This is not a treatise on the practical failure of socialism. I will not be telling you why socialism doesn’t work and capitalism does. If you’re looking for a lesson in economics, read Adam Smith[1], Milton Friedman[2], or Thomas Sowell[3]. This is an explanation of why — all pragmatic considerations and emotional motivations aside — socialism is wrong, and should be rejected by all Christians as an inherently sinful system.[4]

Before I begin, let me assure you that I am not cold and uncaring of the needs of others. I think it would be great if everyone had plenty to eat, nice clothes, and a solid roof over their heads. I would be happy to see everyone receive a good education and quality medical care. I would like to see everyone have everything they need in abundance. I would like to do what I can to make that a reality. Wouldn’t you? I hope you would. On the other hand, I know that all people should not have what they need. Scripture tells us that those who will not work should not eat.[5] The logical end of that, of course, is that those who are unwilling to earn a living should be allowed to starve. This, by the way, was not the word of the mythical harsh God of the Old Testament. This was the command of the Apostles to the New Testament Church. I am also not among the wealthy targets of the “tax the rich” mentality. This is not a crusade to protect my wealth from the IRS.

Socialism is often presented as the Christian response to poverty. Jesus cared for the poor, and so should we. The early church shared all things in common, didn't they? Therefore, it is right that the entire nation share all things in common with everyone. Governments ought to redistribute the wealth of the fortunate, privileged classes with the less fortunate and underprivileged[6]. There are a few problems with this thinking, however, one of which is the fundamental reason why I believe socialism is antithetical to Christianity. That problem is simply that governments do not produce and possess wealth to distribute. They must take it from those who produce it.

Now I’m going to get straight to the point. This will be short and seem very simplistic, but that’s only because it really is this simple. First, let me illustrate the difference between Christian giving and socialist “giving”.

Suppose I find someone in need and discern that their need is legitimate and they truly cannot meet it through normal means (something a government can never do). I dig into my resources and give what I can. Maybe that isn’t enough, so I alert others to the need and some of them are able to help, as well. The need is met and we give glory to God.

Or, I see people in need and think, “someone should help them.” I see that there are people who have more than they need, so I go about robbing them and distributing their money as I see fit.

You see, it’s one thing to give of your own resources and to exhort others to do the same. That is Christian charity. It’s something else entirely to give from someone else’s resources. We call that theft. We call it theft no matter how good the motivation behind it is. And when it’s done by force, we call it robbery. That’s what socialist governments do.

“Hold on, there,” you might say, “ours is a democratically elected government. They represent the will of the people, so it isn’t stealing.” Well, yes, it is. Just because the majority agrees that Joe Rich and John Middleclass should be robbed to keep Susie Singlemom in groceries — and let’s be honest, to keep Bubba Trailerpark in beer and cigarettes — doesn’t make it less than robbery. The majority does not have the right to democratically oppress the minority.[7]

It doesn’t matter how good your intentions are or how many people agree with you. It doesn’t matter how much good is actually done. The end does not justify the means. When you reach into your neighbor’s pocket to fund your good deeds, you are a thief. If you see a need that ought to be filled, go to it. Put your money where your mouth is. Just don’t put my money where your mouth is. I have my own conscience to deal with, and you are not it.

Now, I just know there is someone reading this and nodding, “You tell ’em, man!” Thanks for your support. But now is the time to look into your own heart and ask if you’re really practicing Christian charity. How many Susie Singlemoms[8] do you know who are living on public assistance because their churches — and you — have more exciting ways to spend the money God has trusted to you? That new car or plasma screen[9] — did you neglect one of “the least of these”[10] within your sphere of influence to acquire it? Are you decrying the increasing socialism in America (or where ever you may be) while living like a socialist by passively letting government do your job? You also need to put your money where your mouth is.

It has been said that we ought to vote and govern as cold, hard capitalists, because that ensures the greatest prosperity for the greatest number of people, but live as socialists, sharing our wealth with the needy. I agree with the first part of that statement, but the second part misunderstands what socialism is. Socialism is not giving what is mine. Socialism is taking what is yours and giving it away, and that is stealing, no matter how you try to justify it. We ought to live as Christians, following Christ’s example as we steward the resources God has entrusted to us. That is what the Bible teaches.

____________________
[1]The Wealth of Nations
[2]Capitalism and Freedom
[3]Applied Economics: Thinking Beyond Stage One
[4]Coincidentally, Chip Bayer posted on this subject the day after I wrote this article. Read his article here.
[5]2 Thessalonians 3:10
[6]The classifications of “fortunate” and “privileged” are Marxist inventions; but that is not the subject of this essay.
[7]This is why the American founders designed a republic rather than a democracy. Democracy is nothing but a tyranny of the majority.
[8]. . . or elderly widows, or families just “down on their luck” due to various difficulties?
[9]I’m not advocating a monastic lifestyle. God’s normal means of preventing poverty is through work. That means the best way to fight poverty is to purchase the products and services that people produce (read the authors mentioned above for a better understanding of this principle). However, we must not neglect those who may be temporarily, or in some cases permanently, outside the normal economic process.
[10]Matthew 25:31–46

Could you worship without music? Could you worship through the reading and preaching — or just the reading — of God‘s Word? Would you feel the real presence of God without the sensory experience that music provides? If not, is it possible that the feelings that music provoke in you have nothing to do with worship, and only reflect your own narcissism?

Could you worship as the Israelites did in Nehemiah 8?

And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. 2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. 8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. 9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. 11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. 12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. 13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law. 14 And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: 15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written. 16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

Summary: the people listened to the reading and preaching of the Word — for eight days! — “and there was very great gladness” and “great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.”

Would you have been glad? Would there have been “great mirth”? Or would you have just been tired and bored?

That‘s all I have to say. This post has just been an introduction to an article by Greg Gilbert that you ought to read: Against Music. I already linked to it in the sidebar, but it deserves special mention here; so go read it.

Update: Greg has added a follow-up post: Some More Thoughts on Music.

1 Peter 3:15 —

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

YouTube: John MacArthur Explains True Gospel

(HT: Gospel-Centered Musings)

This is part 1 of a series.

I think this might be the first time on this blog that I have ever stated, “I am a Calvinist.” I know it’s something I seldom say directly in conversation. It isn’t that I’m embarrassed about my convictions, it’s that such a statement is too often taken as fighting words and has too often led conversations off the path and into that magical land of equivocation, straw men, and revised history. Rarely, if ever, has it produced a sensible discussion of monergistic regeneration and the doctrines of grace. (And, as you may know, I hate arguing.) Perhaps here, where I can speak my piece without being interrupted and pummeled with red herrings, I can do better.

What I intend to do is write a series of short posts, each dealing with one of the five points. These posts will take you through my process as I connected the dots and came to conclusions that I think are not only logical, but obviously Biblical as well. I believe that if a person is able to leave his presuppositions behind (an exceedingly difficult thing to do) and approach Scripture unbiased, the analogia Scriptura will lead inevitably to the Doctrines of Grace. I know that sounds insulting to Arminians who will claim that they have done exactly that. But I don’t believe it. I don’t believe they have laid aside their own notions of what is just, which is really the greatest stumbling block to the acceptance of unconditional election and monergistic regeneration. God’s justice must be made to conform to the Arminian’s idea of justice. There are Arminians who have worked out a sort of Scriptural apology for their views. However, the average Arminian’s objection begins with, “. . . but that’s not fair! God wouldn’t do that!”

This will not be a restatement or exposition of the Canons of Dort. My views may not exactly follow orthodox Calvinist reasoning. I didn’t come to my conclusions by reading systematic theologies, but through a long and rather painful process of discovering that Scripture disagreed with me more often than not. However, I do believe my Calvinism is mostly in line with historic Calvinism. This will not be a sophisticated argument. I intend to demonstrate that Calvinism is not a complex system that only appeals to theology students and would never be drawn from a plain reading of Scripture, but that it is the plain reading of Scripture. I also will not be going into such details as infra- vs. supralapsarianism, or the precise ordo salutis. I may be wrong, but I don’t think Scripture answers those questions as completely as we would like. In any case, I don’t have it figured out, so don’t expect to find any profound nuances of theology here.

As I have stated, I may not be Truly Reformed® in all of my reasoning, but I will affirm . . .

• . . . that man is thoroughly corrupted by sin and will not believe and repent without supernatural intervention.
• . . . that God has, before creation, chosen those whom he would call to faith in him, and has not done so on the basis of anything in us or anything we would do, but only “according to the good pleasure of his will.”
• . . . that Christ’s death on the cross did not only make salvation possible, but actually secured salvation for all who will be saved.
• . . . that every person whom God calls, without exception, is inevitably saved.
• . . . that all who receive the gift of saving faith are also given the grace to unfailingly persevere to the end.

In the next installment (which will probably not come until next week), I will begin explaining how I came to those conclusions.

Next :: Why I Am a Calvinist: Depravity

Dear fdsfds,

Sometime after midnight on Sunday, February 17th — or 10:00 PM on Saturday where you are in the vicinity of Astoria, Oregon — you ran a Google search for “thirstytheologian.” At 12:43:57, you entered my site, spent 34 minutes and 19 seconds here, and left without commenting. Then you went to another blog and left an obscene and particularly juvenile comment.

I don’t know if you’ll ever come back here. I don’t know why you would, if you really think I “[obscene verb] [direct object].” But you did come intentionally looking for me, so maybe you will.

What were you thinking? That it would bother me that someone out there doesn’t like me? That you used childish, obscene language against me? Am I supposed to be offended? Angry? What?

I’ll tell you what I do feel. I feel sorry that you have not matured beyond playground insults. I feel sorry that you can’t express yourself as an intelligent adult. I feel sorry that you don’t have the courage to address me directly, which you could certainly do. I feel sorry that you are so threatened by something I have written that you feel the need to strike back.

Most of all, though, I am sorry that you don’t know, as I do, the forgiveness of sins that you can have through faith in Jesus Christ. You see, I’m not angry with you, because I was born in the same sinful condition as you. I’ve done and said far worse things than you wrote in your little comment. I deserve the eternal condemnation of God just as you do. But I have no fear of God’s wrath because Christ has taken my sin to the cross and borne it upon himself, and his perfect righteousness has been credited to me — which is good, because I had absolutely nothing to offer for myself, and no hope.

So rather than being angry with you, I pray that God will soften your heart, that you may humble yourself under his mighty hand, and trust in him for your eternal salvation. I pray that you will receive the same mercy and grace that I have. If you’d like to know more about salvation in Jesus Christ, feel free to email me (find the Contact link in the sidebar). I would welcome the opportunity to share my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with you.

This is part 2 of a series.

Part 1 :: Why I Am a Calvinist: Introduction

The beginning of any soteriology (doctrine of salvation) must necessarily begin with an understanding of the need to be saved. We must acknowledge that we are not born righteous or even spiritually neutral (Psalm 51:5). We are not born with any degree of goodness in us. We do not possess even the smallest potential for good. We are altogether unrighteous. So far, there should be no disagreement. If you do disagree, you are not an Arminian, or even a Christian. You might be a Pelagian.

From here, admitting that we are lost and in need of salvation, we must ask, what now? What can we do about it? And therein lies the disagreement. Calvinists answer, we can do nothing. Arminians say, we can do nothing but for the prevenient grace that God provides, which enables us to exercise our free will. Then we are either saved or not, depending upon our choice.

This is where, while I am most certainly not an Arminian, I am not quite a kosher Calvinist. I don’t believe our will is the problem at all. I do believe in the freedom of the will, but I believe our will is entirely irrelevant. The will is not an active force. It is simply what we want. And what we want is an outgrowth of who we are. Our problem is not what we want, but who we are. When who we are changes, what we want quite naturally follows. So I really think arguments concerning the freedom of the will are a waste of time.

Furthermore, salvation could never be based on our free choice because salvation is not based on something that can be chosen. All people can make all kinds of free choices. Unbelievers, as well as believers, can make free moral choices, and do all the time. An unbeliever can live a morally upright life, for all appearances above reproach. In fact, I doubt if anything is more pleasing to Satan than a self-righteous unbeliever freely choosing to do good. But those free choices are irrelevant, because “by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Salvation is by grace, through faith, and that faith is a gift*. We can’t choose it, we can’t go get it. It comes to us as a gift, emphatically not because of anything we have done or chosen. By faith, we “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” and are saved. I have written elsewhere on the logical impossibility of choosing to believe anything, and I won’t go into that here. I will go through what it means to believe by faith, and the process of how we come to believe the Gospel.

To believe by faith does not mean that we take a blind leap. A “leap of faith” is simply wishful thinking, wanting something to be true and really, really, really hoping it is, and hoping that somehow, if we hope hard enough, our wish will come true. That is not Biblical faith. To believe by faith is to believe because we trust the one who has given his word. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” — not, “Abraham believed what God said,” but “Abraham believed God.” That is faith: believing what God said, not because we fully understand it, but because we trust him to tell the truth and keep his word. And that faith is a gift.

That is not to say that no understanding is required. God has revealed himself and his redemptive plan to so that we may understand. He has not simply told us, “Trust me, I’ll save you.” He has told us how and what we are to believe. We must understand what God has done. We must understand that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” This is where we run into our depravity, inability, or whatever term you prefer. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2 that “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” So we blunder along through life until, at some point, whether it be as children through our parents, or in our old age through a neighbor or pastor or radio broadcast, or somewhere in between, we hear the Gospel. But we have a serious problem — we don’t get it. It makes no sense. No matter how hard we try, we can’t understand. As unbelievers, we cannot respond to the general call of the Gospel, because we cannot understand it. It makes no sense to us. We cannot understand how utterly sinful we are, and that the “good” we see in ourselves is no good at all. We cannot understand that God’s perfect standard is so far out of our reach that we can never hope to attain it. We cannot understand that our sin carries the death penalty, and that that penalty must be paid. We cannot understand that the only way we can stand before God is to be perfectly righteous. We cannot understand that Christ has fulfilled all those requirements. And because we cannot understand, we cannot do the one thing we must do to be released from the penalty for our sin and receive the righteousness of Christ credited to our account — simply believe it.

But that is only the passive reason why we cannot be saved. There is also an active reason. Not only are we intellectually dull and unable to understand, we are unwilling to accept the things of God. We are actively in rebellion against God. From the moment we are conceived we want what we want when we want it, and we don’t want to be told what to do. We hate God and his demands, and we will not submit to his rule — indeed, we cannot.

Paul goes on to say (2 Corinthians 2) that, while the natural man can’t understand the things of God, we who are spiritual — those who have been born again — can understand, because “we have the mind of Christ.” So how do we get from this state of spiritual stupidity and rebellion to a state in which we can believe? We must be born again. And just as we had no power to be born physically, we have no power to be born spiritually. Our life must be given to us. Just as there is no way we can assist in our own physical conception, there is no way we can assist in our own spiritual birth. In fact, it is worse than that. Unlike our physical birth, in which we were completely passive, we actively resist the spiritual birth.

Regeneration is not, in any way or at any stage, a cooperative effort between God and man. There is no synergy between us. We don’t understand our sinful condition. We don’t understand God’s holiness. We hate God. At best, we just don’t want to go to Hell, and we want to know what to do so that we do not go to Hell. We want that because we care about ourselves. We are selfish, and anything we do to achieve salvation is entirely selfish. We do not love God. We love ourselves, and we cannot and will not do anything to change that unless we first become who we are not — living, spiritual beings with hearts of flesh. Only God can do that.

And that, in a nutshell, is human depravity.

Next :: Why I Am a Calvinist: Election

Learn everything you need to know about Joel Osteen from one picture.