We as Christians are all shocked at sexual immorality, hatred and murder. Rightly so. They are vile sins. What about envy, covetousness, pride and unforgiveness? Are they not vile sins? Humans in general tend to think that hatred, murder and adultery are vile, but yet not envy and unforgiveness. Why? Selfishness. Plain and simple. You don't want people hating you, killing you or stealing your spouse. That is why most of you out there single out only these sins are vile, or tolerate those who do so.
However, when it comes to sins that do not negatively affect one personally, or ones of which the consequence can be circumvented, such as unforgiveness, usury and homosexuality, most people turn a blind eye. Most people, including the vast majority of professing Christians, are hostile or disdainful against those who speak out against usury. They are hostile for not wanting to be associated with such people, thinking they are very gracious and kind, as opposed to anti-usury warriors who are ungracious and unforgiving.
Those who are under the spirit of mammon, which includes many true converts, who are influenced by him, though not seeking to serve him, will think that speaking out against usury is pointless, nonsensical, unforgiving and ungracious. That people feel irritated and upset, with their conscience challenged when confronted with claims that usury is vile evil sin, itself indicates that they know deep down inside that usury is a sin. The Moral Law of God is written on the hearts of all people (Romans 2:15). It is indeed a Moral Law of God given to Israel in the Old Testament which still applies today, and forever more: "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:18).
Usury is a sin under the New Covenant as much as it was in the Old Covenant. If you think that the Moral Law of God has changed regarding usury or any other specific Moral Law you want to think as not applicable, you are woefully wrong. Not a single Moral Law of God has changed whatsoever! Woe to those who seek to pervert the Law of God, and yet claim to obey it!
The problem lies not with the world or false converts who can only be expected to sin and not claim in their hearts to obey the Law of God. No! It is those true converts who have allowed themselves to be seduced by the spirit of mammon, and therefore are blinded into thinking that usury is now acceptable to God, who justify it on the false grounds that usury is not a sin under the New Covenant because it is only a sin under the Old Covenant. What damnable heresy! What vile blasphemy!
No wonder unbelievers who oppose usury on moral grounds, not economic, or cultural, but moral grounds in itself, think the Church to be hypocritical, useless, foolish, irrelevant and even immoral. They are quite justified to think that when seeing how the Church has twisted the Bible's teaching on usury.
Imagine if someone were to give you a gift which is truly purpose is to be a gift. That is its only legitimate purpose. The condition on receiving the gift is that you to repay the gift, for though it is a gift, for though that it its purpose, it is not a gift that you deserve, but one that was needed to be used but given to help you to obtain something you needed. That person then charged you for the gift, which is its only legitimate purpose. He has violated the purpose of the gift, perverting it as such.
You may argue, that it is not a gift in the first place if charged with a payment for the gift. Yes, that is right. You may then further argue in your deviousness that the gift is a false gift, since there was a condition to repaying it. No, it is not a false gift but a true gift. It was given not because you deserve it but to help you obtain what you need. On this ground alone is the gift rendered one that is truly a gift. As long you you receive something you don't deserve at all, it is a gift. That is has conditions to obtain such as gift, does not render it no longer a gift. The best example of this is salvation. It is by grace alone, a gift. However, to receive it, you must repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ. That is the condition for receiving the gift of salvation. Anyone who does not repent and put his faith in Jesus Christ alone cannot receive salvation.
You may still ask, is not the payment for the gift in the hypothetical above a condition for the gift, and thus legitimate. No. The payment for the gift violates its purpose which is a gift given by the giver. It is violation of the purpose of the gift on part of the giver.
You may still continue to argue that if one must repay for the gift to truly receive it, why it is still a gift. This claim is made on two assumptions. The first is that one deserves the gift. A gift is not deserved. Secondly, paying for the gift does not confer any cause for receiving it, that is, paying for is in no way to show that one deserves it, or is making oneself worthy of deserving it at all. It is paid precisely because it is wrong of itself to take a gift and not repay on part of the person to whom the gift, the undeserved thing, is given. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth (Psalm 37:21). To not repay the gift shows that one thinks oneself is entitled to it. This is exactly what Psalm 37:21 means.
Likewise, just as Christ died for you so that you might live, you must pay the price of losing yourself - all your visions, dreams, aspirations, ambitions, desires and all other things you want must be given up, not may be, or might have to, but must be given up: And He [Jesus] said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23). That salvation is given freely as a gift does not mean that you must not pay for it on your own part. This is by no means saying that you earn it or deserve it. No, not at all! Rather, it is to say that you pay for it on your own part by giving up yourself. That is what Jesus meant when He said that whoever wants to follow him must completely give up himself.
Usury is not only an unforgiving act, or a mere manifestation of unforgiveness. It is unforgiveness itself on part of the usurer. Though the person who received a loan does not deserve it and is obliged to repay it according to the Moral Law of God, it is a sin on part of the usurer to charge it. Usury violates the purpose of giving money to others which God ordains to be given freely and willingly. It questions why one should give freely, but rather gives grudgingly. This itself is hostility against God who said "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8). God requires that us human beings, whether unsaved or saved give freely. To not give freely is to sin for God requires us all to give freely.
Usury is not to give freely. It gives with the purpose of gaining, violating the God-ordained purpose of giving which is to give freely and willingly. Usury keeps a record of what it is 'entitled' to for it is unforgiveness itself.
Usury violates the Law of Love. It is not love at all. Whatever is not love is sin for love is the fulfillment of the Law of God: Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10).
However, when it comes to sins that do not negatively affect one personally, or ones of which the consequence can be circumvented, such as unforgiveness, usury and homosexuality, most people turn a blind eye. Most people, including the vast majority of professing Christians, are hostile or disdainful against those who speak out against usury. They are hostile for not wanting to be associated with such people, thinking they are very gracious and kind, as opposed to anti-usury warriors who are ungracious and unforgiving.
Those who are under the spirit of mammon, which includes many true converts, who are influenced by him, though not seeking to serve him, will think that speaking out against usury is pointless, nonsensical, unforgiving and ungracious. That people feel irritated and upset, with their conscience challenged when confronted with claims that usury is vile evil sin, itself indicates that they know deep down inside that usury is a sin. The Moral Law of God is written on the hearts of all people (Romans 2:15). It is indeed a Moral Law of God given to Israel in the Old Testament which still applies today, and forever more: "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:18).
Usury is a sin under the New Covenant as much as it was in the Old Covenant. If you think that the Moral Law of God has changed regarding usury or any other specific Moral Law you want to think as not applicable, you are woefully wrong. Not a single Moral Law of God has changed whatsoever! Woe to those who seek to pervert the Law of God, and yet claim to obey it!
The problem lies not with the world or false converts who can only be expected to sin and not claim in their hearts to obey the Law of God. No! It is those true converts who have allowed themselves to be seduced by the spirit of mammon, and therefore are blinded into thinking that usury is now acceptable to God, who justify it on the false grounds that usury is not a sin under the New Covenant because it is only a sin under the Old Covenant. What damnable heresy! What vile blasphemy!
No wonder unbelievers who oppose usury on moral grounds, not economic, or cultural, but moral grounds in itself, think the Church to be hypocritical, useless, foolish, irrelevant and even immoral. They are quite justified to think that when seeing how the Church has twisted the Bible's teaching on usury.
Imagine if someone were to give you a gift which is truly purpose is to be a gift. That is its only legitimate purpose. The condition on receiving the gift is that you to repay the gift, for though it is a gift, for though that it its purpose, it is not a gift that you deserve, but one that was needed to be used but given to help you to obtain something you needed. That person then charged you for the gift, which is its only legitimate purpose. He has violated the purpose of the gift, perverting it as such.
You may argue, that it is not a gift in the first place if charged with a payment for the gift. Yes, that is right. You may then further argue in your deviousness that the gift is a false gift, since there was a condition to repaying it. No, it is not a false gift but a true gift. It was given not because you deserve it but to help you obtain what you need. On this ground alone is the gift rendered one that is truly a gift. As long you you receive something you don't deserve at all, it is a gift. That is has conditions to obtain such as gift, does not render it no longer a gift. The best example of this is salvation. It is by grace alone, a gift. However, to receive it, you must repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ. That is the condition for receiving the gift of salvation. Anyone who does not repent and put his faith in Jesus Christ alone cannot receive salvation.
You may still ask, is not the payment for the gift in the hypothetical above a condition for the gift, and thus legitimate. No. The payment for the gift violates its purpose which is a gift given by the giver. It is violation of the purpose of the gift on part of the giver.
You may still continue to argue that if one must repay for the gift to truly receive it, why it is still a gift. This claim is made on two assumptions. The first is that one deserves the gift. A gift is not deserved. Secondly, paying for the gift does not confer any cause for receiving it, that is, paying for is in no way to show that one deserves it, or is making oneself worthy of deserving it at all. It is paid precisely because it is wrong of itself to take a gift and not repay on part of the person to whom the gift, the undeserved thing, is given. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth (Psalm 37:21). To not repay the gift shows that one thinks oneself is entitled to it. This is exactly what Psalm 37:21 means.
Likewise, just as Christ died for you so that you might live, you must pay the price of losing yourself - all your visions, dreams, aspirations, ambitions, desires and all other things you want must be given up, not may be, or might have to, but must be given up: And He [Jesus] said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23). That salvation is given freely as a gift does not mean that you must not pay for it on your own part. This is by no means saying that you earn it or deserve it. No, not at all! Rather, it is to say that you pay for it on your own part by giving up yourself. That is what Jesus meant when He said that whoever wants to follow him must completely give up himself.
Usury is not only an unforgiving act, or a mere manifestation of unforgiveness. It is unforgiveness itself on part of the usurer. Though the person who received a loan does not deserve it and is obliged to repay it according to the Moral Law of God, it is a sin on part of the usurer to charge it. Usury violates the purpose of giving money to others which God ordains to be given freely and willingly. It questions why one should give freely, but rather gives grudgingly. This itself is hostility against God who said "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8). God requires that us human beings, whether unsaved or saved give freely. To not give freely is to sin for God requires us all to give freely.
Usury is not to give freely. It gives with the purpose of gaining, violating the God-ordained purpose of giving which is to give freely and willingly. Usury keeps a record of what it is 'entitled' to for it is unforgiveness itself.
Usury violates the Law of Love. It is not love at all. Whatever is not love is sin for love is the fulfillment of the Law of God: Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10).
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