SHOULD CHRISTIANS ACCUMULATE DEBT?….. IS DEBT SIN?

[Rest Of God Ministries]

We had a season of great abundance in our lives where we thought God opened every door imaginable. We owned over 30 rental homes and 3 apartment buildings in and around Detroit. We even had a debt monster built (Brand new home) on over an acre of land in the country. We had accumulated over $5,000,000 in real estate and assets.

We were so engulfed in our business that we seemed to be slipping away spiritually. Our turning point in real estate was when we found ourselves in one of our rental properties at 1:00 a.m. in the middle of the night with 3 of our babies, one new born at the time, and a guy was beating on the door hard and loud asking if we needed help working on the house. I can remember thinking how foolish I was to have my family in this cut throat city this time of night, working on a rental property.

Shortly there after, we asked God to free us from this rental business with something that could sustain our lifestyle. God being the faithful father that he is, did just that. We slowly began to sell off our property. We went into the wholesale merchandising business and was able to match and surpass our real estate business. Some months sales would be so good that we would earn over $40,000 in sales. Yet again, we found ourselves slipping even further away from God.

The Lord revealed something to my wife(EW Ministries) and when he did, she would not let me rest. She walked past a picture of our home that was hanging on the wall. There was a brass emblem that said “The Bank’s Place, which was suppose to represent our last name. Now she had walked passed this picture hundreds of times as did I. It never really mattered much. But this particular day she said, It was almost as if God spoke to me through the picture and said this house is the Bank’s place“, meaning it belongs to Washington, Mutual, our finance company. At the time we had just completed a home office in our lower level walkout to make it more convenient for our internet business transactions and shipping. As the weeks wore on, my wife came to me with scripture after, scripture, talking about, debt, lenders, usury, slavery and more. She would always point at the Stanley Johnson video below and say “See, This is what I am talking about.”



I hated seeing that commercial and I must admit, it was a bitter taste in my mouth because I knew she was right and that meant we would have to give all of this accumulation up, if we would ever be close to the Lord again. All of this STUFF WAS SEPARATING US FROM GOD. We began to pray and ask God to free us from all of this so that we can do his will. We were living in his permissive will and wanted no parts of that.

As we prayed God began to lead us even more. We knew that we would have to move which meant buying another house. We also knew that we could not go into debt any more with a mortgage. So we said Lord, we need money to buy a house because we no longer want to be servants to a lender. The whole time we had all of this debt we couldn’t sleep nights because our work load had to carry over all day in order to maintain this lifestyle. Our children had everything we didn’t have but they got a chance to see us slipping away. Putting off prayer to ship boxes, skipping over fasting to get customers, ignoring God to market our business. This has got to stop so the Lord invoked a great study about Christians and Debt. Fast forward, we moved to Kentucky into a bigger house (4,000 square feet) that is paid for. We let go of what we thought was a God given blessing but turned out to be something he gave us out of our disobedience. Even though we were making a lot of money while living in Michigan, we were in a gut wrenching amount debt which caused us to have to work, work, work and many times ignore God. He was allowing our disobedience to suffocate us. Covetousness had crept into our heart

All these things had become our gods, and the Lord said chose ye this day whom you will serve. We decided to let it all go, who cares about wealth if it’s going to carry you to hell. I’d rather be poor, and content with food and raiment as the Apostle Paul stated. When we let go and that’s when
the doors opened for us and God gave us the money for both a bigger house and a van to accommodate our growing family. God doesn’t want his people living in debt, he wants us to be free from that burden. If we trust in him and believe that he is able, then he can make us debt free, he will. God is able.

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

Debt aint a sin per say, but it IS a bondage! The Kingdom of GOD should be in debt to no one but CHRIST. If we got bills upon bills to pay, how are we gonna properly fund things like missions to the "10/40 window"?

Debt is the opposite to what GOD speaks of- PROSPERITY.

[Child of the Kingdom]

Hello brother Trevor,
If debt is not sin, why did Jesus tell us to ask forgiveness for our debts? Could this be one of those sins that are not unto death?

Matthew 6:12 KJV
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

[Evangelist Altha Fugett]

I don't feel that debt is a sin either, unpaid debt is, for the word states "owe no man nothing but love"

God clearly warns us not to go into debt or cosign a loan unless we are certain we can repay our obligation (Proverbs 22:26-27).

So evidently some debt is allowed. You can owe money to other people and not be in sin.

However, debt carries a responsibility - you must repay your debts. Think about it, borrowing money is a promise to the lender to return the borrowed money. All promises must be kept.

The Old Law also stated that anything borrowed had to be returned in good shape. We think of debts in the form of monetary obligations, but debt comes in many forms. When you borrow your neighbors tools or a cup of sugar, you are incurring a debt to return what was borrowed. incurring a debt is not a sin.

If being in debt was a sin, then lending money to others would also be wrong. However, Jesus tells us to be willing to lend (Matthew 5:42).

The Old Law told the Israelites not to be stingy when lending to other people (Deuteronomy 15:18). Similarly, Jesus told his followers to lend without expecting repayment (Luke 6:34-35).

While we are to be willing to lend, it does not mean we have to be a pushover for every bum with his hand out (Proverbs 20:16, 27:13).

If being in debt was a sin, then lending would be causing others to sin. Obviously, this line of reasoning is false.


I agree with Bro Trevor, it can be bondage, and when one is oppress they cannot serve God fully.

[Child of the Kingdom]

Matthew 4:10 KJV
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence , Satan: for it is written , Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve

Proverbs 22:7 KJV
The rich ruleth over the poor , and the borrower is servant to the lender


When you look at the above two scriptures the word of God declares that we become servants when we owe a lender and thus we break the commanded of, Him only shalt thou serve. We are serving these banks or people that we borrow from essentially as masters over us. As long as they hold the note we have to answer to them.

Why would Jesus tell us we have to ask for forgiveness of Debt. Again, this may not be a sin unto death but one whereby we are being subject to usury and bondage and the penalty is usually loosing a home, car, possessions and more. I see so many Christians losing everything and there is usually debt attached to it. You become a servant to the lender when you borrow according to Proverbs 22:7 KJV

[Evangelist Altha Fugett]

Under the law one could be imprisoned for debts, that is what that scripture is relating to, it is not a sin for us to be servants, but it can become bondage when the person you are a servant to is not of God and you don't pay your debts.

We have to be careful and read the fine prints to what we are vowing ourselves to.

Christians lose their belongings out of poor judgement, circumstances out their controls (job lost) just like everybody else.

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

You're taking it out of context.....

This is a matter of money, not morality

[Child of the Kingdom]

I don't recall comparing debt to morality other than agreeing with what another sister said in reference to those borrowing with no intent to repay. The question of debt brings up so many things in the lives of Christians. Loss of homes, cars and more importantly, loss of trust in God. We become servants to our lenders when we accumulate debt.

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

Very true, very true. Money has always been an issue. Just like when discussing if a PAstor should get paid or not....

[Child of the Kingdom]

What about churches that have huge notes on them? How is this the house of God if the bank can take it? So many churches have been lost to foreclosure that it is hard to believe that God was in that. What does that say about that fellowship?

Just a question open for discussion. Would God allow the house of God to be taken by the BANK?

[Evangelist Lisa Kyles]

Praise the Lord Saints!!!


hmmm.. I think it's not a sin per say... but a Lying and beinga a robber Is.


If you sign a agreement and you stated that you can afford the payments...(doesn't refer to losing a job..etc..etc.) and then all sudden you start skipping payment and the you don't send a payment.. you broke the Vow... by lying..

Then you keep on and on borrowing, trying to pay off what you didn't pay.... then getting credit cards.. max them out without even trying to pay them... Then You are a thief and a liar... .

Living beyond your means....... can hurt you in the long run...

[Evangelist Altha Fugett]

Amen exactly, there is a reason, why it's seven years for your debts to clear off credit reports it's biblically based. One had to work seven years or be a servant to the one he owed, after that seven years they were free of the debt. This is what the forgiveness was speaking of.

[Child of the Kingdom]

I do think that everyone is getting the picture here. DEBT AND CHRISTIANITY USUALLY DON'T MIX. When we speak of the world this is their system (Caesar) and this is where the unsaved borrow from. Sadly, this is also where Christians borrow from (Caesar). There is bondage with debt that can and does result in the breaking of fellowship with God. Many people, when they loose what was gained from going into debt, tend to blame God or accuse him of not providing. I think when we as Christians choose to go into debt, the Lord will not make it easy for us at all.

In our testimony, when God showed us through hard times and struggles that he didn't want this for us we had a choice to comply or die. When we chose to obey what the word said about owing no man, that is when God opened up the windows of heaven.

Just think about this, if we owned everything we have versus owing Caesar for it, even with the loss of a job you can still keep what is yours. When you owe debt, Just like, Evangelist Lisa Kyles said, you may be forced to become a thief or a robber.