What is God's Economy?

[Sons to Glory!]

Originally Posted by OBW

But that view is restrictive. It only deals with how the riches of the estate are distributed to those who live there. God's economy encompasses so much more than the doling out of clothing and food (spiritual or otherwise). It is everything that s Christ-follower does in his life. It is the way that we live our lives, not just some dispensing that we need more of so that we can.

The picture of the "care we need" is short of the whole of any complete administration. This picture of God's economy would be like rewriting Matthew 5 to say things like "blessed are they that eat the food on the table; blessed are they who hunger and thirst for what is dispensed" and so on. No righteousness required. No need to hunger and thirst for that. It will just happen once you get enough food from the table. I fear that this kind of nonsensical teaching is reasonably included in the warnings later in Matt 5 where those who teach the reduction of the "rules" are the least.

Maybe that kind of teaching is an example of wood, hay, and stubble.

Huh!? You had me until that last sentence . . .

So I think what you were saying (up until the last sentence) is that there is more than just receiving the riches in the house, right? And I think I agree. That is, the supplying that goes on in the household provides the base and strength to go out and supply others - is that what yer saying?

[OBW]

Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!

Huh!? You had me until that last sentence . . .

So I think what you were saying (up until the last sentence) is that there is more than just receiving the riches in the house, right? And I think I agree. That is, the supplying that goes on in the household provides the base and strength to go out and supply others - is that what yer saying?

Sort of — in part. But I'm not sure that I am actually saying what you think.

I am saying that the supply in the house is just part of the whole of what is God's economy. We surely need a supply. But the economy/administration of God is far beyond supplying spiritual food so that other things can happen. It is also the outworking of all those other things. From teaching in meetings, to praise and worship of God, to living righteously in everything we are and do, to caring for the poor, oppressed, and alien. It is everything that we do as the intentional followers of Christ in bearing his image.

So thinking of God's economy in terms of a household administration of its riches within the context of those who live there is, at best, only part of the whole that should be understood as God's economy. The household administration part is sort of like declaring that breakfast, lunch, and dinner is the sum total of our interaction with "God's economy" and that everything else — work, shopping, driving, resting, etc. — is something else. Instead, assuming that we are living and walking according to the Spirit (with our minds set on the Spirit to Use the terminology in Rom 8), then all of our living is part of God's economy. And having people qualified to better open the Word to us is part of God's economy. And sending evangelists/missionaries out to continue the spread of the Word is part of God's economy. And living like people who actually reflect the righteous God on this earth in everything we do is part of God's economy, in both the "spiritual" and "secular" things that we do. In fact, many say that for the Christian there is no such thing as a spiritual/secular divide, but everything is spiritual since it should flow out of our desire for, and obedience to Christ and everything he is doing on the earth in all things (not just preaching the gospel).

And if we don't live/walk according to the Spirit, then we are not, at that moment, participating in God's economy. Doesn't matter how much scripture you read in the morning, if you don't live it, then there is a failure. Doesn't matter how much enjoyment we get in some meeting.

[Sons to Glory!]

Originally Posted by OBW

Sort of — in part. But I'm not sure that I am actually saying what you think.

I am saying that the supply in the house is just part of the whole of what is God's economy. We surely need a supply. But the economy/administration of God is far beyond supplying spiritual food so that other things can happen. It is also the outworking of all those other things. From teaching in meetings, to praise and worship of God, to living righteously in everything we are and do, to caring for the poor, oppressed, and alien. It is everything that we do as the intentional followers of Christ in bearing his image.

So thinking of God's economy in terms of a household administration of its riches within the context of those who live there is, at best, only part of the whole that should be understood as God's economy. The household administration part is sort of like declaring that breakfast, lunch, and dinner is the sum total of our interaction with "God's economy" and that everything else — work, shopping, driving, resting, etc. — is something else. Instead, assuming that we are living and walking according to the Spirit (with our minds set on the Spirit to Use the terminology in Rom 8), then all of our living is part of God's economy. And having people qualified to better open the Word to us is part of God's economy. And sending evangelists/missionaries out to continue the spread of the Word is part of God's economy. And living like people who actually reflect the righteous God on this earth in everything we do is part of God's economy, in both the "spiritual" and "secular" things that we do. In fact, many say that for the Christian there is no such thing as a spiritual/secular divide, but everything is spiritual since it should flow out of our desire for, and obedience to Christ and everything he is doing on the earth in all things (not just preaching the gospel).

And if we don't live/walk according to the Spirit, then we are not, at that moment, participating in God's economy. Doesn't matter how much scripture you read in the morning, if you don't live it, then there is a failure. Doesn't matter how much enjoyment we get in some meeting.

Gotcha - and I think we really are saying the same thing. I don't mean to say His economy only has to do specifically with His house (the church). But because of the riches of what He's brought us into, we are all enabled by Him to do His work, no matter what or where that might be.

It's like the riches in my household. Because I receive all that I need here (love, food, security, safety, shelter, etc.) I am in a good place to go out and help others.

Are we all copestetic here?