Love Packages

 Last month in my article, I took you for a look at Love Packages, a ministry voluntarily supported by some of us and this congregation that helps people get to know Jesus by helping to provide Bibles, devotionals, etc.. Clearly a worthy cause, because by making God's Word available, lives can be changed by the Holy Spirit & faith. Then, by these changed lives, whole communities, then nations, then even cultures can be changed for the better because more & more people become more like Christ. A worthy endeavor.
Just imagine what good could be done for the world if only they would take a page from the Socialist's methods and hire say, 10,000 new agents who'd be authorized to make sure that everybody, and I mean everybody contributed $500 or face penalties! Wow! Wouldn't that be great? NO?? Don't worry, I don't think it would be a good idea either. Why? Many reasons, but in large part because 2 Corinthians 9:7 says: Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. I don't think there would be many cheerful givers if one used compulsion.
The Bible has much to say about socialist principles or methods and none of them are actually in favor of Socialism, despite what self-proclaimed “authorities” assure us. That's right, this month we return to the topic of the Bible & Christianity versus Socialism. And I hope by now you've seen that “versus” is accurate, i.e. that they have nothing in common in the way they actually work or even what they are after. In past articles we looked at ways Socialists deliberately mis-read Scripture in order to make them even look compatible and we've looked at facts and the Bible IN context and have un-twisted some Marxist perversions of Scripture. .Two months ago, I promised to start looking at what the Bible says that clearly opposes Socialist methods or ideals, and we've already started with 2 Corinthians where we're reminded that, as L.W. Reed notes: “socialism is not the voluntary sharing of one’s possessions.” Further, that “Anyone can choose to do that under socialism’s antithesis, capitalism. Indeed, more philanthropy occurs in capitalist societies than in socialist ones.” When was the last time you read that a Socialist country sent aid to a Capitalist country? Me neither. But the point is that Socialists couldn't care less whether you give up your property, money or rights voluntarily and depend on the coercion of an all-powerful government to force you to do so.
Reed notes that “Socialism is more properly understood as the concentration of political power for the purposes — through force — of redistributing wealth or planning an economy.” Socialists own nothing, and they're never really happy (though they're told to look like it for the cameras!) Using government to force the worker to give up the fruit of his labor for one who doesn't care to contribute or isn't as effective is a bit like 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner. Simply put, it is theft. (This is different than certain taxes aimed at supporting a government that protects property ownership, a.k.a. “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”) Socialism is immoral because it is government-sanctioned theft. We'll recall that one of the 10 Commandments is “You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15). Before theft comes envy—another thing dealt with in the 10 Commandments: “You shall not covet....” (Ex 20:17).
So back to the illustration at the start of this, the gist of the Socialist lie of Christian compatibility here is that Christians give voluntarily because of a love for Christ that Socialists don't seem to even understand. Socialists simply steal stuff.
Good Heavens! I've run out of room again. Stay tuned next month for more Bible passages that refute Socialism and any relationship to Christianity. I leave you with this from Churchill again: “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy--its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” Pastor Geoff