Being Rich Is A Sin

[CabinetMaker]

He does, but that's a topic for another time.

I don't believe God changes, I believe that how He interacts with His creation does change. But we can leave that for another day, another thread.

So then why didn't Solomon?

My guess, Squeakey's analysis is incorrect.

 

[JudgeRightly]

I don't believe God changes, I believe that how He interacts with His creation does change. But we can leave that for another day, another thread.





My guess, Squeakey's analysis is incorrect.

So then you would agree that being rich is not inherently a sin?

 

[CabinetMaker]

So then you would agree that being rich is not inherently a sin?

I agree. That does not mean that being rich is not fraught with peril. It is easier, after all, to fit a camel through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven.

 

[iouae]

When God instituted the Old Covenant (OC) I think He had Deut 28 in mind.

God would choose a nation and show His favour to them by blessing them with wealth. Read all the material blessings which God promises for obedience in Deut 28.

Gentile nations, seeing this display of God's blessing, would, like the Queen of Sheba, come to see and worship the God of Israel. Wealth is one thing which REALLY impresses the carnal, pagan mind.

Trouble is...
God also promised to curse Israel for disobedience.

Israel was never obedient long enough for it to set a good example to the surrounding nations. Even Solomon started to go wrong towards the end of his reign.

Thus, the OC failed to achieve its purpose. God would not bless a rebellious and disobedient nation, so there were few periods in OC history that God could use Israel as the poster-nation of prosperity.

There was a definite association in the Jewish mind between blessing and prosperity.

This all changed with the New Covenant (NC).

God abandoned the idea of a one to one relationship between His favour and prosperity.
God went out of His way to kill the idea that a blessed Christian is a wealthy Christian.

I am not agreeing with Squeaky by saying this. Wealth is not, nor ever has been a sin.

But under the new covenant, all apostles, and Christ, were poor. The leading lights of the NC were not wealthy. God was going to demonstrate blessing without wealth. The fruit of the Spirit was going to be...
Gal 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,...

Many Christians would die in the arena, mauled by beasts, having all their property confiscated. There was no more blessed Christian than this.

Wealth, per se, has never been the issue. I think it's wonderful when a Christian is wealthy and employs others, paying them a good wage. I think it's wonderful when Christians have enough for themselves that they have extra to give away. I think this sets a wonderful example. But notice under the NC one is not even allowed to advertise the fact that you are a generous person.
Mat 6:2
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

It is the fruit of the spirit, not their wealth which sets Christians apart. After all, there are many rich atheists.

 

[Squeaky]

I figured you might bring that up.

Here, I'll even give you another verse that says to sell all one has.

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” - Luke 18:18-22 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke18:18-22&version=NKJV

Here's the catch though. NEITHER of those passages, yours nor mine, answer my challenge.

Squeaky, did you not notice that I said "Christians"?

I meant Christians.
Not the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Try again. (Hint, try using Paul's epistles, as he's the one who wrote mostly to Christians.)

I said
lol Your rambling again.

 

[Squeaky]

But God was pleased with Solomon, so much so that God gave Solomon his wealth.

1 Kings 3: ⁹ So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” ¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, ¹² I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. ¹³ Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. ¹⁴ And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”

I said
You don't seem to have a grip on the new testament. Its a new set of laws, and new commandments, and the old testament is obsolete. And if you try to be justified by the old testament you will fall from grace.

 

[Squeaky]

I don't believe God changes, I believe that how He interacts with His creation does change. But we can leave that for another day, another thread.


I said
lol As long as your just guessing. No harm done.


My guess, Squeakey's analysis is incorrect.

 

[Squeaky]

Consolation

[Luk 6:24-26
24 "But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation.
25 Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
[2Co 1:5-11
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.
6 Now if we are afflicted, [it is] for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, [it is] for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope for you [is] steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also [you will partake] of the consolation.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver [us],
11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift [granted] to us through many.
[Heb 6:17-20
17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath,
18 that by two immutable things, in which it [is] impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before [us].
19 This [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the [Presence] behind the veil,
20 where the forerunner has entered for us, [even] Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.


3874 paraklesis (par-ak'-lay-sis);

from 3870; imploration, hortation, solace:

KJV-- comfort, consolation, exhortation, intreaty.