A Little Give and Take

Dear Dr. Sider:

Welcome back to the evangelical limelight. It's been a while, I know, but as the first recipient of the Open Letter in Every Thought Captive, (which will, in the future be sent to a host of muckety-mucks) you're back in the big time. It seems the last time you were in the news was when you helped start Evangelicals for Social Action. That was neat, using people's commitment to the unborn to try to sucker them into supporting unilateral disarmament and the welfare state. "Consistently pro-life" you called it. What it was consistent with was the erroneous assumptions that first made you famous in your book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger. My how the evangelicals swallowed that up. I know it's been a long time, but since David Chilton went on to his reward, I thought I'd stand in for him a while and kick you, I mean your spurious brand of evangelical socialism, around a bit.

David's title, in response to your book, hit the nail right on the head, Productive Christians in an Age of Guilt Manipulators. Guilt is really your thing. You have argued that spending money on yourself beyond the barest of necessities was sin when there were hungry people in this world. Maybe you didn't say that. It's not that it's sin, it's just better to hand all your money over to relief organizations. Guilt manipulators work that way. "I'm not saying it's sin, but if you were as spiritual as I, this is what you would do."

Now I appreciate some of the finer points you make. As an enemy of consumerism you have not only fought valiantly, but even influenced my own thinking. Too many of us find our meaning in accumulating things. Too many of us measure our value and the value of those around us with a checkbook. Too many of us fail to store up treasure in heaven, and serve mammon, with a thin veneer of the biblical God. Well said.

And we naturally agree that the health and wealth monsters out there are way out of line. God doesn't promise prosperity to all who would name it and claim it.

The trouble is that according to your line of reasoning, the biblical God is not quite as spiritual as you. Here is what God requires. He first commissions us to act as His stewards of His creation. We are to exercise dominion. Yes, yes, I know the greens don't like it. But I don't read their polls. And if it is true that our obedience to His command is destroying the planet (it's not true, but if it were), so be it. I serve Yahweh, not Ralph Nadar. And while we exercise dominion He gives us several specific charges. We are to see to it that our families are taken care of. Of that you would agree. Second He commands that we give a tithe, a tenth of our increase toward the work of the church. We are to lend to our brothers without interest. We are to give cheerfully to our brothers in need. That's it brother. Nothing in here says that if I have met my obligations I may not buy an expensive bottle of thirty year old scotch, and drink it. I wouldn't do it, because I'm not such a fan of Scotch. But I might buy some nice music to listen to, or take my wife out for an expensive dinner.

Oh the horror. And for this you will look down your nose at me. Maybe you need a bottle of 30 year old scotch.

Ironically the Bible is not silent on this issue. My point is not just that you are trying to restrain me where God has not. That is bad enough, binding men's consciences when they are free. Worse still that you are trying to guilt me into actually disobeying God.. Here is His command to the children of Israel as they prepare to enter the land God gave them, "And you may spend the money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household" (Deuteronomy 14: 26). Such extravagance.

I'm not arguing indifference toward the sheep of His flock Dr. Sider. I am arguing that I may eat of the fruit of my labors, without doing it sheepishly. Nor am I arguing that you may not, after meeting your other obligations, give all you have to the poor. If you do it carefully, in accordance with the law, you may. But I'm afraid that if such fills you with pride, then you may lose the jewel in your crown that even you I trust hope for. "Lord, did I not give up all that I had?" And if such believes that this will merit the favor of God, then what follows is, "Depart from Me. I never knew you."

Still enough, at least when you are trying to guilt me out of the wealth God gave me, you aren't doing that other far worse thing you do. The sad truth is that your response to those who don't bow to your emotional tactics, is to call in your henchman. It's a bad thing to manipulate people, a far worse thing to steal from them, even if you try to legitimize your theft by hiring the IRS to do it.

I am a free man, purchased by Christ. It is His law I am bound to, not yours. Please stop fencing His law, adding weight to His light burden. And once you stop guilting the rest of us, maybe you'll enjoy, find pleasure in the freedom that is ours. Get you a nice new suit, and a haircut. And thank God for it. It's a dangerous thing to sniff at the gifts of God.

Your Servant in Christ,

R.C. Sproul Jr.