The Bible Is A Book Of Conditions

Naturally, since the Bible is the book of life, it contains conditions for living. Life itself is a life of conditions and therefore, the book of life is a book of conditions. All the same, many believers don’t want to accept that the bible contains conditions for the living of a triumphant Christian life. The hope today is that by the end of this piece, we will better embrace the concept that the bible is a book of conditions.

Even For Eating, The Bible Is A Book Of Conditions

Yesterday, someone mentioned that their job might be on the line. As part of the ensuing discourse, he quoted the bible where it says that if you do not work, you should not eat. Therefore, he concluded, since he likes to eat, he must have a job.

The relevant verse is in 2 Thessalonians 3:10. Please read it carefully because it might save you from a lot of distress. Particularly if you belong to a family who loves handouts. This is exactly what happened to a young man I ran into a few years ago. I was in their store to get some household items and wondered if the store belonged to him. That was because he had the same first name as the rather high-end store.

He laughed and assured me that not only did he not own the store, but he was also thinking of quitting. I was surprised but he had a good reason. His relations, who depended on him for regular handouts, were faring better than him. He was thinking of joining the ones who would be on family welfare. In that nation, they did not practice Government welfare, only family welfare.

When I told him that there was a verse in the bible that says you must not eat if you do not work, he almost grabbed me. Oh yes, the bible is a book of conditions. Reading that verse liberated it. Similarly, it will liberate you. It says “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”

The Bible Is A Book Of Conditions For Welfare Programs

Perhaps you had no idea that long-term welfare programming is a sin. Now, you know. Please observe the word ‘long-term’. Because, no matter how much of the bible is a book of conditions, God will never ask us to turn our backs on the poor.

Indeed, the book actually recommends welfare, but observe that it is short-term. It says, in another conditionality: “If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest.” Bankers and the rich among us, take note.

Or this one. ‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you.” How you behave to the poor is well covered in the bible. Truly, the bible is a book of conditions. To truly appreciate how perfectly the Bible is a book of conditions, look up the word ‘if’ as in the two verses above.

But for now, we look at a portion of the above verse. It suggests that the poor have suddenly fallen into poverty. It is not their default state. They are not wallowing in poverty and moaning to pull at your heartstrings. These people have simply fallen on hard times. God wants you to come to their aid, short and sweet.

Therefore, although the bible is full of instructions to help the poor, you will not find a single verse in the bible that preaches long-term support. That is because long-term handout is a system that impoverishes the taxpayer and encourages indolence.

The Bible Has Conditions For The Habitually Poor

And you know of course that God hates indolence. He rather wants us to be like Ruth, the foreigner who went back to Israel with her mother-in-law. Ruth received assistance but it was short-term. She did what she had to do to quickly emerge from poverty.

We therefore want to view Ruth as a great example as we consider that the bible is a book of conditions. Indeed, no matter how you slice it – rich or poor – the bible is a book of conditions. It says that if your brother falls on hard times, you must help him. but note that even as welfare is warranted in the bible, it does not recommend wallowing in poverty at another person’s expense.

Consequently, you will find that the bible is a book of conditions also for the habitually poor. One of my favorites, perhaps because I enjoy my sleep, is found in Proverbs 24:33-34. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest. So. shall your poverty come like a prowler and your need like an armed man. Did you notice that the bible calls this form ‘your poverty’?

Cease From Your Laziness

It is your poverty, not the state’s problem. And it stems from your laziness. You can almost hear the preacher saying, “go get a job.” The bible is a book of conditions for you if you insist on watching TV on someone else’s dime. Please don’t hear us totally knocking welfare. The bible is only against long-term handouts.

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There are some who know that they should acquire more education but fail to do so. Here too, the bible contains conditions. Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, but he who regards a rebuke will be honored. This verse also applies to the guidance you get – or not – from your parents or other mentors.

It is not for nothing that pride in the man who disdains instruction, as in the above verse, goes before a fall. A man is too arrogant to do menial work. Yet, he is not too proud to receive a handout from the taxes of men who do that same job. Little wonder welfare programs run into major problems after a while.

Discover And Fulfill Your Particular Conditions

The bible is a book of conditions for balancing poverty and wealth. Observe that there must be a balance. In this post, we have only had time for one aspect in which the bible is a book of conditions. There are hundreds more. If you start, as suggested above, by searching for the word ‘if’, you are on your way to identifying the conditions that pertain to your situation. I am thinking here of God who says, If you draw near me, I will draw near you. A condition even if you do not like it.

Embrace The Beauty Of Affliction

A Reward For being Loyal To One Another

Some will not be so obvious, especially in the psalms. For instance, who but one who is honest can pray from Psalm 17? In its very first verse is the condition for God hearing your prayer. Hear a just cause, O Lord. Attend to my cry. Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.

Phrased a different way, it can read “If my lips are deceitful, don’t hear my prayer.” Thankfully, the writer did not have deceitful lips. King David understood that the bible is a book of conditions. The King was righteous and had integrity. He was therefore, able to pray like most of us would not dare pray. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me. 

Do we recognize that the bible is a book of conditions? Doing so will help us to mend our ways so that we can pray powerful prayers like King David. We shall seek to fulfill the conditions of living right with God and dwelling with Him forever.

Maranatha!