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ReVision

An Alternative to Getting and Spending

There's more than one way to manage an economy.

An Economy of Love (1)

“On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22.40

Rules and economies
God is unfolding a glorious economy in the wheat field of the world, and we are participants in that economy and Kingdom by the work we’ve been given to do. As we’ve seen, every economy has priorities; likewise, every economy has rules which direct the flow of activity within that economy. Those rules often take the form of traditions – like work day hours, holidays, organizational charts, corporate cultures, and so forth. But they also take the form of laws, binding regulations designed to make the economy operate at maximum efficiency.

Just so, the divine economy has its own rules to guide the operations of those who participate in it, and, as Jesus explained, those rules begin in the Law of God, as interpreted by the prophets, apostles, and Jesus Himself, and coming to expression in various forms of love.

A good deal of misunderstanding exists at present concerning the purpose and status of the Law of God. By “Law of God” I mean the Ten Commandments and the attendant civil statutes and rules, given by God through Moses, that were to guide Israel in establishing a nation based on love for God and neighbor. I do not intend to include in this discussion of the Law of God the various ceremonial or religious laws – those laws connected with the work of priests – since, as the writer of Hebrews explains (chapter 7-10), those laws have all been set aside by the anointing of a new and eternal High Priest, even our Lord Jesus Christ. There are still valid principles to learn from them, as Paul demonstrated in 1 Corinthians 9.13, 14; but in the main, these religious rules have been replaced by others, instituted by Christ Himself.

Yet while the laws governing things like sacrifices and offerings, clean and unclean foods, and protocols for various kinds of bodily cleansings and restorations no longer apply, the New Testament is clear that the Ten Commandments remain in effect as holy and righteous and good statutes to guide our walk with the Lord (Matt. 5.17-19; Rom. 3.31; 7.12; 1 Jn. 2.1-6).

Abiding principles
In addition, New Testament writers, following the precedent of Old Testament prophets, discerned in the various civil statutes and rules of ancient Israel, abiding principles of love and justice that remain valid for these latter days (Lk. 19.1-10; 1 Cor. 9.8-11; Jms. 5.1-4; cf. Ruth 4; Hag. 2.10-18). These civil statutes suggest ways of applying the Ten Commandments to a wide range of situations, so that we may understand the course love should take in human society. They were not meant to be exhaustive, but merely suggestive; wise judges and interpreters, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, must ferret out the meanings of the Law and discern its proper applications on a situation-by-situation basis, to ensure that love for God and neighbor are maintained. For this purpose, God gave judges and elders to ancient Israel, and He has given pastors and elders for His churches today.

Interestingly, certain of the Ten Commandments and many of the civil statutes of ancient Israel bear on what we today would regard as matters of economic practice. Wages, prices, debt, the value of land, contracts – these are just a few of the economic matters touched on in the Law of God. Certain of these statutes became the basis for much of the preaching of the prophets, who held rulers and religious leaders alike accountable before God for their violations of His standards for economic justice and neighbor-love.

Our nation has been characterized from its beginnings by an economy of getting-and-spending. The free market economics of Adam Smith have nowhere found a more welcome reception than among the American people. During the early years of the Republic, while Biblical and Christian values still largely defined the ethical and moral environment in which economic transactions were conducted, the “dark side” of capitalism – its tendency to deceive, exploit, and cut corners in the worship of the almighty dollar – was largely kept in check. Chattel slavery and the exploitation of Native Americans are, of course, glaring exceptions.

But in our day, when relativistic and pragmatic values increasingly set the tone for ethical conduct, the dark side of capitalism is more and more overshadowing the land. Corporate corruption, the hiring of illegal aliens, white collar crime, unequal wages, abuse of workers, and exorbitant salaries for some while many cannot find work – all these and more are symptoms of a system that has become sick with self-love and materialism.

Different premises, different currency
We should expect that the divine economy, which is unfolding and expanding in the field of the world, would operate on different premises, with a different “currency,” and with markedly different outcomes. And indeed, the rules and principles which constitute the protocols and practices of the divine economy lead us to think in terms other than getting-and-spending as defining and directing our daily lives.

If it were possible to discover principles of economic activity that could temper the self-centered drive for gain, and infuse more love into our society, principles and practices that discourage mere self-interest, preserve the value of property and currency, honor the dignity of all members of society, and promote justice, fairness, honesty, and, yes, love – if such principles could be discovered, even if they were to be found in the Old Testament Law of God, wouldn’t they be worth considering?

When we understand the divine economy as an economy of love, rather than of mere self-love, we will know how to tap its power for cultivating the field of the world for the good seed of the Kingdom of God.

For reflection
1.  How can you see that the secular economy of our under-the-sun society operates on and for a getting-and-spending lifestyle?

2.  Should we think of law as a bad thing? Don’t societies and economies need laws for proper functioning? Explain. Given this, how should we regard the Law of God?

3.  No one is saved by keeping the Law of God. At the same time, no one is truly saved who refuses to keep it. What’s the difference?

Next steps – Preparation: Review the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20.1-17) and Matthew 22.34-40. How can you see that the Ten Commandments are designed to create an economy of love?

For a free overview of the teaching of God’s Law and how to apply it, write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and request our Kingdom Catechism.

The Psalmist says the righteous person meditates on the Law of God day and night (Ps. 1). Do you? If you had a compendium of all the laws and statutes of God, would you be more likely to do so? Order your copy of The Law of God and begin taking up the discipline of daily meditation in God’s rules for love (click here). And if you need convincing that the Law of God still matters, order a copy of The Ground for Christian Ethics by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
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