Friday, March 28, 2008

Total Freedom in Christ

On March 28, I found this question posted by "Plantlady159" at Yahoo!Answers:

I got this chain email saying that if we stop buying gas from the top gasoline companies like Exxon/Mobile and go to the cheaper vendors only like Delta, ect. that it will force the higher vendors to drop their price. Do you think this is true?.........I think it is possible, but this could also force the cheaper vendors to raise prices eventually and everything will be the same again.

In respose, I said:

As a Christian, I strive to live with eyes of faith, rather than eyes for the things in front of me.
Actually, there is nothing wrong with them demanding so much for their product. That's of the free commerce system, it's the best system in the world because of just that: FREEDOM. As Jesus said, "If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36) We are free economically (Capitalism), free politically (Democracy) free to worship how we choose (Sep. of Church and State) even free from our nuclear families (natural-born citizenship (e.g., babies born here by illegals are citizens)). And most of all, free from our sinful human desires that enslave us (Salvation in Christ) So they are free to demand $4 or more per gal. It's their God-given right. It was prophesied in Revelation, too, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, where it says, "three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" The oil and wine are the finer things of life, and barley is a staple crop. What a terrible wage to earn for a day's work.
Sounds like doom and gloom? Of course it is, for those who don't know Christ. I hope that's not you, but if it is, then REPENT! For the day is near, as you can see, with eyes on the things of this world. But the fact that you're even alive today to see $4/gal. is part of God's grace and mercy on you. You know He could wipe you off the Earth if He wanted to.
Hope is not on the way, as the 2004 democratic convention tried to persuade us to think. Hope is in Christ, who already paid the price for our sins 2000 years ago. That's TRUE LOVE, for God to come down out of glory and do what we were unable to do in our miserable enslaved condition. So today, I am here to tell you that you are FREE, in Jesus' NAME, even from the choking grip of $4/gal., as it appears to be through eyes set on worldly things.
As for the worldly side of the issue, there are some really thoughtful economic answers as to why this idea doesn't work. See the first link below.

Why boycotting some gas chains won't work - http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp
John 8:36 - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=8&verse=36&version=31&context=verse
Rev. 6:6 - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=73&chapter=6&verse=6&version=31&context=verse

I tried to respond to this question, but apparently my post somehow got deleted. I saw it there once, but every time I go back to the question now, my response is not there.