He’s Talking to You (and Me)

The Apostle Paul said:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19, NIV)

 

According to Randy Alcorn:

If you have:

sufficient food,
decent clothes,
live in a house or apartment,
and have a reasonably reliable means of transportation,
you are among the top 15 percent of the world’s wealthy.

If you have:

any money saved,
a hobby that requires some equipment or supplies,
a variety of clothes in your closet,
two cars (in any condition),
and live in your own home,
you are in the top 5 percent of the world’s wealthy.

(Money, Possessions, and Eternity)

 

Jesus said:

I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:23-24, NIV)

 

 

Generosity vs. Equality

Equality eliminates generosity. You can’t be generous unless you have an excess. If you disagree with that statement, then consider this: two people have equal resources; Person 1 exhibits generosity by giving some of his resources to Person 2. Result: Person 1 and Person 2 no longer have equal resources.

Think about this the next time you hear someone talk about “redistribution of wealth.”

“Do not steal” implies (and condones) ownership. You can’t steal something unless it belongs to someone else. The Eighth Commandment declares that it is wrong to steal, and by implication declares that it is right for individuals to maintain ownership and control of their resources.

This about this the next time you hear someone talk about “communal ownership.”

See http://instruct.westvalley.edu/lafave/hb.html for an interesting look at these concepts.