When should a Christian own/not own a Lamborghini?

[Jethro Bodine]

When's it okay, or not okay for professing Christians to indulge the expensive luxuries of life like a Lamborghini sports car?

 

[Northman]

I dunno really. Seems that the more you have the more you can go outside of your own neigborhood to help out. Does it ever end? Of course we can read also that enjoying the fruits of our earthly labour/toil is a good thing. Each is convicted and guided in his own right, wether folks choose to listen or not is another matter.

 

[WIP]

First I think one has to define the line between luxury and not luxury. Does professing to be Christian require living so poorly one surviving on a thread? At what point does something become a luxury?

I drive a 2009 Ford F150 Lariat 4x4. This truck has more than a few bells and whistles. Power windows, power steering, power brakes, power seats with programmable memory, power foot peddles, power door locks programmed to prevent one from locking the keys inside, automatic transmission, keyless entry, remote entry, tilt steering, cruise control, air conditioning, AM/FM radio, CD player, Sirius radio for life, USB port, Ford Sync with voice command, heated front seats, cooled front seats, anti-lock brakes, automatic stabilizer control, automatic climate control, and the list goes on.

It wasn't long ago, about 4 years or so, that I would never have dreamed I could own something so luxurious as that.

In the fall of 1999, I bought my first new vehicle, a 2000 Ford F150 XLT. Prior to that I owned a rusty 1985 F250 diesel 4x4 but even that was probably more truck than I really needed.

By vehicle standards, my 2009 is far from top of the line in luxury but compared to that old 1985 it is the cat's meow. So at what point did I cross the line into luxurious living or have I?

 

[Christ_empowered]

I vaguely remember something C.S. Lewis wrote. His idea was that Christians of means should be living a bit less opulently than others at their level, I guess with the extra resources going to charity or something. That doesn't mean that Christians can't be comfortable and have luxury items and all that, so...I dunno.

Plus, there's psychological factors. A Christian with money who worked long and hard to get from point A to point B might really, really get something out of a super luxury car, while a Christian who worked hard (but maybe not as hard and long) or didn't come from as different a background to begin with might be fine with something more modest.

 

[ardchoille]

I believe that the life of Jesus was, among other things, to serve as an example for us to follow. Was Jesus born in the most elaborate inn? Did He wear the most expensive clothes? Did He own the largest home? The best mode of transportation?

Everytime I see an expaensive car the only thing I can think of is "does the owner of that car realize how many homeless people could have been fed/clothed with that money?"

Matthew 6:19-21 comes to mind.

 

[farouk]

Most Christians in Europe, with their high taxes, would never even get to consider a Lamborghini...

 

[Drew]

When's it okay, or not okay for professing Christians to indulge the expensive luxuries of life like a Lamborghini sports car?

Unless and until poverty has been eliminated, it is not acceptable for professing Christians to indulge in expensive luxuries.

People try to rationalize, arguing "Its OK for me to have a Lambourghini because I don't love it more than I love the Lord", or something similar.

Well, to rip-off Forrest Gump: Greedy is as greedy does: When someone takes $ 100K and gives it to themselves in the form of a Lambourghini, knowing full well that others lack the basics, they are proclaiming very loudly "where their heart is":

'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Plus, there's psychological factors. A Christian with money who worked long and hard to get from point A to point B might really, really get something out of a super luxury car, while a Christian who worked hard (but maybe not as hard and long) or didn't come from as different a background to begin with might be fine with something more modest.

This is a pride issue, I, I, I, it has no end.

Well, to rip-off Forrest Gump: Greedy is as greedy does: When someone takes $ 100K and gives it to themselves in the form of a Lambourghini, knowing full well that others lack the basics, they are proclaiming very loudly "where their heart is":

Where you gonna buy a Lamborghini for under $400,000?

For years I dreamed of owning a Lamborghini.
What can you do with it?
Take it to the store and when you come out, it will be gone.

There's only 2 things you can do with it.

1. Drive it around to show off to people. Be sure to park it in front of the front door of the church so everyone can see it is yours.
2.Tell people at social gatherings, "I own a Lamborghini".

 

[WIP]

Unless and until poverty has been eliminated, it is not acceptable for professing Christians to indulge in expensive luxuries.

But this brings us back to my question. Define expensive luxuries?
I usually find the answer to this question turns out to be similar to the answer I get when I ask people to define rich. When you get down to the bottom of their answer it usually implies, "Anyone making more than me." In the same sense I suspect when we would ask for the definition of luxury, in the final analysis the answer would boil down to "Anything more than what I have."

We all, well most, believe we are not rich or we do not indulge excessively or we don't live in luxury but in reality there are very few people that live in most any industrial nation on earth that cannot be considered wealthy by some third-world countries.

 

[farouk]

But then what if some European monarch is converted to Christ? it was reckoned that in the 19th century the highest proportion of Christians was found among the crowned heads of Europe! I guess limousines and fast, quality automobiles come as part of the job, for some folk....

Kind of hypothetical...

Hard to be legalistic.

(Rambling again...)

 

[Mike S]

When should a Christian own a Lamborghini? When he can afford it, and when he lives in an area where he can drive it the way it's meant to be driven...if he wants a Lamborghini, that is. If I won a Lamborghini I'd sell it and buy a Chevy S-10 or Ford Ranger. That's all I need.

 

[farouk]

I would prefer a 2-seater Smart car to a Lamborghini; easy to drive in the city and good on gas. (Not so good on a journey, though; less space for luggage...)

 

[cherovis]

First I think one has to define the line between luxury and not luxury. Does professing to be Christian require living so poorly one surviving on a thread? At what point does something become a luxury?

I believe that Christians deserve a healthy & even wealthy lifestyle so long as it is not excessive or wasteful. Everyone needs a car these days. Can you be well off with a less expensive, more economical, safer build car or do you have to have the multi thousand dollar piece of fiberglass that lets the world know you;re dripping in it while others can't even afford to feed themselves or put a roof over their families. People ! Jesus did not wear a Rolex !! It's not a sin to be wealthy. But, Jesus charged the wealthy to do for the poor. If you;re rich enough to buy a Lamborghini, are you doing as much for the poor ? I think if you're living $$$ amount over necessary then you should be matching that $$$ to the needy. After all, what you give to them, God puts back & then some . . right ??

 

[JLB]

When's it okay, or not okay for professing Christians to indulge the expensive luxuries of life like a Lamborghini sports car?

When all citizens of God's kingdom on earth have what they need.

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. Acts 4:32-35


JLB

 

[Mike S]

First I think one has to define the line between luxury and not luxury. Does professing to be Christian require living so poorly one surviving on a thread? At what point does something become a luxury?

I believe that Christians deserve a healthy & even wealthy lifestyle so long as it is not excessive or wasteful. Everyone needs a car these days. Can you be well off with a less expensive, more economical, safer build car or do you have to have the multi thousand dollar piece of fiberglass that lets the world know you;re dripping in it while others can't even afford to feed themselves or put a roof over their families. People ! Jesus did not wear a Rolex !! It's not a sin to be wealthy. But, Jesus charged the wealthy to do for the poor. If you;re rich enough to buy a Lamborghini, are you doing as much for the poor ? I think if you're living $$$ amount over necessary then you should be matching that $$$ to the needy. After all, what you give to them, God puts back & then some . . right ??

We don't know how much a man who owns a Lamborghini helps the poor with his other money. We DO know that when he buys, drives, and maintains his Lamborghini he's supporting jobs all up and down the supply chain. People design those cars, build those cars, sell those cars, service those cars, work as janitors and secretaries, etc., etc., etc. All of those people then have paid jobs to support themselves and keep their families out of poverty. Owning a Lamborghini may do far more to help the poor than writing a check to a charity or serving food in a soup kitchen line.


Welcome to CF, BTW!

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

2 Corinthians 8:13-15;

" He who gathered much did not have too much".

Paul is talking about equality among the believers.

Unless you can provide Lamborghinis for everyone else, you really shouldn't be getting one for yourself.

And this goes for everything else in our christian walk.

Is Jesus doing a work in you today to think less of self and more of others?

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

First I think one has to define the line between luxury and not luxury. Does professing to be Christian require living so poorly one surviving on a thread? At what point does something become a luxury?

I believe that Christians deserve a healthy & even wealthy lifestyle so long as it is not excessive or wasteful. Everyone needs a car these days. Can you be well off with a less expensive, more economical, safer build car or do you have to have the multi thousand dollar piece of fiberglass that lets the world know you;re dripping in it while others can't even afford to feed themselves or put a roof over their families. People ! Jesus did not wear a Rolex !! It's not a sin to be wealthy. But, Jesus charged the wealthy to do for the poor. If you;re rich enough to buy a Lamborghini, are you doing as much for the poor ? I think if you're living $$$ amount over necessary then you should be matching that $$$ to the needy. After all, what you give to them, God puts back & then some . . right ??

We don't know how much a man who owns a Lamborghini helps the poor with his other money. We DO know that when he buys, drives, and maintains his Lamborghini he's supporting jobs all up and down the supply chain. People design those cars, build those cars, sell those cars, service those cars, work as janitors and secretaries, etc., etc., etc. All of those people then have paid jobs to support themselves and keep their families out of poverty. Owning a Lamborghini may do far more to help the poor than writing a check to a charity or serving food in a soup kitchen line.


Welcome to CF, BTW!

This sounds like a worldly excuse to own one.

 

[Brother Mike]

But this brings us back to my question. Define expensive luxuries?

You can't and a post with Wisdom!!!

If I live in a 10 million dollar home is it any different than a cardboard box under the freeway? Who defines what cost to much?

Reading some of these Post, I am going to be real embarrassed when they come to Heaven with me and march to the throne room, yelling at God for wasting all that Gold on making just streets. At 1,200 dollars an ounce, God should have sold it and fed the poor on earth.

It's just embarrassing.

At what point does my car get to expensive? The point someone else car is not as nice?

If I have to sell my Lamborghini to give to the poor, then you have to sell your shoes and feed one. For it's not the amount given but the heart that gives.

People can not be anyone's source. If the rich sell all they have then it will run out real quick. A Lamborghini will not feed many long, and it cost our church over 8 million to get a church started in a poor country, that included finding a way to dig water to the place. It's still not enough and without God, none of it would have worked.

Everytime I see an expaensive car the only thing I can think of is "does the owner of that car realize how many homeless people could have been fed/clothed with that money?"

Joh 12:5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

Same thing Judas said before betraying Jesus......... Now that is creepy, same spirit.


Joh 13:29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

And Jesus was far from poor.

Where I live, the streets are made of Gold, the gates have fine emeralds and pearls that blow the price away on anything down here on this planet I am just visiting. My Father owns everything, and has made everything. I have come to the place where a Lamborghini is just a car, and a cheap one at that. A jet Airplane at 21 million dollars is small. Price does not matter or else I am covetous.

When Price matters, then the vision is low and we forget who's we are, and who Daddy is. A child of the King certainly does not think broke, nor would hoard anything because there is always more where that came from.

Some believe God runs out of money and the poor don't get fed if a persons bicycle that cost to much. It's human poverty thinking that thinks this way, and someone that has no idea who they are in Christ Jesus who made them joint heirs with Him.




Mike.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

If I have to sell my Lamborghini to give to the poor, then you have to sell your shoes and feed one. For it's not the amount given but the heart that gives.

Sell that Lamborghini Mike, sell it!

 

[WIP]

What I see happening always does in these types of threads. Everyone begins to speak as though everyone else is guilty while they make themselves out to be righteous. No matter how low one claims to be, there can always be found one in more need. I think Mike said it best with this statement,

For it's not the amount given but the heart that gives.

Otherwise, we are all just pumping ourselves up and puffing our own chest claiming to be righteous when none is righteous; no, not one.