Credit Cards and the Modern Day Church – Part III

Project Debt Freedom and Credit Cards

The issue contemplated here is whether or not the use of credit cards runs contrary to our efforts under Project Debt Freedom. To begin, perhaps it is helpful to understand what is really meant by debt freedom. Is the concept of debt freedom to be understood in an absolute sense, or is it relative? How do believers make sense of debt freedom in a culture and world driven by debt? Let’s take a closer look.

In keeping with the covenant promises of Deuteronomy 28:12-13, Rhema Ministries definitely holds to debt freedom as a principle. Without doubt, God wants His people to be absolutely free from debt. However, in the context of a people still in the process of becoming, the proper understanding of this concept must be that it is a destination of process that must be walked out progressively in a lifetime. While we must acknowledge that debt freedom can be and really is an instantaneous reality for God; as in most things, God is never the problem, it is always man. It would then seem to me that the process of debt freedom is a life continuum, best depicted in the following manner:

*--------------------------------------*---------------------------------------------------*
Debt --------------------Relative debt freedom ----------------Absolute debt freedom

Let’s take a closer look at this absolute versus relative debt freedom idea.

I believe it would be fair to say that debt is a present reality for most believers. It goes without saying then that if we held to an absolute interpretation of debt freedom at the outset, most believers would never be able to own a house, buy a car and enjoy some of the amenities of life, because they lack the ability to pay for these larger items immediately. As such, true ownership would never be a realized state for most believers. However, from the diagram above, it is clear that as believers become more and more empowered, they can begin to move along the debt continuum toward their God-desired destination. Thus, Project Debt Freedom has been designed to empower our congregation through education and strategy toward absolute debt freedom. Through education, our congregation will have the necessary information and tools to make better life decisions. The program also provides members with a strategy to get to the desired destination of debt freedom as quickly as possible, through proper management of their resources.