Short answer: No. The Bible does not say that borrowing or owing money is a sin. What it does say is that debts must be repaid, that the borrower becomes a servant to the lender, and that we should be cautious about promising money we may not have. Failing to pay what you owe is sinful. Being in debt is not.
In This Article
Debt is one of the most common sources of shame among believers. People sit in church feeling that they are failing God because of a credit card balance or a medical bill. Others assume the Bible forbids all borrowing and cannot find the verse. It is worth sorting out what Scripture actually says, because there are plenty of misconceptions about the biblical teaching on debt.
Being in debt simply means owing something to someone with the intention to repay later. Deciding whether a particular debt is wrong requires asking how it came about and who is responsible, and that is a judgment the Bible leaves to the circumstances, not to a single rule.
What Does The Bible Say About Debt?
The main message of the Bible about debt is that it should be repaid or forgiven. It speaks of lending as an act of generosity, warns again and again about guaranteeing another man's loan, and is concerned above all with how we respond when debt enters our lives. It is not a book of banking regulations.
Take the verse people most often quote against borrowing:
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:8 (NIV)
Read in its setting, Paul is talking about our obligations to one another: pay what you owe, whether taxes or respect, and keep loving. He is not forbidding a mortgage. Some situations make debt almost unavoidable, such as a medical emergency, a lost job or a business failure.
The Bible also makes it plain that when something is borrowed, it must be returned (see Exodus 22:14), and that deliberately refusing to repay reveals a wicked heart:
The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously
Psalm 37:21 (NIV)
Jesus himself used debt as a picture of sin. In the prayer he taught us, we ask for forgiveness of our debts as we forgive our debtors (Matthew 6:12). When the Bible speaks of debts, it often has our spiritual condition in mind, not our bank balance. For that deeper debt see what the Bible says about forgiveness of sin.
Is It A Sin To Owe Debt?
Owing is not a sin, but how you handle it can be. The Bible's concern is honesty and wisdom. It is wise to consider your ability to repay before you borrow, because taking on a loan with no realistic way to repay comes close to making promises about a future you cannot see. Proverbs warns people not to put up security for the debts of others (see Proverbs 22:26 to 27).
That failing to pay is sinful does not mean every bankruptcy is sinful. Some Christians face a collapse that was not of their making. Still, a believer has a moral duty to pay back creditors as far as he or she is able, and to deal with them honestly.
The Bible also tells us that obeying God brings blessing, so that his people are able to lend and have no need to borrow (see Deuteronomy 15:6 and Deuteronomy 28:12):
you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
Deuteronomy 15:6 (NIV)
Lending is spoken of more favorably than borrowing, but not for the reason our materialistic world would assume. God does not present loans as a way to make a profit. We are urged to lend generously to the needy (Leviticus 25:37, Matthew 5:42, Exodus 22:25), and I explain how that connects to interest in my study of usury.
Is Life Better Without Debt?
Scripture is honest about the cost of owing:
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.
Proverbs 22:7 (NIV)
A person with large debts has less freedom to give, to change jobs, to rest and to respond when God opens a door. That is why I say debt should generally be avoided. It is not that borrowing is a violation of any commandment, because the Bible never says that. The prudence of borrowing in a particular situation is something we can discuss, and it is never a simple yes or no.
I would add that being debt free does not make anyone holy, and a person can be free of debt and still be greedy. The goal is a heart that trusts God and uses money to love people. If you are tempted by the pursuit of wealth, you may want to read whether greed is a sin and whether poverty is a sin.
How Does Debt Affect Our Relationship With God?
Because debt can quietly affect our walk with the Lord in two ways, I advise people to avoid it where they can.
First, the Bible does not forbid borrowing, but it warns against making confident assumptions about tomorrow. James says we do not even know what will happen, and that boasting about plans is arrogant (see James 4:13 to 15). Most modern borrowing rests on assumptions about future income. You are promising to repay money you do not yet have a certain way to earn.
Second, borrowing can become a shortcut around trusting God. The Lord has promised to supply what we need:
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
Sometimes a loan is only a quick fix for a situation that might otherwise have driven us to deeper faith. We can slip into trusting the lender in God's place, letting him satisfy our wants instead of our actual needs. I also need to be careful here. Some struggling believers treat Philippians 4:19 as a promise that God will wipe out the consequences of their poor decisions. He has promised to meet our needs in the best way he knows, not to erase every consequence of foolish spending.
Should I Tithe If I Am In Debt?
This is one of the questions people ask most quietly. The Bible does not give a formula that settles it, and Christians differ on how the Old Testament tithe applies today. Here is how I would think about it. Paying what you owe honestly is a biblical duty, and so is giving to God's work. Neither cancels the other. Paul described the spirit in which we should give:
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)
If you are drowning in debt, I would encourage you to speak with your pastor or an elder, make a plan to repay, and keep giving in some real way as an act of trust. Do not let anyone burden you with a number that makes you feel guilty before God. The right response is an honest budget, a repayment plan and a cheerful heart.
Whatever you owe, God has not stopped loving you. He loves you with or without debt. For a wider view, read what sin is, and if worry about money keeps you awake, see is worry a sin.
Key Bible Verses About Debt
- Romans 13:8: pay what you owe; the one debt that never ends is love.
- Psalm 37:21: refusing to repay is the mark of the wicked, while the righteous give.
- Proverbs 22:7: the borrower becomes the lender's servant.
- Exodus 22:14: what is borrowed must be returned or made good.
- Deuteronomy 15:6: obedience brings the ability to lend and not borrow.
- James 4:13 to 15: do not presume on a future you cannot see.
- Matthew 6:12: forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
- Philippians 4:19: God will meet all your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does God say about debts?
God speaks of debts as obligations to be honored: borrowed things must be returned, and refusing to repay marks a wicked heart. He also uses debt as a picture of sin that he forgives. See Psalm 37:21 and Matthew 6:12.
Is it biblical to pay off debt?
Yes. Scripture teaches that we should repay what we owe and deal honestly with creditors. Paying down debt also gives freedom to give and serve, since the borrower becomes the lender's servant according to Proverbs 22:7.
Should I tithe if I am in debt?
The Bible does not give one formula, and Christians differ on the tithe. Pay what you owe honestly and keep giving cheerfully in proportion to your means, then speak to your pastor about a plan. See 2 Corinthians 9:7.
Is it a sin to owe debt?
No. The Bible never lists borrowing as a sin. Refusing to repay, borrowing recklessly or promising what you cannot deliver are the real concerns.
Is life better without debt?
Often it is freer, because debt limits your choices and weighs on the mind. But being debt free does not make anyone holy. The goal is a trusting heart that uses money to love others.
What is a good prayer to get rid of debt?
A simple one is enough: Lord, you know what I owe. Give me wisdom for a plan, honesty with those I owe, and trust that you will provide what I need. Keep me from despair and from grasping. Amen.
