Originally posted by 667joe
You are not living up to your biblical Christian obligations by keeping even some of your property, and your response to me certainly did not turn the other cheek.
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You are not living up to your biblical Christian obligations by keeping even some of your property, and your response to me certainly did not turn the other cheek.
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You did not slap me on the cheek or assault me. Is your concept of "turning the other cheek" agreeing with all of your ideas ? That is not turning the other cheek.
It is not imitating Christ without Christ. It is living Christ who is alive, available and able to flow out of our innermost being.
The early church in Jerusalem did have all things in common. That is what God called for at that time. This practice was not always what God was doing.
Jesus, on the cross, instructed the dicsiple John to take the mother of Jesus into his own family. John then took Mary into his own private house:
"Then Jesus, seeing His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, said to His mother, Woman, behold your son. Then He said to the disciple, Behold, your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home." (John 18:26,27)
John did not say "Sorry Jesus. I don't have a home anymore because You told us to give everything away."
Besides, the teaching was that if we gave up our things, we would receive more. So it is not necessarily to be WITHOUT any posessions.
Sure Joe. Look carefully at what the Lord Jesus said:
"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for My name's sake shall receive a hundred times as much and shall inherit eternal life." (Matthew 19:29)
So do not twist the teaching to insist that all Christians must live like Medievel monks in poverty. This has already been abused and corrected - monasticism.
Giving up unto Christ our material possession and riches may not mean to be without anything so that some accuser may gloat - "Oh you own property so you must not be living as the Bible said."
Giving up may result in God giving unto you more. It is how you handle your possession in His presence and for His purpose.
See also
Mark 10:29,30 - which includes the words
"There is no one who has left house ... fields for My sake and for the gospel's sake, But that he shall receive a hundred times as much now at this time, houses .... and fields, with persecutions, and in the coming age, eternal life."
So giving up may cause you to have a hundred times more possessions in this age, let alone the coming age.