The federal government recently moved to forgive some portion of collegiate student loans for qualified borrowers. Though this policy ought to be analyzed from an economic and political viewpoint, Christians would be wise to consider it from a biblical standpoint. Should Christians support this policy because of the gospel, as some have suggested? Is student loan forgiveness an accurate application of biblical grace, forgiveness, and justice?
More important than getting a federal policy right is getting the gospel right. Scripture is not ambiguous about the only good news that leads to salvation. The gospel is clear—humanity owes the unpayable debt of sin (Romans 3:23; 6:23); Jesus paid the unpayable debt through his sacrificial death on the cross (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18); and Jesus bought the gift of eternal life through his resurrection for all who repent and believe in him for salvation (Rom 1:16-17; 10:9-10; 1 Cor 15:3-4). When attempting to apply the Gospel, the details are especially important. God forgives sin’s debt by paying the cost of the debt himself, which is the life of his Son, Jesus. The gospel isn’t the forgetting of the debt, but the just payment of the debt. Salvation doesn’t abdicate God’s justice, but rather faithfully executes God’s justice upon our Substitute. Thus, the grace of salvation is that we receive an unmerited gift (forgiveness) because the creditor (God) has justly paid sin’s wages at the cross (Christ’s atoning sacrifice).
When we get the gospel right, we’re more clearly able to see the disparity between the gospel and the federal policy of student loan forgiveness. For student loan forgiveness to be a faithful replication of the gospel, the creditor (the government) would have to pay the debt in full. Biblical forgiveness and grace can only be granted from the one who lends the debt. However, the reality of student loan forgiveness is that another must pay the debt—present and future generations of taxpayers.
While it’s true Jesus taught that it’s better to lend without expectation of repayment (Luke 6:35), he doesn’t call us to lend someone else’s money and then change the terms of the lending agreement. Forcing debt upon a nonpartisan third party is biblical injustice (Lev. 19:15, “You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great.”) Biblical justice would be the lender paying the debtor’s debt, not the lender forcing the debt upon another. Scripture doesn’t teach enforcement of payment from a non-compliant third party, but rather for lenders and debtors to interact justly with one another.
Christians always pursue justice because the gospel of salvation is the greatest demonstration of justice. But drawing false equivalencies between federal policies and the gospel not only makes for bad policies, but – infinitely worse – distorts the gospel. Regardless of our stance on federal policy, we must always correctly understand and articulate the gospel.