We
don't really own anything. It is God who does. The only reason why some people
have blessings and possessions is because they were given them by God, and not
because they worked hard, or because they were good and honest people. People who
are well off could be in desperate poverty and dying if they were
born in another country, even if they are good, hard working, honest
Christians. Therefore, being well off is a test for
people to do God's will.
Mostly,
the poverty of the poor is not their fault, but the fault of corruption, disasters, wars,
multinationals, unjust prison detention, their country's policies, illness,
abuse, technical problems, governments, high costs, trade unions, and other
unfortunate circumstances beyond their control.
If we could form a better system it would be fine to have a lot more personal wealth than suggested. You won't change the whole world system but in a small group we could form a better system independent of the mainstream one. If some wealthy people shared their wealth we would have more than enough finances to do what we need and help others.
God wants us to live in abundance but people are trying to gain abundance in the wrong ways and use their wealth on the wrong things. It must be remembered that the Bible says things are worse in these last days than when Christians could fairly live in abundance. Now there is more competition than before. So to gain money you have to compete more against and disadvantage other poor honest Christians. This is because the wealthy do not share.
Strong Economies only Benefit a Few
There is more than enough wealth and money in the world to adequately provide for everybody's need, but the problem is it is not distributed to those who need it. Therefore, in most communities to gain wealth and not use it for a good purpose it has to disadvantage someone else. A corrupt few individuals accumulate most of the wealth so that only a limited amount of wealth is distributed to the average person. Therefore, for an average person to gain wealth it has to be taken off another average person.
One example is where the government wastes money on unnecessary things that benefit the rich at the expense of the poor. Poor people are starved of funding and also pay taxes to the government. Their tax money is given to the rich and wasted. The government only has a limited amount of money in the budget.
Some people wrongly believe that strong economic activity benefits everyone. Often in countries with the largest wealth there is more poverty. The rich are getting richer, and the poor poorer. Countries and people are becoming more indebted. The gaining wealth of the multinationals is doing the opposite of making the average person prosper. It is resulting in the destruction of useful small businesses that cannot compete. Therefore, local jobs, services and wealth are lost.
Facts on Wealth Distribution
It is no good if part of the body of Christ spends excess money on unnecessary things that are not for God's will while most of Christ's body are struggling to survive and fund their activities to do God's will.
Instead of working to help others and do God's will, most people are
working to help themselves, while harder working people who are less well off have their lives destroyed. It is up to you to change, as you can't rely on evil people or the
government to do anything, as most rich people are the least helpful. People
think that they deserve excess money because they worked hard, but the problem is,
that most of the world is in poverty, despite many working hard. Therefore,
by using your money or time for unnecessary things and not God's will, you could be guilty in
God's sight of destroying Christian people, who are less well off. If you don't use
your money or time for God's will, you are preventing people from getting saved by
not hearing the gospel.
On a pensioners income people would normally be able to afford a reasonable house or flat, a cheap car, enough food, clothes and some extras if they don't waste their money.
The
medium income in wealthy countries is approximately
as much as a pension.
That means most people do not earn much more than a pension in
countries with a high standard of living. Many of these poor people honestly
work hard. They include almost all small businesses, volunteer workers and many
sincere unemployed people who are trying very hard. Therefore, in countries of high standards of living if you earn more than a pension you would be gaining excess money or more money than you really need for yourself compared to others.
Who
God judges as rich is probably not who the bureau of statistics judge to
be rich.
It could be that anyone who keeps more money than a pension income in
countries with high standards of living is considered wealthy in God's sight.
This is because they are in
approximately the top 5% of income earners in the world. They
are also in approximately the top 5% in the world when it comes to their standard of living.
Many scriptures indicate that if you have more
possessions or earn more money than most, you must not use your excess
income or possessions for yourselves but instead use if for Godly purposes. Hence, this will include everyone who earns more than a pension in countries of high standards of living. Every Christian should seek to use all their time and money for God's will. If they don't, they are in extreme danger of
judgment, which could be a lost eternity.
Some people are forced to invest their money in something secular as part of a condition to receive an injury compensation claim. This is so they will have money to pay for future carers and necessary goods. The investment could include useful real estate. Other people gain large sums of money through acceptable means such as an inheritance. It will take time for these people to decide where to use the money for God's will. In the mean time they would need to invest it in something like useful real estate.
God would be
understanding of people who intend to do God's will, but make mistakes by
mistakenly doing or buying the wrong things. We at least need to seek and try to do God's will, even though we all make mistakes.
Who Benefits Society the Most
One article mathematically proves that people who work hard for no
pay, or people who use all their income for God's will are a net benefit
to society. However, people who earn excess money and don't use it for God's
will have a negative impact.
People earning and keeping more money than they need, have to take
money that is either:
1. from the
Government, (if they are public servants).
2. as wages from a
poor small business manager, or charges to a poor person.
3. from a
company, which causes that company to charge higher costs to poor people.
This
money taken from society increases the country's debt and the personal debt of people.
Therefore, it gives more control to the corrupt powerful corporations. To gain money, it has to come
from somewhere, to the disadvantage of someone or something else. This
however, is not a problem if the person receiving the money uses it for God's will.
Biblical Examples and Verses
In the case of the
rich young ruler (Mark 10:21) (who wanted to be saved) and the rich man (Luke
16:19) (who did not help Lazarus), keeping money and not helping others were the
only reasons mentioned why they did not enter Heaven. Instead,
they are tormented in Hell. There are also many other verses showing the
importance of wealth sharing below.
"James
5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come
upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your
gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against
you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together
for the last days. Proverbs 13:7 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath
nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. Proverbs
21:17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil
shall not be rich. Micah 6:12 For the rich men thereof are full of violence,
and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in
their mouth. 1 Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into
temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown
men in destruction and perdition. Matthew 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye
took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye
visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we
thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison,
and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I
say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it
not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal. 1John 3:17 - But whoso hath this world's
good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion
from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? Luke 3:11 - He answereth
and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath
none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 13 And he said unto them,
Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 14 And the soldiers
likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them,
Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your
wages. Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him,
One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the
poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and
follow me. 23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How
hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 24 And the
disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith
unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into
the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Luke 6:20 And
he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours
is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be
filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 24 But woe unto you
that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25 Woe unto you that are
full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and
weep. 26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their
fathers to the false prophets. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to
receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as
much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for
nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of
the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Luke 12:16 And
he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought
forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do,
because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I
do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all
my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much
goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But
God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee:
then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that
layeth up treasure for himself,and is not rich toward God. Luke 30 And,
behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be
last. James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one
point, he is guilty of all. 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say
he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or
sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them,
Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not
those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so
faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou
hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will
shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou
doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."
Then
there is the case of Ananias and Sapphira who were struck dead by God
for not obeying God and sharing their wealth. The below Scriptures appear
to indicate that the condition to be a Christian is to not lie and to share
ones wealth. Everyone below shared, unlike the church today. But the ones who
did not share were punished. "Acts 4:34 Neither was there any among them that
lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and
brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the
Apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had
need. Acts 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a
possession, 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it,
and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter
said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and
to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not
thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou
conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great
fear came on all them that heard these things."
Verses also indicate that it is wrong to directly charge someone money when they are not expecting it. In 2 Kings 5 the punishment was that Gehazi and his descendants were struck leprous. Trying to make money and Christianity don't go well together. In Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus saw people trying to sell things in the temple and he aggressively drove them out. In Matthew 27:3-10 Judas Iscariot sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. In Matthew 28:13 the chief priests bribed the soldiers into lying about Jesus for a large sum of money. In Revelation 13:16-17 and Revelation 14:9-11, one will have to disobey God by taking the mark of the Beast to legally buy or sell.
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Will Many Be Saved or is Salvation for a Very Small Percentage?