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Growth The Pride of life

cftx1

cftx1

Member
If you have more than you NEED are you as a christian obligated to share your excess with those in need? Why ? Why not?
 
ummm...I dunno, lol. The Bible (NT, in particular) seems to come down hard on *rich* people who don't wanna give up at least some of their piece of the pie. The OT actually does, too, now that I think about it. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, in part, because of oppression of the poor, alien, and the widow.

I don't know what to say. We had a thread, I think before you came here, about luxury for Christians. All I could come up with is what CS Lewis wrote, which is that Christians should live more modestly than those of their station. So, upper middle class and wealthy Christians would probably, under Lewis' guidelines, need to forgo some of the vacations, clothes, and gourmet food to help those who are less fortunate. But that's CS Lewis, not The Bible.

I don't have a Biblical answer.
 
The answer is found in Matthew 25:31-46...............And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
 
Yes, because the Lord says we should in so many scriptures, all the way from OT laws to NT teaching.

CE, mentioned OT law.
glory, in the NT

Nobody can get around that one !
 
Many would say that excess is relative..wealth is defined bythe average person in your neighborhood.If you have more possessions and money thant the average person..you are wealthy.Look at that concept on a city scale...state...area..region...nation.....global.
 
Yhwh created all things simple. Man messed it all up.

it is written: "with food and clothes be content" and again "love does not seek what it does not have" and again "no man can serve 2 masters, he will love one and hate the other, or he will despise one and serve the other" ... ... ..
and once more "avoid every form of greed" and "little children, keep yourselves from idols" ... ..
and finally, for now,
one righteous by faith man of God pointed out that one of the first things lost in the first 3 centuries (for the 'church')
was voluntary poverty....... and it was downhill from then on, until God turned things around for those seeking Him...

until later (it's late and I have to get up early) ... shalom to all who love ABBA in truth and holiness. amen.
 
"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and though us you generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." 2 Cor. 9:11 We are made rich so we can be generous. It is all God's anyway. Why would He give you over and beyond what you need if it wasn't supposed to be used to give back to Him?
 
for_his_glory said:
The answer is found in Matthew 25:31-46...............And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Click to expand...
Matthew 25 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. Question, who are the least of the brothers in today's world?
 
the ones you don't see in church, because they're too poor to 'dress up'. often own one set of clothes and that's it. maybe they live under a bridge or in a cave or an abandoned house or in the woods. they are the ones everyone ignores trying to believe they're not there, or if they are there that it's their own fault somehow and they should just move on.......
 
His_nee (Jeff) said:
Yhwh created all things simple. Man messed it all up.

it is written: "with food and clothes be content" and again "love does not seek what it does not have" and again "no man can serve 2 masters, he will love one and hate the other, or he will despise one and serve the other" ... ... ..
and once more "avoid every form of greed" and "little children, keep yourselves from idols" ... ..
and finally, for now,
one righteous by faith man of God pointed out that one of the first things lost in the first 3 centuries (for the 'church')
was voluntary poverty....... and it was downhill from then on, until God turned things around for those seeking Him...

until later (it's late and I have to get up early) ... shalom to all who love ABBA in truth and holiness. amen.
Click to expand...

Can you please give scripture in your posts so we can compare them with what you are saying, thank you.
 
Sandy Zalecki said:
Matthew 25 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. Question, who are the least of the brothers in today's world?
Click to expand...

The least are those who have not by circumstances out of their control. Example: someone loses their job because the business they worked for closed down. Jobs are hard to find in depressed areas and moving to another area may not be plausible for lack of funds to do so as moving can be expensive. These circumstances make these people loose their homes and force families out on the street with no where to go. In all humility and humbleness of heart we need to reach out to those inn need to help them get back on their feet again.
 
His_nee (Jeff) said:
the ones you don't see in church, because they're too poor to 'dress up'. often own one set of clothes and that's it. maybe they live under a bridge or in a cave or an abandoned house or in the woods. they are the ones everyone ignores trying to believe they're not there, or if they are there that it's their own fault somehow and they should just move on.......
Click to expand...

Have you ever considered those who only own one set of clothes or that they live out in the streets may be closer to God then anyone who walks inside a Church as their faith in God, even though they are going through hard times, is by far greater than those who go to Church. Just something to think about.

Why do you have to dress up to go to Church, especially when Jesus says come as you are. Jesus wants us to come as we are and allow him to make the changes that need made in our hearts. People want to clean the fish before they catch them, but Jesus says come as you are I will clean you from the inside out.

John 10:9 I am the door, if any man enter in, he shall be saved.
 
for_his_glory said:
The least are those who have not by circumstances out of their control. Example: someone loses their job because the business they worked for closed down. Jobs are hard to find in depressed areas and moving to another area may not be plausible for lack of funds to do so as moving can be expensive. These circumstances make these people loose their homes and force families out on the street with no where to go. In all humility and humbleness of heart we need to reach out to those inn need to help them get back on their feet again.
Click to expand...
That is a great example. My husband and I had a prison ministry for awhile and we still work with others who do prison ministry. With the private prison system we now have in place, it is very advantageous to put people in prison. Prison for profit makes it necessary to have prisoners so that others can make a profit. There are many that are falsely accused and others that have done things that rehab would actually be a better solution than prison. There are families that are broken, children that lose their parents, and usually the bread winner is gone. There is a great need to minister to the families of prisoners. Then when these men and women get out of prison, especially if they were accused of a sex offense, they have no way to rebuild their lives. There is much that could be done to reform the prison system if politicians weren't lining their pockets with lobby money.
 
You are not "obligated", but if this is the Spirit of God that explains why I do it, because before I came to God I saw them all as takers...I was selfish...self satiating, self indulgent, self concerned....I, Me, Mine, ruled...
 
In its context Romans 1 says "Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

I am debtor (opheiletēs) both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also."

He is referring to those having cared for him and protected him and what he gave them and will give the Romans is "the gospel" not money...

Let every man give as he is able...not forsaking the needs of his family...God loves a cheerful giver...
 
did someone say he would give money to the romans ?

(the gospel, the good news, is certainly infinitely more worth than money, and much more sure.)
 
His_nee (Jeff) said:
did someone say he would give money to the romans ?

(the gospel, the good news, is certainly infinitely more worth than money, and much more sure.)
Click to expand...

Sorry! I must have misunderstood your comment...the OP spoke about being "obligated" to share our extra...which I took to mean cash and resources (which my wife and I do but I do not think it is "obligated") and I was pointing out that was not what Paul was referring to. My mistake Jeff!
 
COOL! Paul, no worries at all, I just thought i missed something (and i don't get to read all the posts sometimes - i may just reply to one... so thanks for the clarification)....

further, I don't remember who first said obligated or not obligated and they didn't answer my first question, but I wanted to 'show' that we can be obligated to serve, as a faithful servant, while not 'under the law'. I found that one verse of obligation as an example just before i posted it in a few seconds search on biblegateway.... or another perspective, if someone is , by faith, righteous, they have a much higher moral obligation as an emissary of Christ Jesus than the world does. and so on.....
 
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