Page 66 - Managing Your Resources - Student Syllabus - short combined

Kurios which means “Lord and Master!” Upon faith, we enter into a slave/master relationship with God.
He is our Kurios and we are his doulos. We have been set free from slavery to the world and now are
free to become a slave to Christ!

In the New Testament times, a slave could be set free. However, he always had the option of becoming
a voluntary slave to the master. He could request that he remain as a slave in the service of the master.
If he did so, the master would take an awl and punch out a hole in the lobe of the slave’s ear. This was
an outward sign that a slave was a voluntary slave for life. This is the full meaning of a doulos. He gave
up his rights because he chose to remain under the authority of his master. The slave was stating that
his master was sovereign over his life.

Philippians 2:6 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Christ is the model of
humility, now watch this,) ” who though He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a
thing to be grasped but emptied Himself, taking the form of a doulos (volunteer slave).”

Romans 12:1-2 ESV
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is
good and acceptable and perfect.

So we are commanded to become a slave to Christ in our lives. However, borrowing from someone else
becomes a problem. The problem is, when you borrow from someone else, you become slave to the
lender. He becomes your master. And if you are a believer, you have TWO masters. What does the
Bible say about that?

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love
the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
both God and money.

Here is the problem….
The Bible does NOT forbid borrowing from someone else, and expressly says if you
do so, YOU MUST REPAY THE DEBT. And until you do, you remain the lender’s slave.

Psalm 37:21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious
and gives.

Ecclesiastes 5:5 (ESV) It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
The REAL definition of Debt

Nowhere in Scripture is debt specifically defined. But in the opinion of your instructor, you are in debt if
one of the three following circumstances is true:

1. Money is owed to someone with payment or payments due. For example, if you purchase items on
a credit card but have the money to pay for those items and pay off the card BEFORE any interest is
charged, then you are NOT in debt. However, if you cannot pay the card or repay the entire balance of
the expense, but only pay a portion (with or without interest), then you are in debt.

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