Your debt, you pay for it.

Your debt, you pay for it

In the past few years I have become somewhat saddened by the lack of basic empathy of people who claim Christ. There are some very basic characteristics of Christ that don't take advanced degrees or years and years of church attendance and discipleship to learn and apply to one's life. The last time I remember America being somewhat united was just after 9/11. But time after time, I have witnessed spiritual apostasy, a malicious witness and an unkind and unloving attitude toward people who have a different perspective and worldview. 

One of the most resent is the student loan partial forgiveness for millions of Americans. This is part of the financial relief for Americans who have been struggling financially from the aftermath of global pandemic that has taken the lives of over one million Americans. The political discourse has perhaps never been as volatile in my life time. Social media, all the news networks continually are spewing malicious hatred towards their fellow Americans, left, right, liberal, conservative, it runs 24/7 365.

Then I remembered, then I remembered what I read in the Bible. There are three very simple teachings that those who claim Christ must get back to practicing. 

Truth, forgiveness and love for one another.

Many of us who grew up in church still remember the 10 commandments. One of them is "Thou shalt not bear false witness against they neighbor" Exodus 20:16. We dismiss the full implication when we think "just don't lie." Actually, it is about the Law of the malicious witness. In the Law of Moses and in the New Testament we find perhaps the most ignored commandment of the twenty first century western world."One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses" Deuteronomy 19:18. The Apostle Paul repeats this in the New Testament as well, "this is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three eye witnesses" 2 Corinthians 13:1. (Here is a link to look at the many verses on the topic. openbible.info/topics/two_or_three_witnesses) If you think about it, every time a single witness makes a claim against another person, that person by default is a malicious witness who violated the commandment "thou shalt not bear false witness against they neighbor.

The standard of two or three unbiased eye witnesses has been abandoned and violated so many times, it is perhaps the most perpetually driven sin in our culture today. This is why we get second opinions, this is why the Bible says don't be quick to pass judgement. The Bible warns in the last days, "Knowledge (information) will greatly increase yet people would not come to the truth." Passages about end times also note two other characteristics of those who claim a relationship with God the last days, "unforgiving, slanderers..." 2 Timothy 3:3. In that passage there are twenty one characteristics of people, but the two of them I am pointing us to are how people will be unforgiving and slanderous, i.e. malicious witnesses. 

I think maybe we all might want to get back to one basic truth about the Kingdom of God, none of us deserve anything we have. Everything and every day is a gift of God lest anyone of us should boast, otherwise, it's your debt, you pay for it.