Socialism in the Church

There is an epidemic of class envy and socialist sentiments running around the Church of late and, frankly, it is a shame and reproach upon the Body of Christ! This kind of attitude comes from the demonic lie that wealth is a zero-sum commodity.

What do we mean by “zero-sum?” It is the fundamentally flawed assumption there is a fixed amount of wealth in the earth. If this was actually true, then wealth is a finite resource, therefore whenever one person has an abundance, one or more others are being deprived of their basic financial needs and living in poverty. Now in the case of third-world despots and oligarchs looting their country’s treasuries and foreign aid for their personal gain, that is 100% accurate. But within Western Civilization where personal freedom is enshrined, that is a lie straight from the pits of Hell!

If you are an unbeliever separated from the Person and promises of God by your sins and rebellion against His authority, then I cannot blame you for possibly thinking socialism is reasonable because you cannot see past this physical world and the system which runs it. But there is no excuse for that kind of philosophical balderdash from a Christian believer! Our God owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” and the place where He lives is paved with gold, just to pick a couple of low-hanging fruit on this topic! In other words, there is no limit to His Person or resources. And His “great and precious promises” are available to all believers who will step out in faith and believe them!

Bottom line? The members of Christ’s Body have unlimited wealth at their disposal — if they will tap into it by faith! — and no one else will be the worse for it!

So whether a minister, such as Kenneth Copeland for just one example, flies his own jet to get around the world to minister more efficiently means no one else is being deprived of anything, period. Point of fact: if every gazillionaire — Christian and non-Christian alike — on the planet suddenly divested themselves of their entire body of wealth and gave it all away to the poor simultaneously, it would cause a barely detectable blip in the daily welfare of the impoverished people in this world as a whole.

Does that mean we are to just blow off the plight of the poor because the need is so vast?

Not a chance!

As I covered in a previous article covering the Book of Proverbs, one of the fastest ways to impoverish ourselves is to ignore the needs of those already impoverished! But a socialist mentality or government is neither biblical nor effective in addressing their needs.

Point of fact, such socialistic sentiments fall under the following admonitions to do exactly the opposite:

Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.Romans 13:13 (emphasis mine)

…for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 1 Corinthians 3:3 (emphasis mine)

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 1 Corinthians 13:4 (emphasis mine)

This is equally applicable to Jesus’ Body

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 (emphasis mine)

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. Titus 3:3 (emphasis mine)

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:13-17 (emphasis mine)

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking… 1 Peter 2:1 (emphasis mine)

I think that pretty well covers how God feels about socialism in the Church, don’t you?

Thanks for reading!