What does God’s Economy Look Like? (part 2)
See What does God's Economy Look Like? (Part 1) for context.
Economy is built around value, so what does God value? Scripture says that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He has no need that is beyond His ability to provide. We know that God is the very nature of love, and that those that know God love others. In fact, if we don't love others, we don't know God. An often quoted Bible verse (John 3:16) tells us:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
This verse alone demonstrates what God values. It's been said that if you want to know what someone values, look at their how they spend their money and how they spend their time. We know that God the Father loves Jesus (see John 3:35, Matthew 3:17, John 5:20, John 17:24), so for Him to give His only Son shows that God the Father loves the world. But is it the world He values or what is in the world? Jesus didn't die to save the world, but to save the people in the world. (see John 15:9) God values people, and His desire is that we do as well (see Ezekiel 34:20-22). Everything else is a means to an end, all our resources, our time and talent and treasure, is just a way to love others. So the currency in God's economy is love, and it is spent through time we apply in loving, the abilities we use to meet another's needs, and whatever material resources we use to meet the needs of others.
In light of this truth, how do our current economic systems reflect God's economy?
Let's start with a centralized economy like Socialism (publicly owned and publicly controlled) or Fascism (privately owned but publicly controlled). I'm purposely using the more classical definition of these economic systems since these terms have been overloaded and redefined in more recent years. These economic systems assume the government has the knowledge to know how distribute goods and services in the best interest of society. The societal system is the recipient through the individuals who provide their materials and skills as controlled by the government. It is assumed that the government has both the understanding and disposition to do what is in the best interest of the societal system, even though individuals may have to sacrifice in the process. The people are subservient to the governing authority (government, party, societal system) that rules over them. It assumes that the people controlling the government are not self-serving and don't show nepotism. Socialism is seen as a step toward a utopian world where mankind gives to others from whatever their ability is to meet the needs of their fellow man. (a.k.a. - Communism)
It's interesting that no country has ever evolved past Socialism to Communism in a classical sense. Why? Well, because man is inherently self-serving. It's like the sheep in Ezekiel 34:20-22, using their strength to trample over the weak. It is also ironic that the Socialists view history through the lens of a class struggle (e.g. - financial elites, racial inequality, gender inequality, etc.) to secure their own position of power that is never relinquished for the greater good. It's my belief that centrally controlled economies and the centralization of power reflects a satanic world view, holding out a man-made utopia that will never be realized. (see Imagine There's No Heaven, Is Man Basically Good, American Manifest Destiny and The Power Struggle for more on this topic)
So does that mean that Capitalism (privately owned and privately controlled) is the economic system that reflects God's economy? No. While it's true that a laissez-faire capitalism and crony capitalism are very different, a fully unregulated environment (laissez-faire) eventually leads to either monopolistic practices (crony) or a fascist model that is easily corrupted. Again the root cause of this deterioration is man's depravity, his selfish nature. The analogy of the sheep in Ezekiel 34 presents itself, and either the governing authorities step in to curb the corruption, or the rich continue to become richer, oppressing the less affluent. However, once the governing authority starts to flex it's muscle to control the oppression, it is slowly corrupted by it's power until the economy has shifted to assume the traits of privately owned, publicly controlled fascism.
There's a new twist on this corruptive decay of capitalism. We now see a new economic system in place where the corporate private sector and governmental public sectors are collaborating for their own purposes. This public-private alliance is a new model that is equally nefarious, creating an oligarchy fascism that centralizes power in the hands of a few, setting the world up for a world tyrant, known by biblical futurists as the Antichrist.
God's Economy
Up to this point, I haven't clearly described God's economy, instead pointing out the depressing fact that it is not an existing economic system in our world. I pointed out that God's economy is built on love, doing what is in the best interest of others. But if we're meeting the needs of others, how will our needs be met? Man's selfish nature keeps getting in the way. Even in the coming Millennial Reign of Christ, Revelation shows us that men will rebel against the perfect King. However, the fact that the government will not be corruptible means that laissez-faire capitalism would not degrade into either fascism or crony capitalism. It also means that the governing authority, King Jesus, will have the knowledge, ability and benevolent disposition to care for His people, the individuals who He loves. It could also look similar to Socialism with this nuanced but distinct difference: that the distribution of goods and services would minister to the individual and not the societal system, unlike today's socialism. And likewise in an incorruptible, laissez-faire capitalism, people would organically provide goods and services that are needed, something perceived as valuable by the consumer of the good or service.
With this in mind, what is stopping us from living in God's economy today? I pointed out that man's depravity is an obstacle, and it is actively working against a laissez-faire capitalism, but does that mean we just need to wait for Christ's Millennial Reign before practicing God's economy?
The short answer is: No. We can live in a way that serves the needs of others today, amd we can ask for suitable compensation. In fact, Paul tells us that the worker is worth his wages, quoting Old Testament Scriptures. We justified in asking for compensation regardless of the business model. Whether a for-profit or non-profit model or even as an individual employee within a large organization, we can actively and intentionally consider the questions: (1) “how can I use my time, talents and materials to provide an unmet need of someone else?” (2) “what is suitable compensation?” and (3) “is this something You want me to guve away first free, God?”
It can get complicated as we try to balance God's Economy with the constraints of our current reality, living in God’s ways within a system in rebellion to the Kingdom. The religious authorities understood this and tried to trap Jesus by asking if God's people should pay taxes, but Jesus simplified it with His answer: "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” (Luke 20:25) We are to honor the governmental authorities over us as demonstrated by Daniel and as explained by Paul, up to the point that it does not go against God’s laws. We obey men in obedience to God, and we resist any ruling that is in opposition to God. (see Acts 5:29, Daniel 3, Daniel 6)
So the bottom line is meet other's needs, don't be timid to ask for fair compensation, do it out of love for others and love for God. God is still Sovereign and in control, and He will bless your efforts and always be your Provider, using others to meet your needs.
copyright ©2026 Mitchell Malloy (http://mitchellmalloy.blogspot.com/)