I received the following letter from a thirteen-year-old girl in the UK. What’s happened to her breaks my heart. What would you say that might answer her question? How might you ease her pain and heal her heart. I’ll share my letter to her and then give you a chance to help her, too. Use the “Comments” section to writer her a letter. I’ll forward your counsel to her. Thanks for your help. I know she will appreciate it. By the way, I get way too many letters like this one. They remind me that it is a hard world out there. Thank God for a Jesus Christ who cares and can heal the deepest recesses of the human heart. Dear Roger, My mum died 11 years ago and I’m now 13 and my dad ran away and my grandparents won’t tell me how it happened. All I can remember is her ringing the door bell. then I answered it and she was on the floor, dead. (Name withheld)” Dear Name Withheld, I read your email and don’t know what to say. No words can ever approach the depth of the pain you are suffering. I grieve for what you’ve experienced. No one should ever go through that. I can’t imagine the shock and pain of seeing what you saw–no matter who was dead–and especially for it to be your mom. Life was never designed to be this way. I imagine that Jesus was grieving as He watched what happened to you mom and also as He has watched the pain and grief that I know you are experiencing. I am so sorry for what happened to you. I would imagine that you would love to know what really happened. Perhaps some day you will. However, some things are better left alone. I would recommend that you pray and ask the Lord Jesus to let you know at just the right time and in just the right way what occurred when you were two. If it is best for you not to know, then trust that the Lord Jesus will help you put the tragedy behind you and then to help and strengthen you for a great life ahead. Try not to obsess with all sorts of imaginings while trying to put the pieces together of what happened to mom and dad. The Bible says that a lot of empty speculation can bring on more misery than it is worth. You might pray for Jesus to protect you from any long-term emotional hurt and pain. You also might consider asking Him to help you heal the hurts inside. It sounds to me that your grand parents are raising you. If so, thank God for someone who cares enough to take you in and care for you. By the way, it is so easy to focus on your own pain and miss the fact that your grand parents are also in great pain. Was your mom their daughter? The pain of losing a child is incredible. I know. I lost one. Was you dad their son? If so, then they have lost more than you can now imagine—a broken relationship with your own child has its own peculiar pains. Pains and hurts are healed by receiving comfort. Jesus said, “Blessed are they who mourn for they shall receive comfort. Perhaps you have some friends to whom you can open up and share? I hope so. Their comfort can bring much healing. You might consider mentioning to your grand parents that you know that they are hurting. Comfort them. Tell them how sorry you are for their loss. As you comfort them they may open up and begin to comfort you. Deep hurts need much comfort to get well. Finally, you might consider getting some professional counsel from people who know how to lead you to get well. I hope you can find a good counselor, I’m praying that Jesus will help heal the emotional and mental wounds, protect you from scars and give you a great life ahead. Again, I hurt so much for you. At times like this in my life, I pray for the Lord Jesus to pour in the power and give me live victoriously no matter the circumstances. As I write this, I am praying the same thing for you. Again, I am so sorry. Love, Roger Dear Readers, Now it is your turn. Please write a word of encouragement. I know she will be blessed by what you say and the advice you give. Thank you, Roger

Dear Roger, What does the Bible say about acupuncture? Sincerely, K Dear K, I believe that the Bible is completely silent on the subject. However, my studies regarding the electrical and neuronal pathways of the human body lead me to believe that acupuncture may have some physical healing efficacy. I think that many Christians wonder whether or not acupuncture has some sort of divine component that would best be left alone and even avoided. We will discuss that idea in a moment. To understand the possible spiritual implications of acupuncture means that we must understand the concept of “Qi” (also spelled chi or ch’i). In traditional Chinese culture, Qi is the life force or energy flow in every living creature. Qi is often compared to the Western ideas of energeia or élan vital (vitalism), as well as the yogic notions of prana and pranayama. The literal translation of “qi” is air, breath, or gas. Qi is comparable to the Greek word, pneuma, which means wind, breath, or air. From a Chinese perspective, Qi would be analogous to the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians. We might imagine that Qi is the wind in the sails that drives a ship. We can’t see the wind but we can see its results in moving the ship along in its journey. Balanced and free-flowing Qi results in good health, while stagnant or imbalanced Qi leads to disease. The purpose of both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is to restore balanced and free-flowing Qi. Acupuncture is the practice of inserting thin needles into specific body points to improve health and well-being. There is much discussion among acupuncturists revolving around the number and location of the various energy points. As I understand the procedure, care is taken to find the moving, positive Qi and place the needles accordingly. Does acupuncture work? Medical research demonstrates that acupuncture can reduce nausea and vomiting after surgery and chemotherapy. It can also relieve pain. No one understands how acupuncture works. But, I figure that sense it has been around for 2,000 years, there may be some validity to it. Some researchers conjecture that it aids in the body’s pain-killing chemicals. Others suggest that acupuncture may help release chemicals that regulate blood pressure and flow. Since the human body is an electro-magnetic entity, it is not far beyond the realm of reason to think that acupuncture really does tap into the body’s electro-magnetic energy which affects every cell in the body. Everything that occurs in the human body is powered by chemical reactions which produce electrical and therefore magnetic waves as well—in other words, energy! For example, magnets are best fashioned from iron—and the blood is filled with iron. The electrical and magnetic forces in the body interact in a myriad of ways. These intersections may help to explain the “energy centers” sought out by acupuncturists in their work. Now for the religious questions: Does acupuncture have a spiritual component? If I turn to acupuncture to help relieve some physical aliment, is there a possibility that I am getting involved with, or under the influence of, some Near or Far Eastern god or spirit? I believe that the answer to this question is a resounding, “no.” Acupuncture was developed in the context of Taoism during the 4th century B.C.. While Taoism is considered to be a sort of religious/philosophical system, it is basically atheistic. While there is no doubt that many Eastern Religions are profoundly intertwined with the occult world, Taoism is not one of them. I hope this gives some help. Love, Roger

A few years ago, I learned a lesson about the faithfulness of God, a lesson that I will probably never forget. I would like to be able to tell you it was due to something earth-shakingly significant, but it was actually quite mundane. That was the beauty of it. I had a clock radio that I used to get up to every morning. At one point, the alarm function ceased working, but it wasn’t really a problem because I would generally wake up in time to get to work by 9:30, and I worked flex-time. But one evening I realized that I needed to get up early the next morning (no later than 6:00) and had no alarm clock. The clock part still worked fine, but the alarm didn’t work. And at that time, there was no place in Rolla Missouri to buy an alarm clock at 11:00 p.m. In desperation, I told God that I really needed to awake at 6:00, and asked Him to wake me. My faith made mustard seeds look gargantuan. The next morning, when my eyes opened, I was looking directly at the clock radio, and it said 6:00 on the money. The alarm had not gone off, but there I was wide-awake. Hmmm! Pretty neat, I thought, but was it for real? So over the next few days, I performed an experiment. Each night, I would ask God to wake me at a particular time the next morning. To make the experiment more robust, I would randomly vary the time I wanted my wake-up call. Each morning, when I awoke, I would look at the clock, and it was exactly the time I had requested. This went on for several months, and every morning, I would awake at the exact time I had requested the night before. I didn’t always get up at that time, but without fail, I would wake up at the exact time I asked for Him to wake me – until one day. It was a late Saturday night, and I asked God to wake me at 6:00 the next morning. I had to finish my class lesson, and was leading worship that morning, so I needed to get to church early to get ready for that. So I went to sleep, confident that He would wake me at 6:00. When I awoke, I rolled over and to my horror saw that it was 7:00 instead of 6:00. I was shaken, and in my panic to get ready quickly, I skipped breakfast and rushed up to church, the whole time wondering why He had not awakened me as before. I ran up to the church door, grabbed the handle, and pulled against the locked door. Stunned, I stood there confused. The whole morning had been totally disorienting, but why was the door locked? Then it hit me. I sank to the door-step, sat down and began to laugh. If any one had driven by just then, I’m sure they would have called the rubber truck – I was totally in stitches. I had forgotten to reset my clock for the change from daylight savings time, but God had not forgotten the time change. Since that day, I have remembered that as the day God showed me just how faithful He is. I no longer need to have Him awaken me, but many mornings as I awake and look at the clock, I smile and wonder at the faithfulness of a God who remembers to reset the clock when I don’t.

Dear Roger, Are there no accidents in death because God appoints all deaths? And if so, then why should we bother wearing seatbelts? Sincerely, H Dear H, At first glance, the answer to your question is obvious. Put on your seat belt! But a closer examination reveals a much larger issue: Free Will versus Determinism. When I was about twenty-five I told our congregation that God has determined in advance the coming day of our demise. There is not one thing on earth, I preached, that can take us before our appointed time. If we are in prison for our faith, for example, no one can martyr us before God’s appointed time. If we have cancer, that dread disease will not be allowed to take our lives before God’s ultimate time table for us is played out. I was wrong. “Free Will” is a philosophical term that postulates the freedom of rational people to choose courses of action from among various alternatives. Theological determinism is the idea that there is a god who determines all that humans will do, either by knowing their actions in advance, via some form of omniscience or by decreeing their actions in advance. From this perspective, actions cannot be free because God has determined them before hand and they cannot be changed. It is possible to take the view that anything that happens on earth must be God’s will—otherwise, it could not have happened. This is determinism. On the other hand, it is possible to take the theological view that because the world is a broken and fallen world, God’s will can be thwarted by any number of things, including our own choices. The idea that God is deterministic means that it doesn’t matter whether you wear a seatbelt or not, if today is our God-appointed day to die, we will die today. If not, even the most horrendous accident can’t claim our lives. The idea that we have free will means that anything can happen, nothing is already “written” or determined. Therefore, we ought to buckle up our seat belts. There is a difference between God knowing in advance what will happen (omniscience) as opposed to making it happen (determinism) or just allowing it to happen. From a theological viewpoint, very few things on earth are bound to happen because God determined them. For example, God never intended for Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. Adam made that choice on his own (with Eve’s help, of course). God never intended for Genesis 6:5-6 to occur. Genesis 6:5-6: The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. Nothing was determined here. Mankind was free to make evil choices; and, what they chose broke God’s heart. We cannot extend the days God has appointed for us (Psalm 139:16); but we certainly can shorten them—or, they can be shortened for us by others. Psalm 139:16: “Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” While there is no doubt that God has a “Plan A” for each of us, there is no guarantee that “Plan A” will be fulfilled exactly as God imagines it. Accidental deaths occur because we live in a fallen world. Many things happen that are not God’s will because of the free-will choices (are they really free?) that we make. Too many people, because of carelessness, theirs or others, enter into God’s presence before their appointed time. Christians who choose to place themselves in the way of physical harm can’t claim that God has promised to protect them in order that “Plan A” will be fulfilled. I’ve met Christian missionaries who have claimed Acts 18:9-11 for their protection in dangerous situations: Acts 18:9-11: One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” God promised that protection to Paul; He did not promise it to us. It is wrong for Christians to put themselves in risky situations and justify the risks by saying, “Nothing can take me before my time—or before the time God has planned for me either.” Another term for this is “tempting God”; another way to say this is “presuming on God’s will.” Remember that Satan is now in this world of ours and he is here to “kill, steal and destroy” (John 10:10). The battle in the Heavenlies between God and Satan is often acted out in real earth time. Spiritual warfare praying is more than a suggestion, it is essential (Ephesians 6:10-18). If pre-ordained death days are determined, then there is no need for Christians to wear seat belts. On the other hand, since we live in a fallen world where we have free will, we had best put them on and cinch them up tight! The issue of free will and determinism has perplexed men and women for centuries. Writings from Greek, Roman and Jewish philosophers and both Buddhist and Hindu teachings confirm that free will versus determinism is a hot issue in most all cultures and societies. Philosophers have debated this question for over two millennia, and just about every major philosopher has had something to say about it. While free will seems to me so obviously true, as to not be questioned, this is not the case. Let me just share a few of the subset of areas where philosophers struggle with the issue: biological determinism, genetic determinism, behavioral determinism, cultural determinism, social determinism and environmental determinism. So, at the risk of oversimplification, let me simplify this in a Christian and Biblical context that might give us guidance for the things God does and the choices we make. The reason that the free will—determinism debate matters is that it centers around the issue of moral responsibility. “Am I responsible for my actions or not?” If my actions are determined before hand by God, then I am not responsible for what I do and how I act. If, on the other hand, I have free will, then, of course I am responsible for what I do. I’d better buckle my belt. I am free to die today whether God planned it for today or not. In my opinion there is little room for argument. We all make wrong choices at times. Honestly, we must all admit that none of us are living out “Plan A” exactly. In fact, most of us are somewhere on “Plan X Triple Prime!” Have you ever stopped to consider that even God is free to change His Own mind? 1 Kings 21:17-19: Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’” 1 Kings 21:27-29: When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.” If God’s actions are not set in stone, then neither are ours. After all, we are made in His image. For me the issue is forever settled by Jesus’ words in John 3:16: John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” We are not predetermined to go to Heaven or Hell; but, we have a choice to make. We might say it like this, “Whoever so chooses is free to believe in Jesus and those who do believe are determined to receive eternal life. In conclusion, I think a proper understanding of the debate really includes both ends of the spectrum. Our freedom to choose is set in the context that some things are determined by God and will occur whether we choose them or not. Not even the gates of Hell can thwart them. Romans 8:35-39 is theologically determined and we are the better for it: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Well, H, I hope my answer is helpful. Love, Roger [Dear Reader, H and I exchanged several emails over the next several weeks regarding his question. In his last email he wrote, “I guess Ralph should have worn his seatbelt.” Yes, I suppose he should have.] So, put on your seat belt and be careful.

Dear Roger, It’s been almost a year since I left my husband with my 3 children. At that time my daughters were 15 and 13 and my son was 9. My daughters both told me that my husband (their step father) was saying sexual things to them and my 13 year old had a text from my husband that was very explicit about himself. Once I saw the text, I had proof of what my girls were saying. About 3 months after we left he did get indicted with two charges of indecency with a child-One charge for each daughter -which he is currently fighting. Since we left, I have had minimal contact until recently. He is in anger management as well as seeing a psychiatrist trying to get help. He is adamant that he never touched my girls (which he did not-but through all our interviews have come to know that what he did was grooming) and admits to the harm he caused. He feels that what he has done can be forgiven and we can repair our marriage. My girls have so much anger for him- I have forgiven him- he is no longer in our lives and nowhere near my children-forgiveness was easier for me than it is for my daughters. They are so young and their pain is far deeper than mine. I want to do the right thing for us all but feel lost in all of this. Can you give any advice? Sincerely, (Name Withheld) Dear (Name Withheld) I grieve for you and your children and for the pain and hurt you are enduring. I know that you all have suffered greatly. I hurt for you. Your children will need much care and comfort so as not to come out of this experience deeply scarred. One of the best ways to help them through their emotional pains and hurts is to do what Jesus suggested in Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” Your children are mourning. Sometimes the best thing is to put your arms around them, pat them gently on the head, and cry with them. While you didn’t mention actually divorcing your husband, I am certain that the idea crossed your mind. So let me confirm that you have “Biblical grounds” for divorce if you want it. According to Jesus sexual perversion breaks the marriage bonds. The Greek word translated “adultery’ which He used in Matthew 19:9ff is “porneia”. The word means much more than adultery. It includes a wide umbrella of illicit sexual activities including adultery, pornography, bestiality, fornication and incest (suggested or otherwise). You may also want to read Ephesians 5:25-31 where the responsibilities of a husband are clearly laid out. A husband who does not live up to these responsibilities has quite clearly broken the bond of marriage. On the other hand, while you have grounds for divorce, you by no means have to exercise that right. You can certainly work to restore your marriage and your relationship with your estranged husband. However, I suggest that you leave your children out of this procedure. By the way, I would never put your children through the trauma of living under the same roof with him ever again. Please recognize that his efforts to justify his behavior in the court system may be more hurtful than his original behavior with the children. In essence he is now acting like a bully. He is calling them liars Next, those involved in child sexual abuse very rarely get “well.” From my own genetic and brain chemistry research it seems to me that those involved in child sexual abuse seem to be “wired” differently than others who are not attracted to children as sex addicts. This is why so many child-sexual abusers immediately return to their dastardly activities as soon as they find the opportunity. Please don’t take this to mean that your husband is a child-sex abuser. He may have just allowed his old sin nature to overwhelm him. The fact that he is seeing a psychiatrist is encouraging whether he is “wired” that way or not. I hope that he gets help so as never to act like this way again. By the way, I feel quite broken hearted for your husband. His life will never be the same again. He has lost a major portion of his family, life and future. He also is in great pain; I can’t imagine him otherwise. In many ways his life is now on hold while all of this is worked out. He needs our prayers for the grace of God to sustain him while he tries to put his life back together again. If I seem rather intolerant of your husband’s behavior it is simply because there are lines that should not be crossed. Your husband crossed several. This is intolerable. I find the term “grooming” rather strange. He has no business touching your girls in any form or fashion—and especially writing them indecent notes about himself. Whatever he did, he certainly “scared your kids to death.” His behavior was painfully dysfunctional. Please don’t minimize in your mind what he did or didn’t do. The fact that your children are reacting like they are is evidence that whatever he did is more than just inappropriate. It was nasty, humiliating and terrifying. I believe that biological parents can certainly comfort their children when they are hurting and show them signs of affection. However, unless step dad has raised the children since preschool years and has a safe and loving parental relationship developed with them over many years of loving care, in all but a few special circumstances, step dad had best keep his hands away from the children—especially those of the opposite sex. My biggest concern is for your children. I think that you should keep them as far away from step dad as you possibly can. Eventually, over time, hopefully, they will heal from the trauma and work through the pain–but that will come later—usually with time, loving counsel and care. Please don’t try to make the kids forgive dad at the present time, this pressure will only cause more hurt to their young psyches. Finally, you may want to restore your relationship with your husband. If so, go slowly. You say that you have forgiven him. Let’s be certain you really understand the meaning of forgiveness—for both you and your children. 1. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting. I do not know who coined the admonition “forgive and forget”. I do know that it is impossible to “forget” at will. 2. Forgiving does not mean letting the one who hurt you “off the hook.” The issue here is justice. Those who hurt people need to pay for what they did. You want to hold on to you perceived right to “get even”. However, the truth is that when we forgive, we let people off of our “hook”, but they are still on God’s hook—for vengeance or grace and forgiveness. 3. Forgiving is not a sign of weakness. Forgiveness is not a passive behavior that allows the person to keep on hurting you or others. On the contrary! Forgiveness is a courageous act that reflects the grace, kindness, and compassion of Christ. 4. Forgiving does not means that we must pick up the relationship with the one who hurt us as if nothing ever happened. Forgiveness does not demand that we reenter an abusive or toxic relationship with the unrepentant offender. If the offender is repentant, we can choose to establish boundaries, giving the offender—over a period of time—the opportunity to demonstrate his/her trustworthiness which is a precondition to authentic intimacy. Regaining trust—and that can take a long time—if ever. Again, I grieve for you and your pain. Everything in your life is turned topsy-turvy. You never expected this to happen. Life was never intended to be like this. May God bless you and your children as you pick up the pieces and struggle through these days to great victory as Jesus pours in the power and strength for all you need (Philippians 4:10-13). Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I have a question regarding a divorce. I married my then spouse for all the wrong reasons. I thought things would change after the marriage, but they got worse. My then spouse confessed he didn’t believe in god and he brought all types of evils into our family. After many failed attempts to get him to join a church or get counseling I decided it only be wise to leave him. My concern is on remarrying, we were married in a court building, not on biblical grounds. So am I able to remarry if I cleanse myself, repent for those sins? Sincerely, Nicole Dear Nicole, Yes, under the Bible’s guidelines you are free to remarry. In fact, the Biblical teaching is quite clear. If you have grounds for divorce then you have the right to remarry. So, since you are the one to divorce your husband, let’s be sure that you had Biblical grounds for initiating a divorce. From everything that I can tell, you had the Biblical right to divorce your husband. According to the teachings of both Jesus and Paul, your husband failed to live up to his marriage vows and to his marriage responsibilities as outlined in Ephesians 5:25-33. In essence he broke up your marriage even before you were divorced. Paul taught that the role of a husband is to love and sacrifice for his wife as Jesus loved and sacrificed His life for His church. The husband is to invest his life in loving his wife and caring for her needs even before he takes care of his own. He is responsible to make her into the best woman she can possibly be. He is to watch over her and protect her from “evil things” like the ones he brought into your house. He is responsible for his wife’s spiritual development. From what you described, your husband walked out on you a long time ago—even while you both lived under the same roof. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul taught that married people are not to divorce. He taught that if a Christian is married to an unbelieving spouse who wants to stay married, then the Christian is to remain because you never know whether or not they might get their lives straightened out with Christ. Paul also taught that if a Christian is married to an unbelieving spouse and the unbelieving spouse wants out of the marriage, then the Christian is “no longer bound in such circumstances.” Nicole, I believe that in your case, your unbelieving husband has, by his very actions made it very clear that he has abandoned your marriage. Therefore, “in your circumstance” you are not bound and thus free to remarry. So, go ahead and confess the ways you might have not been the best wife, let your heart break over the pain of a failed marriage. Then, begin to pick up the pieces of your life and begin a new chapter. May God bring just the right Xhristian man into your life. May you be blessed with the marriage you wanted to begin with! May God grant good days ahead for you. By the way, when you prepare to remarry, remember that thinkkng you can change a man is usually wishful thinking. What you see is what you get. However, the grace of God can turn any spouse into the very reflection of Jesus Chhrsit. So, don’t give up hope. Love, Roger

Share 0 Dear Roger I’m struggling with masturbation. Is there hope for me? I always repent and will not commit this sin but after a few months I go back and fall into this sin. This has been happening for over 11 years way before I got born again in 2007. I really want to change but I don’t know how… “B” Dear “B”, Dealing with masturbation is uncomfortable. Churches—and most people—avoid the subject like the plague. Yet, with the shocking rise of pornography, masturbation is an important discussion we need to have. However, many do have a plan, either consciously or subconsciously, for handling the subject. I call it, “The Cycle of Guilt and Shame Plan.” It goes like this: “Don’t masturbate… If you do masturbate you ought to feel guilt and shame… Repent and confess your sin to God… Ask God to forgive you… Thank God for the cleansing.” Then the cycle begins anew: “Don’t masturbate… If you do…….” Ask Jeeves.com., a Christian website dealing with moral issues, broached the topic. “What about Christians and Masturbation,” and received scores of hits. A sampling of answers revealed a close adherence to the Cycle—some more closely than others. Check out Got questions.org, Probe Ministries; and clay.jones@biola.edu. All three classify masturbation as a sin. Each site provides helpful verses and concepts devoted to gaining victory. Nevertheless, each site offers the Cycle as the only means of relief. It seems to me that there must be a better approach. Reliable studies consistently find that 95% of men and over 30% of women masturbate on a regular basis. I find it hard to believe that God would build into us such a powerful, God-given and gifted drive like the one for sex and make it so that 95% of men and over 30% of women consistently repeat the Cycle again and again. It would seem there is no chance to stop the cycle of guilt and shame. Knowing that so many people masturbate is helpful because many Christians wonder if they are the only ones who struggle here. Be at peace; we are not alone. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:10: “There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man.” So, if this is a temptation for you, take heart, the world is filled with Christians who struggle here as well and there is hope for victory. The drive for sex is deeply ingrained in the genetic and chemical fabric of the brain. Telling some one to “just stop it” is like telling some one who is hard-wired with chemical-clinical depression to “just stop it.” It can’t be done. Fortunately, anti-depressants can bring relief. Some Christian counselors will say that masturbation provides relief and others consider masturbation to be the way God designed for people to obtain sexual release when they are not married. I want to be careful to approach the subject with the utmost prayer and care. I would like to relate that I decided early on not to take the easy way out and give a non-answer that brings little satisfaction to anyone. Developing a practical theology regarding masturbation is quite complex and worthy of more than just a passing surrender to the Cycle of sin, guilt, shame, repentance, confession, forgiveness—and now everything is all right—until a day or two later and the vicious cycle commences once more. I postulate that how we manage masturbation hinges on how we define “lust”. I postulate that saying “Stop It” doesn’t work well. The key to a workable solution is self control. I believe that there is no direct Biblical reference to masturbation. Nevertheless, some turn to two passages that they claim teach otherwise. Dr. Ray Bohlin of Probe Ministries described these two suppositions: The Bible never explicitly mentions masturbation or states whether or not masturbation is a sin. The Scripture most frequently pointed to in regards to masturbation is the story of Onan in Genesis 38:9-10. Some interpret this passage as saying that “spilling your seed” on the ground is a sin referring to masturbation. However, that is not at all what the passage is saying. God condemned Onan not for “spilling his seed” but because Onan refused to fulfill his duty to provide an heir for his brother. The passage is not about masturbation, but rather about fulfilling a family duty (to provide an heir for his dead brother). [In essence, Onan’s maneuver was an early form of birth control—all be it not a very effective one—Roger] A second passage sometimes used as evidence for masturbation’s being a sin is Matthew 5:27-30. Jesus spoke against having lustful thoughts and then says, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.” While there are parallels between this passage and masturbation, it is unlikely that masturbation was what Jesus was alluding to. While many passages mention the sins of sexual impurity and sexual immorality, and encourage us to avoid such behavior, the Bible never mentions masturbation in the lists. Ephesians 5:3; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 14:23; and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 are a few relevant passages. This fact in no way negates the possibility of masturbation being a sin; however, to declare it so from these passages and others like them is to argue from silence—a dangerous thing to assume. Certainly, sexual immorality is to be stringently avoided. It is of some note that Paul defines sexual immorality as occurring in the context of two or more people. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). A careful reading of this passage describes sexual impurity as an activity that includes and takes place in the context of others: “and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.” Impure sexual activity can certainly occur without others involved. Think Pornography. However, the primary place where sexual immorality occurs is with others. All that being said—and much more can be said—let me share some thoughts to consider as guidelines in developing a practical and workable plan. First, carefully consider the definition of lust as enunciated by Jesus in Matthew 5:28: “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Masturbation may not be specifically condemned in Scripture but lust is clearly condemned. I have asked a number of Christian counselors whether or not “lust” refers to thinking lustful thoughts about any woman (or man) or thinking lustful thoughts about a particular woman (or man). Many quickly respond that lust includes any and every possible woman or man. On the other hand, many are not so quick to answer. After all, Christian counselors are in the unique position of trying to apply Biblical truth to everyday life. They see hundreds of counselees over the course of their ministries. In struggling to make practical sense of Jesus’ statement, many narrow down the focus of lust as defining impure thoughts about a man or woman in particular. During my ministry I often turned to one particular-counselor friend for advice on how to guide a counselee with whom I was working. When it came to the subject of lust, he was quite emphatic. His conclusion was that lust commenced whenever the focus on one particular individual produced plans or imaginations which zeroed in on having explicit sexual behaviors with that person. At this point sin is being committed. Second, consider the damage pornography can do to you and to your marriage. Pornography is clearly identified as a sin in Job 31:1: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.” The lie of pornography is that the woman on the page or on the screen is willing and obtainable. The truth is that if you encountered her on the sidewalk, she wouldn’t give you the time of day. One of the saddest counseling sessions that I ever conducted was with a newly-married couple. He was upset with his new wife because she was horrified at the thought of some of the sexual activities he expected her to perform. It was quickly obvious that he had viewed quite a number of pornographic sexual behaviors on the internet and thought that all women performed in the same manner. She was shamed and he was angry. What an awful honeymoon. Consider that the persistent use of porn makes sexual addiction a real possibility. The more we look the more we creep closer and closer to the precipice. Proper sexual desire and activity is twisted and bent into unrecognizable misery when addiction commences. Masturbation with pornography follows the law of diminishing returns. Today’s pleasure is tomorrow’s disappointment. More and deeper levels are required to gain the same satisfaction. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:19: “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” So, there’s a continual lust for more. For the true sex addict who may have sex or masturbate more than once a day, such a person reaches a point where an erection cannot be maintained even during masturbation. There’s a continual lust for more. Third, if you are married then obviously have sex with your spouse. If you are masturbating while married then Paul says there are several things to consider. Don’t deprive your wife/husband or have less sex with your spouse because of masturbation. This is a sin. By the way, why are you masturbating if you are married? Is it because you are lusting after other women? If so, this is a sin. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:5-6: “Do not deprive each other (sexually) except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command.” Fourth, self control is essential. If you are using masturbation in an ungodly way know that Paul said: “Control yourself.” Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:9: “But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” Another of my counselor friends related to me that a number of his clients struggle with out of control masturbation and desperately want relief from the domination. Self control is foundational to victory. He said: “One way to control is to make a goal each week to masturbate less than the week before until you finally find freedom. A lot of prayer and infused power from the Holy Spirit can make all the difference in the world in getting this behavior under your control instead of letting it control you. Finally, remember that your body belongs to Jesus more than it belongs to you. Make Him proud of how you use it for His glory! Our bodies are redeemed and belong to God. Paul wrote: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The umbrella of sexual impurity covers so much more than masturbation. Sexual purity is top priority for all who follow the Lord Jesus. We know, according to Romans 1:18-25, that in the last days, sexual debauchery will increase without bound. This is all the more reason for us Christians to stand out as different. We are the ones who make sex a holy and blessed thing as God commanded us in Genesis 2. A healthy life of sexual purity is quite attractive to those whose lives are deeply stained by immorality. Well, “B”, I hope I have given enough information for you to decide how you want to deal with masturbation. When you sin, ask for forgiveness. OK. But, don’t be so hard on yourself. We probably make feeling guilty about masturbation more trouble than it is worth. The unresolved and irresolvable quilt can wreck untold havoc on our spiritual lives. Just stay away from the lusting. Lusting dirties the soul and leads to all sorts of marital and spiritual troubles. Sincerely, Roger Several days later I received the following reply from “B”. Dear Roger, Thanks for the reply, you have made it clear. I don’t necessarily lust after someone it’s just a feeling that comes at times and I’ll resist sometimes. I don’t know if age adds to this too, I’m 36 years old. Regards, “B” I replied: Dear “B”, I am glad I helped. Also, I think that your torment of guilt is much worse than the masturbating. Back off on feeling so guilty about a normal, human drive to procreate. Love, Roger By the way, as “B” mentioned above, aging obviously affects sexual desire. Decreasing testosterone and increasing estrogen (in males) wreck havoc with sexual desire. But, for most, the drive seldom, if ever, goes away entirely. I was sitting in an ethics class in seminary when eighty-six-year-old-retired-ethics professor T.B. Maston came in for a visit. He spent the hour answering our questions about Christian ethics. Near the end of the class time one student got personal. “At what age do men stop looking at attractive women?” he asked. “I don’t know,” Matson replied. “You’ll have to ask someone older than I.”

Dear Roger, i called Jesus stupid because i was with illness and then felt like an abomination i ask Jesus forgiveness but i still feel guilty. CW Dear CW, What a great question! Your question includes blaspheming the Holy Spirit, the unpardonable sin, handling anger, disappointment in Jesus, forgiveness of sin, salvation and questioning God’s character! Now, let’s get down to business. I imagine that you called Jesus, “stupid because you were angry with Jesus for not meeting one or more of the needs you experienced during your illness. I am so sorry that you felt that so angry, deserted and not helped by Jesus. You probably felt rejected and even betrayed. My heart hurts for you and the pain you felt. It’s OK to be hurting and angry and call Jesus, “Stupid”. I have never called Him “stupid” but I was once so angry at Him when one of my children was about to die of pneumonia that I wanted to give up on Him and even stop being a Christian. I was so angry at Him for letting her suffer so long and so deeply. Anger is an emotion we feel when we are hurt, experience a loss or endure an injustice. The Bible says that it is OK to be angry as long as we handle it properly by not getting bitter or letting Satan use our anger against us. Paul taught this: “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:26-28). One of the wrong ways to handle anger is to allow it to burn into bitterness. I imagine that the reason you called Jesus “stupid” was because you were deeply hurt and disappointed. It’s OK to feel like that. You were speaking out of a natural, God-given, human emotion. We can’t stop emotions flowing. How we handle the emotion is what matters. You handled it well. You went to Jesus and told Him that you were sorry and asked for forgiveness. As indicated by your letter, are no longer angry with Jesus; you are broken hearted over how you responded. Now, rest assured that Jesus has forgiven you. John wrote in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”” When you told Jesus you were sorry He immediately forgave you. So, why do you still feel guilty? Two reasons. First, you are accusing yourself and making yourself feel guilty. This is what Jesus would call, “Lack of faith.” You don’t believe that Jesus has really forgiven you. Be at peace. He has promised that you are forgiven. Believe Him. Trust Him. He is not lying. You are forgiven so stop worrying about it. Second, the Bible tells us that Satan is the one who accuses us to make us feel miserable. Your accusations may well be an attack from Satan. Whenever you start to feel guilty, tell Satan to leave you alone because you believe that Jesus has completely forgiven you! Tell Satan this until the guilty thoughts finally go away. Since you mention the word, “abomination”, in your question, let me say a word about that. “There is a related term in the Bible called, “The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus said in Mark 3:28-29: “I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” Many call this the “Unforgivable Sin”. They feel that Jesus meant that it is possible for us to say or do something so bad against the Holy Spirit that we can never be saved. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to sign our death warrant to Hell! Yes, there is one unforgivable sin that is called, “The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit”. Be at peace, CW, you have not committed it. Let me explain. One of the responsibilities of the Holy Spirit is to convict us our sin and our need for a Savior. Jesus said in John 16:8-11: “When he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me … ” The Holy Spirit tells people that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, and that they need to confess their sins, and surrender their lives to Jesus, so that He can forgive their sins and give them eternal life. Fortunately, many accept the Holy Spirit’s offer and give their lives to Jesus. Unfortunately, many other people call the Holy Spirit a liar and reject His offer. Calling the Holy Spirit a liar about their need for Jesus is the only sin that God cannot forgive. By the way, it is possible to call the Holy Spirit bad names and even call Him a liar about our need for Jesus and not yet commit the unpardonable sin. This sin can only be finally committed when we die because God gives us a chance to receive Jesus and have our sins forgiven right up to the moment of death. Once we die we our chances are over Hebrews 9:27-28 says: “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people…” Let me repeat this principle for certain clarity. Until we die we have every opportunity to say “yes” to Jesus. If we surrender our lives to Jesus before we die than any previous rejection of the Holy Spirit’s testimony is forgiven. I am sorry that you are struggling with accusations against yourself. Again, be at peace, I am sorry that you felt so hurt that you called Jesus “stupid”. Fortunately, the moment you confessed you sin Jesus forgave you no matter what you or Satan might think. Now go and enjoy the forgiveness and grace Jesus has given to you. Love, Roger

This week, I was so intrigued by John Piper’s answer to this question, i decided to be the “inquirer” instead of the “responder.” Dear John, How does unbelief factor into the need people feel to get engaged in pornography? We know it’s an addiction. We know it’s a sin, but what are your unique insights? Sincerely, Roger Barrier Dear Roger, Feeling the need for sexual titillation is like getting hungry when you haven’t had anything to eat for a day. It’s as natural as the day is long. Sex is a desire that rises up within the body and is there. We’re just wired for it, men and women (women differently, but not without it). And it wasn’t belief or unbelief that made that desire happen. It was hormones that made that happen. So the first answer to the question, “How does unbelief relate to my sense of need?” is that it doesn’t have anything to do with the sense of want or desire. Those desires are just there like your hunger for a steak or your tiredness and desire for sleep. Now when the question is, What do you do with it?, there unbelief has everything to do with whether you need pornography. I said “titillation” earlier, referring to some kind of sexual feeling—that’s natural. But now, if you go towards pornography to do that, that is an issue of sin. Because pornography is the abuse of women, first of all. And, secondly, it is the illegitimate stoking of a legitimate desire. And God has other ways for that to be satisfied. Unbelief relates like this: my understanding of faith is that you don’t just believe that Jesus as the Son of God died for your sins, rose again, reigns in heaven, is coming again, and forgives my sin. That’s only factual. It’s also a being satisfied with that, treasuring that. Faith is not just an intellectual assent to doctrines. Faith is an affectional embrace of the Savior for my deepest longings. Unbelief, on the other hand, is a failure to be satisfied in Jesus. It’s a failure to go to him as the living water and the bread from heaven and the light of the world. It’s a failure to go to him as a satisfaction that’s deep enough and strong enough to satisfy me when I am tempted to go in a sinful direction to indulge an appetite—say, an appetite for companionship or food or sex. The satisfaction of Jesus—that is, belief in Jesus, embracing Jesus, loving Jesus, being content in Jesus—is going to be the power that severs the root of that impulse. I believe with all my heart that the main way we’re sanctified in life is that we conquer the power of the promises of sin with the power of a superior promise, such as Jesus saying, “I’ll be with you. I’ll love you. I’ll take care of you. I’ll reward you. You’ll know a fellowship with me if you conquer this that you wouldn’t have known otherwise.” And who of us has not tasted that, right? We’ve either yielded and gone into some sexual thing that has made us feel yucky and dirty, and we have to repent and hope we won’t do it again; or we’ve conquered. We’ve walked into some path of light and holiness and purity, and everything in us is saying, “Yes! O, that I could do that every single time, because it is so much richer and fuller and deeper than the other way!” If belief includes an affectional embrace of Christ as your deepest satisfaction, then it’s going to have a huge effect on whether you embrace pornography. © Desiring God

Share 0 Dear Roger, I believe I am in love with a man from my church who is married but no longer with his wife. She left him 2 years ago for another man. At the current time his finances are not sufficient enough to pay for a divorce. Would it be wrong to go out on a date with him? Sincerely, B Dear B, A date probably not—anything further? Definitely not! The most significant issue in this situation is purity of heart. Jesus emphasized the criticality of a pure heart in Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” Impure hearts can’t see God. Clean hearts are able to bring Him clearly into focus. Since you both are involved in church, I sense that seeing and hearing from God are important to you. So, purity of heart is essential. Dating a married man doesn’t dirty up a heart. However, the danger of a dating a married man presupposes that the relationship may escalate to sexual impurity. According to God sexual impurity is a great way to dirty up your heart so that you can’t see God nor hear Him speak. I am in no way predicting or intimating that your relationship will escalate sexually. However, the fact that you are in love, or falling in love, with him suggests that the possibility must at least be addressed. Sexual purity is a big issue to God. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:15-20: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Prostitution was a big deal in first-century Corinth. The issue was having sex with a prostitute. While we may not use the identical term today to describe having sex with a married man, the application is the same. Paul continued in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20: Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. Paul used here a double entendre. In the term, “sinning against the body,” Paul intended reference to both the physical as well as the spiritual heart. I am sorry for the pain your husband has endured with the leaving of his wife. The grief is incredible. I hope his healing and adjustment are proceeding well. You may well be an essential part of his emotional, mental and spiritual recovery. God may well have brought you both together for mutual enhancement and blessing. If so, I hope that a new chapter will soon open up for both of you. Be encouraged. Be patient. In God’s plan, if His will is for you to be together, keep your heart pure, and your desire pure, and I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ can get the finances covered. Remember, you can have all you want of Jesus, or you can have sin. But, you can’t have both. Somehow, “enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season,” just doesn’t measure up to seeing the glories of God. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, What is the significance of the number 40? It pops up all the time in scripture. Sincerely, Wondering Dear Wondering, The term “40” is a general time period referring to something “around” or close the number “40.” For example, we know that a month has 28, 30 or 31 days; but instead of being so exact, we tend to use the word “month”. “We’ve been married about a month.” OK we know that is about 30 days. “It rained for 40 days and nights,” is like saying, “it rained for about a month.” The Israelites wandered around in the desert for 40 years” means that they were out there for around 40 years—plus or minus a few. Just for fun, we can take your question a step further and move into the realm of Biblical numerology. Many believe that numbers in the Bible have built-in significance. I have always thought that there is some truth to this consideration. Two or the most often recurring numbers are 7 and 40. On the basis of Genesis 7:2-4 and other passages, many consider 7 to be the number of completeness or perfection: If 7 is the “perfect number,” many connect the number with God Himself. God’s number is said to be 7. Revelation 5:6 seems to infer this. The “Lamb” referred to in these verses is, of course, Jesus. Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God (Revelation 5:6). The number 6 is thought to be the number of man. Man was created on the 6th day; man labors 6 days a week. Man’s number is one less than perfection. We know that the Anti-Christ’s number is 666 (Revelation 13:18). Man consistently fails to measures up to God. Imperfect can never make perfect. By the way, 666 may stand in juxtaposition to the number 3. Three is often seen as representing the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 666 is seen as representing the unholy trinity—Satan, the Beast and the Anti-Christ. Some associate the number 40 with the idea of probation or trial. The Israelites wandered for 40 years (Deuteronomy 8:2-5); Moses was on the mount for 40 days (Exodus 24:18); 40 days were involved in the story of Jonah and Nineveh (Jonah 3:4); Jesus was tempted for 40 days (Matthew 4:2); there were 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:3). Perhaps there is some truth in this position; but once again, don’t overlook the fact that the term, “forty days” is primarily a general term referring to a general time period—like our term month. To me numbers in the Bible are just numbers and I deal with them accordingly. However, it would not surprise me at all to discover that once again God is utilizing ordinary things (numbers) to teach all sorts of Biblical truth. Wondering, I hope this helps to answer your question. Thanks for asking. Sincerely, Roger

Dear Roger, Is it OK to lend money with interest? Patrick Dear Patrick. Yes, it is OK to loan money with interest. Jesus scolded the one-talent man in Matthew 25 for not putting Jesus’ money in the bank so it could at least earn interest. The Old Testament allows charging interest as long as the interest is fair and not usurious. The Old Testament approximation is that anything over 2% is usurious. I hope this helps. Love, Roger I gave Patrick a short answer; let me expound on my answer. My Citibank MasterCard just arrived! New balance for this month: $31,721.34! I’m shocked! There must be some mistake!!! Our monthly bill usually runs high. Mostly because we have a lot of reimbursables. Whenever we teach a conference we charge everything we can on our MasterCard; we want the air miles we can get. Expenses for four conferences and one retirement trip to Tucson with all the family during the last two months add up fast. Car rentals, hotel bills, airline tickets, meals, materials and gasoline can easily reach $15,000 during that time. The MasterCard bill also included a charge of $8500 for copies of my book, “Got Guts, Get Glory” and Julie’s book, “Bored in Big Church,” which we intended to sell at our retirement party. But $31,000! That’s outrageous. Surely the good folks at MasterCard made a mistake and I went looking for it. Uh oh, my mistake! I forgot to pay last month’s bill. I couldn’t believe it. I have not missed a payment—ever—in the 30 years I have used that particular card. Current charge of $14K plus $17K from last month adds up to $31K. Subtract out $23K worth of reimbursables and things looked much more normal. For the first time I bothered to read the fine print on my MC bill: Late Payment Warning: If we do not receive your minimum payment by the date listed above, you may have to pay of late fee of up to $35 and your APRs may be increased up to the variable Penalty APR of 20,99%. Minimum Payment Warning: if you make only the minimum payment each period, you will pay more in interest and it will take you longer to pay off your balance. For example: if you make no additional charges using this card and each month you pay only the minimum payment, you will pay off the balance shown on this statement in about 35 years. Do you want to know what’s sad? When we teach Biblically-based-financial seminars at church we always ask, “How many of you have charge card bills of $30,000 or more?” about 50% of the hands go up! It never ceases to amaze me. No wonder these people have trouble tithing—and have come to the conference for help. By the way, it’s OK to use a charge card as long as you pay off the entire bill at the end of the month. Although people who used charge cards will on the average spend 30% more than those who take the trouble to pay with cash. The first month you cannot, (or don’t want to), pay off the entire balance you’ve taken the first step toward financial bondage. You’ve got a problem. According to the Bible, charging interest, or paying a fair amount of interest is all right. The issue of paying interest becomes a problem when usury is involved. Usury is the practice of charging excessive, unreasonably high, and often illegal interest rates on loans. Let’s look at some of the Biblical material and then try to define usury. Is 20.99% usury? It certainly seems so. How do we know for sure? According to the Bible, when someone in your family or immediate circle of friends needs money, lend it and charge no interest. He/she is still responsible to repay the loan. If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest (Exodus 22:25-27). If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him … Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you. You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit (Leviticus 25:35-37). According to the Bible, charging interest in business deals and to those outside your immediate circle of friends is approved by God. To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, that the LORD your God may bless you in all to which you set your hand in the land which you are entering to possess (Deuteronomy 23:19-20). God condemns in the harshest terms those who engage in usury. If he has exacted usury Or taken increase—Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him (Ezekiel 18:13). Obviously, if you are to be in the money business, it is better to own than to owe. It is better to be the loaner. God gave a promise to Israel that if they followed His laws and principles then: … the LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom (Deuteronomy 28:12-14). Of course, God went on to say that if they refused or neglected to follow His principles then the situation above would be reversed. By the way, according to Solomon any one who co-signs a note for another is a fool. He who puts up security for another will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe (Proverb 11:15). A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor (Proverb 17:18). I think that it’s significant that Jesus put His stamp of approval on lending money at interest. He did it in the form of a parable about an owner (Himself) who left money to three managers (His followers) and encouraged them to manage well until He returned (The Second Coming). Two managed well and were given even more to invest. One hid the money. Jesus told him that if was afraid to take an investment risk, then the least he could’ve done was to put it with the bankers and earned some interest: “Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?” (Luke 19:11-26). Before we define usury, we need to remember what loaning and borrowing will be like when the Kingdom of God comes on earth: And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:34-36). While it is OK to borrow money at interest, Paul reminds us that it is best not to borrow in the first place: (Owe no man any thing, but to love one another (Romans 13:8). So, how much is usury? All of us would agree that the annual MasterCard rate of 20.99% is sin—I mean usurious. But, does the Bible give any insight to a definite percentage? I think so. I attended a Biblical economics seminar during my last year in college. The conference helped me develop a Biblical financial plan that has served my family well for over 40 years. Of the many things I learned, two things stand out. First, God’s economic plan rests on four pillars: (1) paying God His 10% right off the top of total earnings (before withholding taxes); (2) paying the government its share; (3) utilizing a budget to help guarantee that I spend less than I make every month; and (4) having a surplus each month in order to be able to help the poor. Second, the Bible defines usury as anything more than 2%.The conference teacher used a number of passages dealing with the variety of tithes in the Old Testament; the 50-year Jubilee for canceling all debts; as well as a variety of texts dealing with borrowing and paying interest and showed us the Bible figure of 2%. I have never tried to verify his 2% figure. I just trusted that he knew what he was talking about. Since everything else he taught seems verified by my own experience, I will take his word for it (By the way, I couldn’t repeat his calculations if my life depended on it: but, then, again, he was a brilliant, trustworthy man.) So, I answered Patrick with a figure of 2%. The next day he sent me the following email: Dear Roger, Regarding your answer, I’m still not certain what would be considered usurious since 2% would be considered a very low rate nowadays. I think that as long as the interest charged is not causing hardship on the borrower, or is considered an extravagant amount, it would be o.k. Would I be right in thinking this way? Sincerely, Patrick Patrick’s answer sure sounds good to me in our current economic system. I hurriedly emailed, “Yes”, right back.