, and reputation, a prince could easily get himself committed to obligations
he might have to end up paying off himself. Since affairs of state involve large
obligations with heavy consequences, he taught his son often against this temptation,
and you should benefit by these repeated warnings (Pr 6:1-5; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16;
22:26-27; 27:13).

When entering business deals, Solomon taught his son to measure a man’s character
and integrity by his risk-taking practices and his relationships with women. If the man
was a foolish optimist who guaranteed strangers, then extra security should be taken of
him in order to protect any dealings. If the man was a fornicator or adulterer, the same
advice applied, because both practices will eventually destroy a m an (Pr 22:26-27;
5:8-10; 6:26).
Noble men do not need security deposits taken. You may safely enter any deal with
them. They fulfill their duties, meet their obligations, and pay their debts. You can count
on them. Their word is as good as a contract – their handshake as good as a security
deposit. Much business used to be transacted this way, until governments stopped
enforcing contracts and punishing debtors, thieves, and covenant b reakers with
previous severity.

How can you find and prove such men? They are prudent in all business dealings and
avoid risky ventures, so they are seldom hurt by a bad deal (Pr 14:15; 22:3; 27:12).
They laugh at Ponzi schemes, mock get-rich-quick programs, and they insure all that
they should. Strong men with character keep riches (Pr 11:16; 13:23; 18:9; 21:5,20;
28:19). For this reason there is the opposite proverb, “A fool and his money are easily
parted.” If a man has preserved his capital, then you know you ha ve found a strong
and wise man.

How else can you find noble men for safe business dealings? Observe their
relationships with women. If they are adulterers or party animals, stay far away. If you
must deal with them, get a strong contract or guarantee before doing so. If they have
little character or conscience in matters pertaining to love, sex, and marriage, then they
cannot be trusted in financial matters. Furthermore, libidinous living will eventually
destroy them in other ways as well. The adulterer and whoremonger are going down to
death and hell.

LESSONS LEARNED

 Avoid foolish optimism or risk-taking in financial matters yourself.

Pessimism is a virtue in business transactions and investments (Pr 14:15;
22:3; 27:12). Examine things very carefully and get other counselors
involved to avoid pain (Pr 15:22).
 Is there another lesson? Keep your heart and life free from whorish
women, for moral and sexual compromise will bring economic trouble.
Adultery proves a foolish soul and distorted priorities, and whores are
never cheap by any measure (Pr 6:30-33; 23:27).
 Is there another lesson? Avoid doing business with, or get extra security
from, men who are foolish, hasty, impulsive, naïve, optimistic, or vain
talkers in financial matters. Protect yourself by staying away from risk-
takers, for their folly will take you down with them.
 Is there another lesson? Avoid doing business with, or get extra security
from, men who are loose with women, for they show a lack of character,
 and they are also going down. A man who cheats his wife or another
woman’s husband will soon cheat you. Beware!
By the grace and mercy of God, though the elect were strangers to God and as
unfaithful as whores to the things of heaven, He sent His only begotten Son to be the
Surety of His contract, covenant, promise, and testament of eternal life to them (Heb
7:22; 8:6; 9:15; 12:22-24). And because of His faithfulness and justness, any one of
them may confess their sins at any time and be forgiven and cleansed from them all (I
John 1:9). You may put all your trust in Him, for He alone is just, perfect, and right in all
His ways.
 CONCLUSION

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS.

1. Do I want to be a steward and acknowledge God’s full control?

2. Will I confess my mismanagement and pray for God’s help?

3. Will I seek Godly advice? Will I consult with my spouse and other Christians
that can help me?

4. Will I make the lifestyle change and other habits needed to be changed?

5. Will I stop worrying and fully trust God on my finances?

If we humble ourselves and commit ourselves to stewardship and getting wisdom

from God’s words, God goes to work. There is hope. Our motivation in becoming
debt free is important.

Why do you want to become financially free? This is a “no-brainer” question.

Who wants to be in the bondage of debt anyway? Who doesn’t want to be
released from tension, stress, worries and anxiety of debt? When you borrow,
you become a servant of the lender. Is that the life that you want? God made us
to be head not the tail, to be the lender not the borrower.

For us to know Christ more and to be able to intimately develop a relationship

with Him, we have to learn more about God. The same as through with our
finances, if we want to be financially free and debt free we have to learn God’s
biblical principles of finances and practice them. We have to Trust God and
willing to submit to His will and direction.

We can say that we trust God, but there’s a great difference between saying and
doing. Often we trust and Pray to God if there’s no more resort, God is the last
resort. God expects us to trust Him daily, in all things. We have money or don’t,
we still have to trust Him.
Get out of debt. Break the habits that keep you in debt .Save so you don’t have
to borrow. Stop borrowing more, start living on less, don’t spend more than what
you earn and begin paying back what you owe.

Proverbs 15:16

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great

treasure with trouble.
 RESOURCES

www.letgodbetrue.com, articles used with permission from Pastor Jonathan

Crosby of The Church of Greenville in Greenville, SC, USA

www.biblegateway.com

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