Does Jesus endorse capitalism and freedom?

Today we offer our second-weekly “Ask Beau” post. The purpose of this Friday feature is to provide you, our readers, with biblical responses to questions you might have about practical issues that you face.

If you have questions or comments about this response, please leave a comment on the post. Please also submit questions for future “Ask Beau” posts by leaving a comment or contacting us at

beau.stanley@gracebrethren.org or viewfromthepugh@yahoo.com

Today’s thought-provoking question comes from Joe S., who has been enjoying some light bedtime reading: Milton Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom and William T. Cavanaugh’s Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire . He writes: “How do you think capitalism and freedom fit in the light of what Jesus taught? I’m not so sure they are as aligned as some think.”

Like Joe, I have considered what Jesus (and the Scriptures in general) have to say about capitalism and freedom; this is especially so because of my background in business. Here are a few thoughts in answer to Joe’s question.

The Bible does not explicitly endorse capitalism, socialism, communism, or any other particular economic system for our time. The Mosaic Covenant contained economic regulations for the Hebrews (for a particularly interesting one, consider the Year of Jubilee, described in Leviticus 25 and 27), but they are no longer binding (Galatians 3:24–25; Hebrews 8:6). Some have noted that Acts 2:44–47 depicts Christians living in a sort of commune, but this arrangement was self-imposed by the Christians; it was not directed by the Roman government.

Personally, I think capitalism does a good job of accounting for and capitalizing on human self-interest. I also believe that capitalism provides freedom that is consistent with the God-given dignity and dominion of man (Genesis 1:26–30). Furthermore, capitalism requires and promotes personal accountability, which is certainly biblical (2 Thessalonians 3:10–12).

However, capitalism does allow people made in the image of God to fall through the cracks. It isn’t intrinsically as “protective” as other economic systems are. Capitalism enables individuals to neglect the poor, though the Bible clearly supports caring for the poor (Matthew 25:34–40; Mark 10:21; whether the government should compel such care is debatable). Capitalism can also make it easier for the rich to oppress the poor, which the Bible clearly speaks against (James 5:1–6).

Does the Bible “support” capitalism and personal freedom? I would argue that capitalism upholds some biblical values, but it is not perfect. I am glad for the personal freedoms that capitalism provides, and I find these freedoms largely consistent with biblical teaching. May God grant all of us the grace to use these freedoms honorably.

What do you think?

— Beau Stanley

(EDITOR’S NOTE–Photo: Thinkstock/Comstock/Thinkstock).

When Dad’s chest is stronger than a tornado

On Monday, the front page of The Columbus Dispatch featured an Associated Press article about the devastation that tornadoes recently caused in North Carolina. If you would, click on the link and check out the accompanying picture, taken by Ted Richardson of the Associated Press.

I find this picture striking. In it we see a big, burly dad comforting his daughter, who is leaning sadly on his chest. The father is not above kissing his teenage daughter on the head. His ruggedness seems to make his embrace mean more, not less.

Lots of us can remember wrestling with our dads and finding them impossibly strong, stronger than their muscles ought to have made them. We held our fathers in awe for this. We wanted them to be strong.

In the same way, our children instinctively appreciate and value our strength—our physical, emotional, and spiritual strength. Our children do not want us to love them weakly, they want us to love them with tender toughness and gentle stability.

God has given fathers the awesome privilege of standing firm for our children in the midst of storms, whether literal or figurative. They need to know that when the tornadoes of life hit, they can lean against our chests and find them strong, built by the strength of Jesus (Philippians 4:13).

—Beau Stanley

What Wavy Gravy can(’t) teach us

4/17 To Live Is Christ from Grace Polaris on Vimeo.

Born Hugh Romney, the sixties generation knew this man as Wavy Gravy. His Web page lists him as a peace activist and a clown. In fact, Wavy Gravy was the official clown for the Grateful Dead music group. It was Wavy Gravy and his associates that helped “police” the 500,000 who attended Woodstock. They were known as the “Please Force.” Today you can visit with Wavy Gravy on the Internet while purchasing some of his anti-war clothing and merchandise.

Wavy Gravy provided the sixties generation with a certain role model. Wavy tried (and still tries) to be a positive influence, a serious clown, a man with a mission. The problem with Wavy Gravy’s efforts is that they do not appear to be connected to the Creator, “the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on the earth is named” (Ephesians 3:14–15). For all his promotion, Wavy Gravy does not provide for his followers a functional model for life.

Jesus of Nazareth, on the other hand, is “Life.” As such, Jesus not only supplies life to His followers (John 15:4–5; Galatians 2:20), Jesus models the proper way to live in relationship with God. While on earth Jesus modeled for all mankind the Spirit-filled, God-dependent lifestyle.

Consider the biblical record about the earthly life of Christ. The Gospel of Luke demonstrates that Jesus was indwelt by, led by, and empowered by the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:22; 4:1, 14). John, in his Gospel, carries this model a bit further with several of Jesus’ own statements. For example, Jesus said, “I can do nothing on My own initiative . . . because I do not seek My own will, but the will of the one who sent Me” (John 5:30). On another occasion Jesus states, “I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak just what the Father taught me . . . I always do those things that please him” (John 8:28-29). Finally, consider Jesus’ words to His disciples on the evening before His execution: “The Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me” (John 14:10–11).

Jesus’ model for His followers was a model of complete and humble dependence upon God. Jesus not only showed us that “life” is doing the will of the Father, but also that this life comes from the Father in order to do His will. Whatever role model any generation may provide, whether the model be an athlete, celebrity, or another Wavy Gravy, the Christian looks to Jesus. Followers of Christ can live by the same means that Christ lived, namely, by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. The life of complete dependence upon God is the divine model provided for us in order to accomplish God’s will. Jesus is our model for Life.

— Ed DeZago

(EDITOR’S NOTES—Photo: Wikipedia user Paulgg/Wikimedia Commons. Scripture quotations are taken from the NET Bible®, which is freely available at http://bible.org.)

Win tickets to watch Clippers and Iron Pigs battle

We’re excited that the weather is getting warmer and baseball is getting underway.

To celebrate, we’re giving away two great tickets to the Columbus Clippers game on Saturday, May 7 against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.

Here’s how the giveaway works: We will draw a winner at random on Wednesday, May 4 at 10 a.m. from amongst the names of those who subscribe to The Frontier at Grace via email, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter. If, on May 4, you subscribe via email, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, you will be entered three times into the drawing.

Forward an email to us (at beau.stanley@gracebrethren.org or viewfromthepugh@yahoo.com) in which you’ve suggested the blog to five people, and you’ll be entered a fourth time!

Stay subscribed for posts about future contests as well.

Play ball!

— Beau Stanley

(EDITOR’S NOTE—Photo: Donald Miralle/Lifesize/Thinkstock)

Del Tackett on the emasculating effect of relativism

A friend recently shared a post with me from Del Tackett’s blog that I think you will enjoy. In the post, entitled Rio Mighty Men, Tackett speaks on the challenges facing men in our culture today. His comments about the emasculating effects of relativism are profound.

Do you agree with Tackett’s comments on our culture? Let us know by leaving a comment.

— Beau Stanley

Technological innovation at Grace

I’m excited to tell you about something new we’ll be rolling out tomorrow at GracePolaris during the Sunday sermon.

Most of us have had the experience of listening to a sermon and having a question come to mind. Sometimes these questions have disappeared into the recesses of our brains by the time we have the chance to pose them to someone who would know the answer.

Over the next several weeks, you can avoid this frustration by texting your question to Grace during or after our sermons. The mechanics are pretty simple: just text 95030 and your question to 22333.

Grace will collect the questions (comments are OK too), and in the days following the sermon the pastor who preached will answer some of the questions on our Web site. The responses will appear on a page located in the same place as the sermon audio and video.

Twitter users can get in on the fun as well. Send a tweet with your question/comment using the hashtag #gracesermon041711 (each sermon will have a new tag in the #gracesermon[ddmmyy] format) and all of us on Twitter will be able to see what was on your mind. The pastor’s posted responses will incorporate selected questions sent via Twitter as well as via text message.

— Beau Stanley

Billy Joel had me pegged

Billy Joel sang, “I Go to Extremes,” and I can relate.

The concept of balance has never been particularly appealing to me in my natural self. In many ways I’m an all-or-nothing guy. It’s not that I’m bipolar (or even “bi-winning”), but I’ve often suffered from the conviction that if some is good, a lot must be great.

If I were to make a simplistic argument to support my natural tendency, I could point out that the Scriptures do not use the term “balance” with regard to moderation (nor do they use the term “moderation”). Having presented that iron-clad case, I suppose I could proceed to eat an entire pizza and wash it down with a 2-liter bottle of pop.

Skeptical? Good. While the Bible doesn’t use the term “balance” as we mean it in this context, it does speak of the goodness of self-control (Proverbs 25:28; Galatians 5:23; 2 Timothy 3:3; 2 Peter 1:6) and the sinfulness of certain behaviors that involve lack of moderation, such as drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7) and gluttony (Proverbs 28:7; Titus 1:12–13).

Imbalance in our lives often stems from idolatry; that is, putting something—even something good—in God’s rightful place. We can make an idol out of sports, exercise, food, gadgets, and countless other things. When we make something into a god, we will pursue it diligently and forget about balance.

If we are called to live at one extreme, it is extreme godliness. Beyond that, we must seek balance and moderation.

I’m not holding my breath for Billy Joel to change the title of his song to “I Go to Extreme Godliness,” though.

—Beau Stanley

(EDITOR’S NOTE—Photo source: Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Thinkstock)

How God uses underdogs

ESPN ran an interesting documentary on Tom Brady last night.

One of the fascinating aspects of the NFL superstar’s career is that he didn’t start right away for Michigan and that he was drafted 199th in the 2000 draft.

The documentary shows an emotional Brady remembering how upset he was when he didn’t get drafted until the sixth round.

As an underdog, Brady could have given up, but he worked hard to become one of the game’s top players.

Have you noticed that God often uses underdogs to do amazing things for Him?

1 Corinthians 1:27 says: “Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful” (NLT).

The Bible is filled with ordinary people who were used by God

Consider King David.

He was chosen to be king of Israel as a young shepherd boy. Although he made mistakes, he was called a man after God’s own heart.

Peter and John, two of Jesus’ apostles, were “ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures” (Acts 4:13 NLT), but God used them mightily to establish His church.

Do you feel like a spiritual underdog? Good! God does great things through spiritual underdogs who trust in Him.

—Chris Pugh

Accountability and red tape

On Friday, congressional leaders managed to avoid a shutdown of the federal government by reaching a last-minute compromise on the nation’s budget. The machine-like efficiency of the government thus will continue.

OK, maybe “machine-like efficiency” is a tad sarcastic.

Many public servants are hard-working and responsible, but government bureaucracy is legendary for its inefficiency and ineffectiveness. What is to blame for this syndrome?

I’d like to suggest that lack of accountability is one of the key ingredients in red tape. I am certainly not the first to suggest this. Others have noted long before me that when nobody adequately holds a person’s feet to the fire, bad things can happen.

We men can suffer from a sort of spiritual inefficiency and lack of focus. When other men speak the truth to us in love (Ephesians 4:15) and hold us accountable on the journey of life, we can be more spiritually productive.

If you stray from the good path, is there anyone in your life who will tell you so? I hope your answer is yes.

There’s plenty of red tape already.

— Beau Stanley

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Photo source: Photodisc/Photodisc/Thinkstock)

My favorite verse

When life gets difficult, I can easily panic.

As a child, I first started to read the story of Joshua. I thought it was a cool story since the spy he worked with, Caleb, is also the name of my brother.

In the story, God told Joshua to lead the Israelites into the promised land.

Maybe Joshua was a little freaked out. I think I would have been.

Here was God’s “pep talk”:

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NLT).

It’s a great verse that has comforted me through difficult times in life.

What verse do you like?

— Chris Pugh