No-Good Credit - Martin Wiles

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this. Ephesians 2:8 NLT

No-good credit. No one wants that.

Credit. The amount of money a particular lending institution is willing to loan me because they believe I’ll pay it back. Perhaps I’ve borrowed from them before, or they have checked my borrowing record. Credit cards have a credit limit. If my charges exceed that, they may honor my purchase, but I will pay a penalty. And everyone has a credit rating—a calculated number based on someone’s borrowing and repaying history. A low rating means I can’t borrow money, or if I can, I’ll pay an exorbitant interest rate. Credit is something we build based on past borrowing behavior.

If I’m timely with repaying my loans, my credit line increases, and my credibility with lenders rises. Not so with God. He issues no credit limit based on our current or past behavior. Our sinful nature kills our credit line, and good works can’t resurrect it. We can’t pay our sin debt, and because of that, our spiritual credit rating is the pits. We may repair our credit rating so lenders will risk lending us money again, but we can’t restore credit with God.

Fortunately, the credit picture with God isn’t all bad. What we can’t do for ourselves, God did for us. He won’t issue us credit personally, but he will give us Jesus’ credit rating.

Jesus has an excellent credit rating. Perfect. Sinless. Pure. Righteous. Spotless. He completely obeyed his Father’s plan. All we must do is ask, and God will credit his Son’s righteousness to our account. This allows him to forgive our sins, see us with his Son’s righteousness, involve himself in our lives, and grant us eternal life with him. 

Are you trying to get credit from God through some other means than Christ? God has only one way of approving our credit: our faith in Jesus.

Father, thank You for Your wonderful grace that allows us to be forgiven and cleansed.

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No Credit - Martin Wiles

Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:31 NLT

I don’t remember why she needed it, but I do remember what the company told her: “No.”

My uncle had passed away. My aunt, now in her senior adult years, decided to apply for a credit card. When the company denied her, she became furious. Their reason? She had no credit record. The reason? She and my uncle had certainly purchased things on time during their many years of marriage, but they had always paid with cash. To companies issuing credit cards or granting loans, it appeared as if she had never bought anything. She was a good risk, but they didn’t think so because they had no record to check.

I, on the other hand, got my first credit card as soon as I was old enough to apply. At eighteen, offers for credit cards abounded. I chose a couple of fuel company cards along with one I could use anywhere I shopped. Between those and a car loan, I had a spotless credit record in no time. Something my aunt never obtained. Buying a car wasn’t a problem. The lending agency always approved me—and at a good interest rate.

Then some untenable life circumstances ruined my good credit record. Later in life, I had to depend on someone else’s credit record if I needed to borrow money.

But when it comes to salvation, I have no credit. Paul reminded those who were tempted to boast about their salvation that God was the source of their forgiveness, not them.

Where our relationship with God is concerned, we are either in Christ or we’re not. Jesus said we couldn’t serve Him and money (or anything else). He gives us no fence to sit on. We either believe, are forgiven, and restored to a right relationship with Him, or we go our own way. This is one time I can’t have my cake and eat it, too.

Nor do I have a credit record built up where I can say to God, “You owe me. Save me.” I may have a spotless credit record when it comes to purchasing items, but I have nothing to offer God that places Him under obligation to me. Only because of His grace and mercy did He send Jesus to die for our sins. Paul had a lot of “religious” credits, but none that would make things right between him and God. All he could do—all any of us can do—was cry out for help.

Since we have no credit that leads to salvation, our forgiveness and restoration should create in us a humble spirit. God blesses us when we do, but He detests pride. Without Christ, we are nothing, but in Christ, we can do all things.

Have you recognized you have no credit in God’s eyes? If so, turn to Him. He’ll accept you based on Christ’s credit.

Prayer: Father, thank You for providing all the credit we need for our salvation.

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Keep a Good Record - Martin Wiles

Series: 3 Unforgettable Lessons Learned from Dad

Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 NLT

The borrower may serve the lender, but that’s exactly what Dad wanted me to do—and at sixteen.

A firstborn child normally has many challenges—among them having parents who seem to go overboard, trying to teach them responsibility. And Dad was determined I would learn that if I learned nothing else. Years later, I appreciated all the efforts he and Mom made, but at the time I didn’t see the benefit.

One day he said, “Let’s go down to the furniture store.”

I had no idea why. That’s when Dad explained the importance of a good credit record. I wouldn’t be able to pay cash for some big-ticket items in life—such as a new car, new house, appliances. Not luxuries I’d want, but necessities I’d need. I suppose Dad assumed I wouldn’t earn an enormous salary. No one in our family history had.

A good credit record was important he said so I could one, get the money, and two, could get it at a low-interest rate. Made sense to me, so off we went. Before I knew it, I had purchased a complete solid-oak bedroom suit “on time.” Each month, I would have to send in a payment. Doing this would build my credit rating.

Dad was right. A good credit record is important. Mine stayed that way for many years until some things beyond my control ruined it. Borrowing was easy, and money came with cheap interest rates. Over the years, I saved a significant amount of money by having a healthy credit rating.

But Solomon was right, too. When I borrowed, I became a servant to the lender. They gave me the money and watched over my shoulder to make sure I paid it back—on time. If I didn’t, they’d charge me extra. And if something happened and I couldn’t pay it back, they’d turn the matter over to a collection agency who would charge me more money and harass me as well. Their action would go on my credit record and would lower my numbers, which meant that even if I could borrow in the future, I’d have to pay more interest to get the money.

Dad never encouraged me to borrow if I didn’t have too, but when I did have too, it sure was nice to have a good record.

How’s your record, and what can you do to improve it?

Prayer: Father, help us to manage our money well.

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Flashback Friday - A Simple Yes Will Do - Martin Wiles

A Simple Yes Will Do

While growing up, "Little House on the Prairie," was one of my favorite television shows. One touching characteristic of the series was how the town’s inhabitants trusted each other. After all, it was through teamwork and trust that the town had materialized on the Midwest farmlands. Farmers normally had no funds to buy seed and other items needed to plant their fields. But not to worry. Charles Ingles—like any other farmer, could saunter into Oleson’s Mercantile and walk away with seed and any other needed items to plant his fields. Mr. Oleson simply gave farmers the materials based on their promises to pay him when the crops came in and were sold. No paperwork to sign. No binding contracts. Just a simple promise to pay, perhaps accompanied by a handshake. Good track records and reputations led to mountains of reliance. Read more...

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Learning to Trust - Martin Wiles

Those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.  Psalm 37:9 NLT

Not having the trust of others is a discomforting state to live in.

Some years ago—because of an unforeseen financial crunch and bad decisions of another that affected me—my credit rating plummeted to all-time lows. It had always been spotless, but now it was spotted. Years of financial struggle followed the initial blow, which meant more things went unpaid and the numbers continued sinking.

Borrowing for big-ticket items was out of the question unless I wanted to visit a firm that inflicted outrageous interest rates. The only other option was having someone co-sign for me. Thank goodness for a mother who understood and was willing to put her good-credit name on a document for me.

I knew I was trustworthy, but my explaining why my credit score was so low made no difference to the lending agency. They were looking at numbers—not my word.

Trust is a delicate item. It takes years to build, and it can be destroyed with one wrong decision—by me or someone else. Once destroyed, it requires years to re-establish—if it ever returns.

In spite of my foibles in life, God trusts me. I’m His creation—His masterpiece in the making. An object of His unconditional love. His desire is that I trust Him in return. Enough to turn control of my life over to Him so He can conform me to the likeness of Jesus and work out His plan in my life.

Trusting God means turning everything in my life over to Him. My relationships, finances, children, grandchildren, possessions, employment, and daily decisions. Doing so can be a scary adventure. I feel more comfortable when I’m in control—just as the lending agencies feel better if they control whether or not they give me money.

But letting go is the only way I can “possess the land.” Possessing the land symbolizes peace. When enemies were displaced, peace resulted. A peaceful existence is only possible when I let God control and when I truly believe He is in control. Then I don’t have to worry or be anxious. He is capable of handling any and everything that comes my way.

Trust God in every circumstance of your life. You’ll learn to live with a peace such as you’ve never experienced before.

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Prayer: Father, we give You the control You desire, believing You’ll always do what’s in our best interest.

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