Early Christian Love

Note: Preparing for a devotion from Minister of Mercy: The New Testament Deacon, by Alexander Strauch, has inspired me to write this blog.
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"And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need." - Acts 4:32-35 (emphasis added)

I once heard that 3% of the world's population owns 97% of its wealth. This is hard to imagine, living in America. After all, I see that nearly everyone has a car, a house, and an education. Credit has made it hard to know who has debt and who doesn't; all I see is material possession, after material possession. The desire to "look great and feel great" because we "deserve more" has usurped all other concerns. We are bombarded with advertisements conveying the necessity of wants, not the necessity of needs. These lusts have triggered us to forget what the true reality is - poverty-stricken nations living off $2/day.

I would be dishonest in neglecting to mention the affect this has had in Christian America, both at a microscopic, individual basis, and a macroscopic, congregational basis. Maybe being a Christian in America is hard, because it is more difficult to be content than it is to be lush. Could it be argued that the standard of living surpasses the standard of being content?

Acts 4:32-35 causes us to take a step back from the constant struggle to "get more." It describes the early church as having "one heart and soul." There is thus a natural overflow of giving everything one had. The result, being, not one in need. Verse 33 shows how the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of Christ, which is evidenced by how "there was not a needy person among them" in verse 34. What was the cost of not having a needy person in the church? All owners of housing and land sold their property for the sake of the church! Perhaps, it could be inferred that being a testimony of the resurrection and extreme sacrificial-giving are so closely linked. We see Christ, Himself, echo these very sentiments in Luke 12:32-34, during His discourse about genuinely seeking the Father's kingdom, and the promise of having needs met.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Luke 12:32-34

Fully recognizing the blessing of the Father's kingdom increases the willingness to give sacrificially. Yet, there is such a discrepancy between those who have and those who need, even in the church. Upon reading Acts 4:32-35, John Calvin commented:

"Now we must have hearts that are harder than iron if we are not moved by the reading of this narrative. In those days the believers gave abundantly of what was their own; we in our day are content not just jealously to retain what we possess, but callously to rob others. They sold their own possession in those days; in our day it is the lust to purchase that reigns supreme. At that time love made each man's own possessions common property for those in need; in our day such is the inhumanity of many, that they begrudge to the poor a common dwelling upon the earth."

Christ gives the serious warnings of the dangers of greed in Luke 12:15 - "Beware, and be on guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes:

"These earthly treasures are so powerful that they grip the entire personality. They grip a man's heart, his mind and his will; they tend to affect his spirit, his soul and his whole being. Whatever realm of life we may be looking at, or thinking about, we shall find these things are there. Everyone is affected by them; they are a terrible danger."

If greed and love for earthly possessions cause us to neglect the love and concern for others, let us be reminded of the full-extent of love seen in the work of Christ. Paul, reminds us of this in one of his epistles.

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." - Philippians 2:5-8 (emphasis added)

There is nothing we can do on this earth, sacrificially, that amounts to the extent of Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. The King of kings, Himself, willingly gave the glories He had possessed since eternity past, so He might redeem a sinful people. As redeemed people, let us show the faithfulness and grace of God, not in that we continue to lust and covet possessions because they are sins forgiven, but in that we give sacrificially to cease the need among our brothers and sisters, because "the love of Christ controls us" (2 Cor. 5:14). We can expect the world to have the 3/97 wealth discrepancy; let us pray that the church does not follow suit.