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| 'Pop's Cycle,' acrylic 11X14 by Ron Unruh |
In a recent family
conversation we expressed opinions about ownership and God, essentially whether
we own anything or whether we must acknowledge that God owns everything.
You will pick up immediately
that this is a vernacular topic for convinced believers in God. Anyone who is
not yet persuaded to believe in a supernatural beneficent divinity will find
the intrinsic questions to be immaterial.
The Christian cannot elude
the implications of a faith commitment to a Creator who is omnipotent. It’s not
a leap to conclude that the Creator, like the artist I am, holds proprietary
rights to all that he has made. It must be asked whether God himself has stated
such a claim? We rely upon scripture to inform us. That’s where we read lines
such as these.
The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.[i]
'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the Lord
Almighty. [ii]
Those Old Testament
references appear as statements made by God, to a developed society with a
system of monetary value. Such expressions reinforce God’s prior claim on
occupied land and accumulated wealth. The believer must ascertain whether this
is a principle applicable today or whether it’s intended only for ancient
Israel. If it is a broad application principle, what does God intend as our
response?
These next two declarations were written by David and by Paul in
two different eras.
The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and
all who live in it. [iii]
You are not your own; you were bought at a price.[iv]
The first is a comprehensive statement of proprietorship that
unhesitatingly assigns everything to God. The second is a reminder of
relationship based upon the death of Christ inferred as the price paid to
purchase naturally sinful humanity for God. It’s demonstrative to be sure, yet
ransom, redemption, sacrifice all contribute to the premise that the
prohibition of a person from God’s presence due to independence and personal sin,
can be reversed if the right price is paid, and that introduces a new
relationship with a sense of obligation.
Finally four statements that appeal to the inherent inference of
ownership based upon Creation.
For from him and through him and to him are all things ... [v]
Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must
prove faithful. [vi]
(His master replied,) 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You
have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master's happiness! [vii]
Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the
ability to produce wealth. [viii]
These suggest that anything that persons have, actually belongs
to God and for which the persons are expected to manifest sound stewardship. Faithful
management of God investment in us and with us, comes with a promise of reward.
All that I am and have and
ever hope to be, I owe it all to thee (you – God).
I am sure there is more that
can be said. What do you say?
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