Financial Injustice

“And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments , do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another.’” Zechariah 7:9-10 Our God is a God of justice and righteousness and He expects the same from His people. In Psalm 139:13, David praises God, saying, “…you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” In his goodness and power, God made each of us in his image. Ephesians 2:10 confirms that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” God intended for his people to be just and righteous, as He is. Unfortunately, the world we live in has been spoiled by sin, and we are faced with this reality every day. In the realm of finances, sins, like greed, envy, dishonesty, and pride can lead to financial injustice. This happens when a person takes unfair advantage of someone else financially. According to God’s word, financial injustice takes many forms, and has severe consequences. Here are a few examples:

__To those who mistreat the poor or disadvantaged Proverbs 22:16 warns: “Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.” And Proverbs 14:3: “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker.”
Cheating in financial transactions is another kind of injustice that God hates. Proverbs 20:10 reads, “

Robbery can also take the form of overcharging for rent or services, price-gouging, and identity theft. One can argue that severely underpaying employees is also a form of theft and is unjust.

Dishonesty in financial matters is another kind of injustice. God’s word specifically forbids lying and inequality in court. Exodus 23:1-3 states, “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.”

Obviously, God is powerfully opposed to injustice, and those who do it will have to answer to him. Galatians 6:7 is a warning: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will He also reap.” As Christians, we should feel the same way God does about injustice. Obviously, we must never participate in taking advantage of others, but what do we do when we see it happening? If financial injustice is taking place within your family or the church, follow Jesus’ words from Matthew 18: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” If you see someone breaking the law, be prepared to expose financial wrongdoing and report it to the authorities. There are some injustices that are beyond our reach, such as something we might see in the news. In those instances, prayer is a powerful tool. Ask God to protect the oppressed, and to expose evil. And what if you are the victim of financial injustice?

Again, if the perpetrator is another believer, follow Jesus’ command to go to them first. If that doesn’t work, take it to the church.

Outside of the church, you may have to take the problem directly to secular authorities. Get wise advice about whether to hire a lawyer or call the police.

If you’ve been scammed, expose the evil. Don’t let embarrassment keep you from reporting it. Your action in exposing wrongdoing might help someone else avoid what happened to you. Sometimes, financial injustice is a matter of personal discrimination or unkindness against you. There may not be anything you can do about it except to hold on to your own integrity. Take heart from Psalm 41:11-12: “ I know that you delight in me. My enemy will not shout in triumph over me. But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.” Jesus knows about the injustices we experience. John 16:33 records His words: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” What a comfort that is! You can also listen to the related podcast on this topic.

Financial Injustice

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