...and the state of the Church in relationship to those things, I thought a section of Paul's second letter to the Corinthians (which was covered in the sermon in church today) really addresses the various attitudes of Christians in relationship to helping their brothers and sisters. I don't believe in Socialism, as it is a false alternative to the Kingdom of God. However, I do believe in the biblical view of helping others with whatever resources God gives each of us, sometimes at the cost of adjusting our own comfort. In that practice, we are called to share much more than our American individualism allows and unfortunately these days people are more likely to call it Socialism and immediately dismiss it before seeing what the Bible teaches on the matter.
It also reminded me that the poorest people I know are often those who are most generous with their resources, while the more affluent are either ignorant of need or less likely to give. I encourage you (and myself) to let the love of Jesus and His example teach our hearts how to be more compassionate and more giving. That we would truly be His eyes, hands, and feet in the lives of others.
"We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favour of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.
I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. And in this matter I give my judgement: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, 'Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.'” -Paul (2 Corinthians 8:1-15)
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