Acts of the Spirit: Socialism?

Almost any heresy can be defined by taking scripture out of context! It would appear that the first things Christians did upon being filled with the Holy Ghost is to turn "socialist"just as Jesus was a socialist (sic), or was he?

Acts 4:31 "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. 36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet."

Let's look at the "masses" here, using socialist terminology:

• The Jews assembled. (verse 31)
• They prayed (verse 31)
• There was a reaction to their prayer. (verse 31) . The place was shaken.
• They were filled with the Holy Ghost (verse 31).
• They spoke scripture (verse 31)
• Those who believed were of one heart and one soul (verse 32).
• They became generous. Their possessions were no longer theirs, but God's (verse 32).
• They shared what had been in their possession (verse 32).
• Because of their generosity the apostles were empowered in their speech (verse 33)
• Great grace came upon them all (verse 33).
• Wealth was redistributed (verse 34).
• Redistribution was based on need (verse 35).
• Joses sold his property and presented it to the apostles (verse 37).

Let's take a look at a few tenants of socialism:

• "Between capitalist and communist society there lies the period of the revolutionary transformation of the one into the other.(Marx." Critique of the Gotha Program, 1875).
• "Under private property ... Each tries to establish over the other an alien power, so as thereby to find satisfaction of his own selfish need." (Marx, Human Requirements and Division of Labour , 1844).
• "...the proletarian can free himself only by abolishing private property in general." (Engels, Principles of Communism, 1847).
• "The bourgeoisie is just as necessary a precondition for the socialist revolution as is the proletariat itself. (Marx, On Social Relations in Russia , 1874).
• "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!" (Marx, Critique of the Gotha Program, 1875).
• "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people." (Marx, Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right. Introduction , 1843).

First off, one must relieve himself of the notion that socialism and communism are different! People use the word "socialist' to mellow the concept of slavery to the government, not only in economic issues, but in daily living! Socialism is a milestone to communism. After those who have shared their possessions through government regulation become rebellious, then force becomes the tool for confiscation. For those who reject government control vehemently, incarceration and even death is used! The main difference between socialism and communism is the type and degree of force used to steal from those who have, and give to those with less. Socialism "levels the playing field" with regulation. Communism levels it with despotism.

Trenches filled with dead bodies is the trademark of communist despots who camouflage their existence under the pretense of humanitarian socialism. Marx himself equates the two throughout his writings! After all, socialism is sharing and sharing is the trademark of Christianity is it not? (sic).

Even children know that sharing has two implications! One child has something good. Out of generosity the child who has, freely gives to the other child who hasn't any. On the other hand, this child worked hard for the goodie in hand, but the mother makes the one who has, give half to the one who has none. The former is called "charity" and the latter "socialism". The difference between the two is a loss of freedom. With the former there is love and with the latter hate! One characteristic if socialism is that it divides people. Scripture teaches unity, as in "they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God..." (Acts 4:24).

Between Christianity and socialism there are several differences: Jesus, love, hard work, stewardship of what's God's, and love; both of God and others! You guess which is which!

Looking at just a few of the principles from above, let's examine communism. It has three phases: 1) capitalism, 2) socialism and 3) communism. It takes capital to redistribute. Before socialism can be,vhard work must have been done. Hard work is a tenet of God. Mankind is to toil for what he has (Genesis 3:17-19). 

2 Thessalonians 3:10 "For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living."

Compare this to Marxism:  ."From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!"  Does what Marx says jibe with what Paul says? They are exact opposites! Marx says nothing about who does the work, but it's who has and who doesn't! Sure he supports the low level worker, but at the expense of the successful worker. In effect socialism would pay the laborer the same as the one who owns the company without delineating the amount of stress, amount of work, investment nor sacrifice that it took to succeed to create the capital to pay anybody!

In other words, capitalists who make the pie are considered selfish, and the government who steals the pie is seen as charitable. The winner is the man who eats the pie whose work wasn't in making the pie, or was, but a much lesser amount than the baker himself!

The key difference between success and failure is motivation. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 is the passage which should motivate people to work hard, and in effect, become capitalists!

If we look at the story of Ruth and Boaz, there is a good example which illustrates the difference between charity and socialism. (Book of Ruth). Boaz is he capitalist. He has and Ruth has not. Boaz had workers who farmed and harvested grain. Grain was capital.

Boaz could have given Ruth much grain because he had much. It would have been generous of him to do so. Or Boaz could have kept his grain until the authorities took it and gave some to Ruth. However, Boaz told his workers to be a little sloppy with their harvesting. They were to leave some grain on the ground so that Ruth could follow behind, harvest her own and provide for her family. Boaz was free to decide what to do without coercion, but because he was Godly, he had charity and allowed Ruth to work for some grain to meet her needs! This is what Christianity is all about. This is not prototypical of socialism!

Boaz had grace! From Acts 4:33 above "great grace was upon them all"! The Jews in Acts got a little dose of Boazism, not Marxism. Boazism is grace. Marxism is stealing!

What brought the generosity on was grace, not the law. You see, the Law requires love... grace is the freedom to love. The Law doesn't preserve.  Grace is an eternal preservative. Just as God has grace for us, making the ultimate sacrifice (himself), we are to sacrifice of our selves in like manner!

The Holy Spirit came and left his fruit. It was okay to touch this tree and to eat of its fruit:

Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Revelation 22:2 indicates there are twelve fruits. Here are merely nine? What manner of fruit are the other three? Let me propose charity. grace and sacrifice!

You may say "But sacrifice and charity are the same!"  Not true! One can be charitable of their wealth, but wealth can be so  great that to give is not sacrificial. Those Christians who sold what they had and gave it to others, did so sacrificially. Even those with little shared out of love. "Love" can't be legislated. It's a gift of the Holy Spirit. However, gifts are to be used. Loving others is a work made easy by the Holy Spirit, if it's by the Spirit people love.

In essence since God made all, God is the one who distributes wealth.

When the Christians got the Holy Ghost, these are the things they did immediately! Verse 32 says that what they had was not their own. It all belonged to God! They shared with others what God had allowed each if them to borrow for  time. The Holy Ghost confronted them with truth. "It's not yours to have, but it is yours to share!"

Totalitarian governments are not benevolent. They can't be generous because they have nothing to give. What they have belongs to God and it's God who redistributes. However, God never uses force! He puts the desire in malleable hearts to be generous, unlike dictates into the minds of the brainwashed, as in socialism!

The manner in which the Holy Spirit works is through unity. They were all of one heart and one soul (verse 32). They were uniform in their generosity. There were no selfish interests involved. There were no entitlements. There was no "I deserve this!" Their outlook was "What we have is God's. Let's share what isn't ours in the first place!" They were suddenly enlightened, not brainwashed!

In verse 35 we see that distribution was based on need.  In socialism, distribution is based on class. Government divides society based on secular aspects and distributes accordingly. Because one group had ancestors who suffered, they DESERVE more. Because women were treated unfairly they DESERVE more. Because the laborer (proletariat) does manual labor they DESERVE more. Because bureaucrats look out for the welfare of the masses, they DESERVE more. Socialism is no more than taking a proletariat and making him think he's bourgoise at the expense of truly making the bourgoise a proletariat! People don't DESERVE anything for everything we have is a gift of God. It's his for us to use. He desires that we share it. It's not forced upon us. It's an inspiration!

Compare what the apostles did on their own through the inpiration of the Holy Ghost and what Marx and Engles proposed. The biggest difference is the role of God in a just society. In the Utopia of Socialism religion is a myth that enables people to cope with hardship. In scripture Christianity is a hope for things better and that the ultimate hardship shall never come about; eternal damnation.

In socialism the government is the savior. In Christianity it's Jesus who saves! While Jesus shed his blood to redeem mankind, socialism sheds the blood of others, to enslave mankind!

Socialism is the "ism" which breaks all the commandments, from dishonoring God, to lying, stealing, coveting, and even murdering! The idols of socialism is Hegel, Lenin, Marx and even Stalin. Some even idoled Hitler. Their idols were worshiped for what their own god would get in return. Yes, it all boils down to "What's in it for me?" Socialism is the way to appease the gods of the masses, their corporate "selves"!

Right now it's likely that you're not worried about socialism. You've been acclimated to it's initiatives. That's "creeping socialism". It doesn't hurry to remold you. It's by gradual change so that you can't even sense it! However, one day, when you realize it, then the hammer will fall and the sickle will slice. The government you loved will come down on you. It wants what you have and it's not going to be to level the playing field. It will be to empower those who control things. The leaders of the revolution have a different concept of Utopia than what yours is. Whereas, you envision heaven on earth, their vision is to Lord over you. It won't be Paradise. It will be Hell!

Do you know the platform which they publicly acknowledge? From (Karl Marx, The Ten Planks of the  Communist Manifesto, 1848) :

1. Abolition of private property in land and application of all rents of land to public purpose.
2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.
4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels (My note: Discerning Christians!).
5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6. Centralization of the means of communication and transportation in the hands of the state.
7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state; the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
8. Equal obligation of all to work.  Establishment of Industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the population over the country.
10. Free education for all children in government schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc. etc.

Welcome to the USSA! (United States of Socialist America). Yes, we are a socialist nation except for two planks which splintered hard as a side-effect of socialism. Although, socialism says that all shall have an "equal obligation to work" to gain power, freebies are given to many who could work, but don't! Likewise, socialism intends to redistribute the population, but freebies have driven rural people to urban centers in spite of the plank of socialists!

There are things Marxists believe which they conveniently leave out of their planks. Find it in The Communist Manifesto or read my earlier commentary SOCIALISM: IS IT COMPATIBLE WITH CHRISTIANITY?  

Families are in danger as is marriage. Education is the remolding from infancy onward. A war is propagated pitting women against men. Class warfare creates chaos and hate. Elimination of boundaries makes patriotism unnecessary. Read it yourselves!

Alfred E. Newman ifnMad Magazine had a motto; "What? Me Worry?" Why worry about this socialist stuff? It's mankind's attempt at being "good" is it not? No! It's Satan's way to deceive those who care! 

Charity is driven by the Holy Ghost, we found in Acts! There is no motivation or gift of grace in socialism. It's man's attempt to love without the author of love. Yes, socialists actually do have "good" intentions, but those intentions are placed in pliable minds by the author of confusion. It's Satan waging war on mankind! Socialism undermines God. That makes Satan smile!  It's God that does "good". Jesus said that "only God is good".

Christians should depend on love to provide our hope. Sure, we'll always have the poor, but if we focus on Jesus, the meek shall soon inherit the earth. Riches will abound if we're patient. 

Just think... If all the wealthy people got the Holy Ghost, hearts would be right and poverty would be eliminated! However, Jesus knew and said "You'll always have the poor!" because he knew men's hearts are toward themselves! Socialists too, by the way!