Sell Your Possessions and Properties

[biloqewu]

if you put this more generally I could agree, but as it stands it becomes an accusation of someone whose works you are not really aware of imo, even if they have signed financial contracts with Rome.

By the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Someone who refuses to agree with this teaching shows himself as one who has no put it into practice.

 

[Dave L]

The Ten Commandments taught us not to steal. But if we are to love others as our own self, we steal when we withhold any of our possessions from them. The solution is to live as close to this ideal as we can and trust that we are clothed in Jesus' perfect righteousness and not in our own.

 

[bbyrd009]

By the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Someone who refuses to agree with this teaching shows himself as one who has no put it into practice.

well, Rich young ruler is not an appellation that many ppl might ID with, especially at first, so imo that would have to be established first. Most ppl technically are not rich nor ruling I guess right. Imo there are better passages to contemplate the concept from for them maybe

 

[biloqewu]

well, Rich young ruler is not an appellation that many ppl might ID with, especially at first, so imo that would have to be established first. Most ppl technically are not rich nor ruling I guess right. Imo there are better passages to contemplate the concept from for them maybe

The rich man is merely an example of what many people do not want to do, reduce themselves to necessities.

 

[bbyrd009]

The rich man is merely an example of what many people do not want to do, reduce themselves to necessities.

well, I read sell everything so I dunno about this "necessities" qualification either wadr, see, everyone reads what they want to read I guess? Believe me it is very tempting to say "anyone who signed a 501c3 is going to hell," etc, "anyone who hasn't given everything away cannot enter the kingdom," but I tested this pretty hard and i'm just finding it to not be true. Rich ppl can change their minds too I guess

 

[Deborah_]

I'm afraid I have to take issue with your study on a couple of points. First of all, selling one's possessions is not a 'law' in the same sense that the Torah was law for the Israelites. It's a calling, not a rule.

Second, if you read the book of Acts carefully, you find that the first Christians didn't immediately sell all their possessions. "From time to time, those who owned land or houses sold them" (Acts 4:34) - capital assets were converted into cash only as and when there were needs that could not be met out of income.

There's also no way of knowing whether the houses that the Christians met in were owned or rented. We are not given any indication that Lydia (for example) sold her house - she simply put it at the disposal of Paul and his colleagues.

 

[Willie T]

One point missed by us, and shown in secular history, is that the government often seized the property of Jews who had turned to Christianity. This, alone, would be incentive to sell your property while it was still yours to sell.

 

[Nancy]

1Co 13:3, And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

1Ti 6:17, Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Ti 6:18, That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

What matters is not so much the outward behaviour but the inward reality of agape love in the heart.

Agreed. If we see some person in need and we have the means to fill that need, we should be very happy to give. God does not bless us that way to keep it all to ourselves but, to bless others with what He has given us. We are His children no matter we own a house or a car...do you know how many elderly shut ins would love to have somebody come to pick them up for services? Needing groceries? Dr. appts. on and on and on...it is the LOVE of money (Greed) that is the root of many evils, not money itself. We are called to take care of each other, as well as the poor and destitute with what God has given us. ♥

 

[justbyfaith]

There are also works other than giving all our possessions to the poor that are valid as works that are acceptable before God.

And also, we are not saved by works (Ephesians 2:9 and context); and therefore it is not a salvation requirement that we sell all our possessions and give to the poor.

If you are already saved, and the Lord lays it on your heart to do so, then that would be a work stemming from the love of God in your heart.

But works that are not motivated primarily by love are dead works (see Isaiah 57:12 and 1 Corinthians 4:5).

 

[Helen]

The early believers lived in houses where they assembled, and Paul had tools to make tents. Clearly you do not understand what "sell your possessions" means, and neither do you want to.

More legalistic, controlling junk!!
So, if you drink the grape juice we must too?

If and when GOD speaks to a person to do so..we do it...but not via some man dictating how he reads his bible and what it says.

If God told YOU to sell all fine..."Go you! " ..but you are not our God. "My sheep hear MY voice, and a stranger they will not follow."

I willingly left the United States living in a penthouse and driving an exotic car, to then move to Medellin to have no car and rent a place in the poorest areas of Medellin to sleep on a floor. This is the kind of "lowering ourselves" that the Messiah wants, in order that we may then be exalted in due time.

Hey! Go you!! So now, do you feel more like a super-saint?
Are you more holy now than you were before?

Or, do you just want everyone else to join you in your misery.
So , if we all come and join you...how many of us can you take?

The whole thing is stupid.

The son's of God hear HIS voice.

God bless you in whatever you believe that God has spoken for YOU to so...Hope you are winning many souls for Christ there, and not just glorying in your "poverty."

@Willie T has a good point...how come you still "use' the worldly goods...like a computer or cell phone?
So, you are not very far removed from 'the world' , a bit of an oxymoron there.

 

[Helen]

One thing I can say.

It is nice to come on Site today and find a new thread...makes a change from all the old tired ones.

I so wish I have some gift of starting new interesting discussions..

I've tried, but mine never get off the ground!! LOL

 

[Nancy]

More legalistic, controlling junk!!
So, if you drink the grape juice we must too?

If and when GOD speaks to a person to do so..we do it...but not via some man dictating how he reads his bible and what it says.

If God told YOU to sell all fine..."Go you! " ..but you are not our God. "My sheep hear MY voice, and a stranger they will not follow."



Hey! Go you!! So now, do you feel more like a super-saint?
Are you more holy now than you were before?

Or, do you just want everyone else to join you in your misery.
So , if we all come and join you...how many of us can you take?

The whole thing is stupid.

The son's of God hear HIS voice.

God bless you in whatever you believe that God has spoken for YOU to so...Hope you are winning many souls for Christ there, and not just glorying in your "poverty."

@Willie T has a good point...how come you still "use' the worldly goods...like a computer or cell phone?
So, you are not very far removed from 'the world' , a bit of an oxymoron there.

That's my @"ByGrace". She takes no guff, lol. Especially from "foolish men".

 

[mjrhealth]

I rent and do not have a car, I have a bicycle to get around the city, and very few necessities. If you never owned a house and no car why is this teaching so hard for you to agree on? Do you have much possessions in the place you rent that you refuse to sell? We all must reduce ourselves in different ways according to what we each have. I willingly left the United States living in a penthouse and driving an exotic car, to then move to Medellin to have no car and rent a place in the poorest areas of Medellin to sleep on a floor. This is the kind of "lowering ourselves" that the Messiah wants, in order that we may then be exalted in due time.

actually it becomes a form of self righteousness if one is not careful. I just dont care to own a home. because one day i will be called to go and so cant have anything to hold me back. If God wanted me to own a home He would of given me one, He has always provided a decent retal when needed, he looks after His children, and no I dint sleep on the floor, I seriously doubt God would mind if you owned a bed.

 

[biloqewu]

More legalistic, controlling junk!!
So, if you drink the grape juice we must too?

If and when GOD speaks to a person to do so..we do it...but not via some man dictating how he reads his bible and what it says.

If God told YOU to sell all fine..."Go you! " ..but you are not our God. "My sheep hear MY voice, and a stranger they will not follow."



Hey! Go you!! So now, do you feel more like a super-saint?
Are you more holy now than you were before?

Or, do you just want everyone else to join you in your misery.
So , if we all come and join you...how many of us can you take?

The whole thing is stupid.

The son's of God hear HIS voice.

God bless you in whatever you believe that God has spoken for YOU to so...Hope you are winning many souls for Christ there, and not just glorying in your "poverty."

@Willie T has a good point...how come you still "use' the worldly goods...like a computer or cell phone?
So, you are not very far removed from 'the world' , a bit of an oxymoron there.

Do you not think I would rather be living in my penthouse and driving my fancy cars? I do what I do because we are commanded to, not because I prefer to sleep on a floor verses a nice tempurpedic. We are all commanded to sell our possessions. If you do not do this, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Your bitterness in rejecting these plain commands from the Messiah shows how attached you are to your own possessions, becoming disobedient to what we all must do.

 

[Jay Ross]

When I visit poor third world countries, I am careful about how I give gifts. Where there is a need, like after a fire has destroyed upwards of 60 homes within a slum, it is easy to give money to provide the necessary needs of the people like blankets and mattresses or stoves or cloths etc. but it is very difficult to do so without being given credit for our generosity by the people in the know about your gifts. They believe that we are wanting acknowledgement. When the people know that you give generously to help out, they become reliant on you instead of God for their needs. In effect you become their "god of provision." I was in the country at the time of this fire and I had already set aside money for such a circumstance as this.

On the same visit my wife supplied a foam mattress for a young bed ridden girl to stop bed sores forming from pressure points on her body so as to improve her quality of life. This gift was given out of love and concern for the young woman. This gift was delivered after we had left the village where the girl lived.

Now in both of these instances, the giving was meet out of our allocated provisions for the trip. The blankets were delivered within two days of the fire. A few days later, gas stoves were provided by another donor. These were big ticket items. The smaller ticketed items needed were left for the people in that country to provide and indeed the churches rallied to provide the funds to meet these needs like pots and pressure cookers and pans and plates, forks, knives and spoons etc. for the kitchen and clothing which were all needed for daily living.

The gifts given in respect to the fire were give to all the people effected irrespective of whether or not if they were Christian. The local church was seen to be reaching out to the needs of the community in this case.

Has God been able to use this situation for His glory? Certainly. But the entrenched cultural religion, and laws of the country also makes it difficult for the church to operate within this country to win souls. In fact if a person from that country found fault with my gift, then I could have been thrown into prison on a trumped up charge.

In my own country, when a single mum of 3 was put out of work, some of her needs were met by the church community and others by the government welfare programs.

Our willingness to give should be no different as within our country as there are also elements of third world living to be found under the surface of our communities.

We can write about giving, but we should be people with long arms and very short pockets.

Shalom

 

[mjrhealth]

Do you not think I would rather be living in my penthouse and driving my fancy cars? I do what I do because we are commanded to, not because I prefer to sleep on a floor verses a nice tempurpedic. We are all commanded to sell our possessions. If you do not do this, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Your bitterness in rejecting these plain commands from the Messiah shows how attached you are to your own possessions, becoming disobedient to what we all must do.

sorry that changes nothing, to do with inheritance we get that we we come to Christ. As I said, it can become a form of self righteousness. You make God look bad.

 

[Jun2u]

To the OP only,

Define "poor." I believe your definition is much, much different from that of Scripture.

 

[justbyfaith]

This what I call a "works trip".

 

[friend of]

I mean, I have to agree. Amassing wealth for oneself is a snare. Give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Where your heart is, that's where your treasure will be. The rich in this life are humbled while the poor believers are given greater honor by the Lord. James 5:2 warns "Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten." The Lord himself declared that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom. And so on, and so forth. I personally am uncomfortable with the idea of being wealthy and having abundance in this life. God often gives exceeding riches and worldly honors to those He cares not for.

 

[aspen]

Weirdly enough, I agree with the OP. Private ownership is a risky business and lead to terrible sin