Should We Spread the Wealth?

Romans 13

4for it [government] is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

5Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.

6For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.

"Spreading the wealth around" is so very dangerous. It is not the biblical mandate of government to "spread the wealth" but to be a minister or servant to the people and to avenge evil. It is "because of this" [Romans 13:6] that we pay taxes, not so that the wealth can be spread.

Acts 4

32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.

The wealth is to be shared voluntarily [2 Corinthians 9:7], especially by believers, to the glory of God.

When government is "spreading the wealth around", it is very dangerous because government is:

• Feeding the lie that economics is exempt from scripture.
• Promoting "class envy." "Do not covet" made the Top 10 when Moses went on the mountain to hear from God [Exodus 20]. This mandate includes the poor and middle class regarding their outlook upon the wealthy. Government should not santion envy by removing funds from one economic class to give hand outs to another in the name of "fairness".
• Redefining the scriptural ideas of justice and mercy to that of humanly defined fairness.
  
• Taking on a responsibility that is not scriptural [Romans 13:1-7].
• Wasting money by flushing it through an inefficient system of bureaucracy that eats away at every dollar before it gets to those who might need it. In effect, the value of the dollar is reduced. Local churches and accountable charities are far more capable of sharing the wealth than government is at spreading the wealth.
  
• Promoting laziness. Isn't this obvious? Yes, there are those in dire straights through no fault of their own. Most people who fall into this category have developed a network of friends and family who will make sure that they do not end up on the streets. But, social and economic history dictates that laziness is a natural biproduct of on-going handouts.

Although these warnings are presented from a biblical perspective, they are also very logical. Our founding fathers understood that the more control we give government, the less freedom we will have.

By the way, this includes health care!

Think about it.