Does the Bible really say, “all things are yours”?
Yes, but we must understand what it means

All things are yours … Really?  Does the Bible really say that?  Well, yes, but … without some context, it may not mean what we think.

If you’ve read much from this site, you know how important context is.  The phrase – all things are yours – is taken from the book “What we talk about when we talk about God”.

It’s from the preface to the book.  We haven’t even made it to the first chapter and something’s messed up.  From the context within this book, “All things are yours” sounds like a really good thing.

The adjacent image paints a picture of what the excerpt may conjure up in people’s minds.

There’s a great line from one of the New Testament letters that goes like this:
All things are yours . . . I love that line. It’s such a big, buoyant, beautiful, affirming view of the world. Wherever you find truth, wherever you discover something new, affirm it, embrace it, enjoy it. We will always be hungry to make sense of things, always looking for meaning and connection and depth in our experiences. Faith is here to stay, the question is what kind of faith will people have. I want us all to have faith big enough to handle whatever challenges come our way and open enough to celebrate whatever new discoveries we make in this world. Or other worlds.  

He says that phrase is big, buoyant, beautiful, affirming view of the world.  And he goes on to talk about truth – Wherever you find truth, wherever you discover something new, affirm it, embrace it, enjoy it.  ¹Bell, Rob. What We Talk About When We Talk About God. HarperOne. Kindle Edition.

All things are yours

The image above was generated for me by Microsoft’s AI Image Creator, inside Bing Chat. Then, I asked Bing Chat to generate a story for me, inspired by the image above and some background I gave it. You can see what I asked fo in the footnote. ²Now, can you write a few paragraphs about the painting? Here’s what’s happening:
The man was in church, and he heard the preacher talk about where the Bible says, “All things are your”. Immediately, his mind went to the kinds of things you put in the painting. He is ecstatic. He begins to think of what his new life is going to be like. But all of a sudden there’s a loud noise like a clap of thunder. And from the heavens is the sound of God’s voice telling everyone in the church, “That’s not what “All things are your means!” The man is greatly saddened. He doesn’t know what to do. He just slowly leaves the church and goes home. Here’s what it gave me:

He sat in the pew, listening to the preacher’s sermon. He heard the words that changed his life: “All things are yours”. He felt a surge of joy and excitement. He looked around the church and imagined all the things he could have: the cars, the houses, the clothes, the jewelry, the gadgets. He saw them all in his mind’s eye, as if they were already his. He reached out his arms to grab them, to claim them as his own. He felt like he had just won the lottery, or better yet, the ultimate prize.

He began to think of what his new life would be like. He would quit his boring job, travel the world, buy whatever he wanted, impress everyone he met. He would be happy, he would be rich, he would be powerful. He would be the envy of everyone. He smiled and thanked God for his generosity. He felt like he had found the secret to happiness.

But then, without warning, there was a loud noise like a clap of thunder. He jumped in his seat and looked up. He saw a bright light and heard a voice from the heavens. It was God’s voice, and it was angry. It boomed across the church, saying: “That’s not what ‘All things are yours’ means!”

He felt a chill run down his spine. He realized he had misunderstood the scripture. He had been greedy, selfish, materialistic. He had missed the point of God’s message. He had not been grateful for what he had, but had coveted what he did not have. He had not been content with God’s will, but had followed his own desires. He had not been faithful, but had been foolish.

He felt ashamed, guilty, and afraid. He looked at the image in his head again, and saw that it was not a prize, but a trap. He saw that the things he wanted were not real, but illusions. He saw that they would not make him happy, but miserable. He saw that they were not his, but God’s.

He lowered his head and closed his eyes. He did not know what to do. He felt like he had lost everything. He felt like he had offended God. He felt like he had wasted his life. He slowly got up and left the church. He went home, alone and empty.

The first two paragraphs can and do happen.

He sat in the pew, listening to the preacher’s sermon. He heard the words that changed his life: “All things are yours”. He felt a surge of joy and excitement. He looked around the church and imagined all the things he could have: the cars, the houses, the clothes, the jewelry, the gadgets. He saw them all in his mind’s eye, as if they were already his. He reached out his arms to grab them, to claim them as his own. He felt like he had just won the lottery, or better yet, the ultimate prize.

He began to think of what his new life would be like. He would quit his boring job, travel the world, buy whatever he wanted, impress everyone he met. He would be happy, he would be rich, he would be powerful. He would be the envy of everyone. He smiled and thanked God for his generosity. He felt like he had found the secret to happiness.

People hear the wrong message. Some, like the “prosperity gospel” and the “name it and claim it” preachers teach it. And people like it.

When it doesn’t happen, when you don’t get everything you ever desired, maybe the last two paragraphs happen.

He felt ashamed, guilty, and afraid. He looked at the image in his head again, and saw that it was not a prize, but a trap. He saw that the things he wanted were not real, but illusions. He saw that they would not make him happy, but miserable. He saw that they were not his, but God’s.

He lowered his head and closed his eyes. He did not know what to do. He felt like he had lost everything. He felt like he had offended God. He felt like he had wasted his life. He slowly got up and left the church. He went home, alone and empty.

Maybe you go home, alone and empty.

Or maybe you get mad at God. Not at the person who misused God’s words, but at God.

People react differently. All sorts of outcomes are possible. But most, reality will set in. They will realize it’s not going to happen. But those who are addicted to the message, they’ll hang in there.

What won’t happen is the middle two paragraphs.

But then, without warning, there was a loud noise like a clap of thunder. He jumped in his seat and looked up. He saw a bright light and heard a voice from the heavens. It was God’s voice, and it was angry. It boomed across the church, saying: “That’s not what ‘All things are yours’ means!”

He felt a chill run down his spine. He realized he had misunderstood the scripture. He had been greedy, selfish, materialistic. He had missed the point of God’s message. He had not been grateful for what he had, but had coveted what he did not have. He had not been content with God’s will, but had followed his own desires. He had not been faithful, but had been foolish.

If God doesn’t go ballistic, then what does happen?

I asked Designer to make me an image of the part where the thunder claps and God gets angry. Wow. It looked more like a demon than God. It didn’t even look like an angry God. After a while, I gave up.

Instead, I asked for what you see here. Of course, it’s not literally going to happen. But it does show, using imagery, what God would like to have happen.

This shows:

Jesus speaking kindly with someone inside a small church. There’s a white dove flying over them to indicate the holy spirit’s presence. The scene is present day…

The discussion between Jesus and the man, via the Holy Spirit, is about the real meaning of “All things are yours” in the Bible.

No thunder. No lightning. God’s not going to zap the man. Or you. Instead, it’s what we know as the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.

Of course, we can listen. But we can also ignore Him.

Does the Bible really say, “all things are yours”?

By now, you know for sure, the Bible does say, “all things are yours”.

So, let’s look at it, in full context. Then we should be able to have a pretty good idea of what it means.

Sure, we might like it to be literally true. But then, if we think God did give of lots of money or stuff, or both, we might want to check it out carefully. Was it truly from God? And if it was, why? What is His plan as far as what He wants us to do with all that money and stuff?

In any case, let’s see where it is and what it means.

All things are yours … Really?

Well, I have something that may be new for you.  And something that’s true.  And the thing I have for you is the context from which that phrase in the book was taken.  It’s from the Bible.  Specifically, from something Paul wrote to the church in Corinth.  More specifically, it’s from a section the NIV subtitled On Divisions in the Church.

Uh oh.  That doesn’t sound good does it? 

The excerpt from the book continues – Faith is here to stay, the question is what kind of faith will people have. Yes, keep that question in mind as we look at the Biblical context for All things are yours.

The passage from Paul starts off with this:

On Divisions in the Church

1Co 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

Oh no.  Paul starts off letting the people in Corinth know that they have made very little progress in their walk of faith.  They are still mere infants.  Much as babies need milk rather than solid food, the people in the Corinthian church still need introductory teaching, not even intermediate, let alone advanced enough for real meat. 

Maybe he’s going to tell them they still don’t understand the meaning of All things are yours?  In fact, he is going to say that.  But not in a good way.

Paul also wrote about the disagreements over who to follow – Paul himself, who started the church in Corinth, Apollos, someone else?  In fact though, why not follow Christ?

And isn’t that the problem here? The people are arguing over who follows who. And apparently, thinking that who they follow has an impact on what they learn. As if they each teach something different.

Paul continues the thought, and ends with this.

1Co 3:18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

We’re getting to the heart of the matter here. Don’t boast about men. Not Peter, not Apollos, not Paul. Not MacArthur, not Wesley, not Calvin, not any person.

He closes this portion with:

All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

All is yours!

But if we limit all is yours to “things”, what does that mean? Paul is telling them not to limit it to people, the leaders of the early church kind of people. Aren’t we reaching even lower when we think all is yours is about money and things?

Consider these thoughts:

21. let no man glory in men—resuming the subject from 1 Co 3:4; compare 1 Co 1:12, 31, where the true object of glorying is stated: “He that glorieth, let him glory in THE LORD.” Also 1 Co 4:6, “That no one of you be puffed up for one against another.”

For all things—not only all men. For you to glory thus in men, is lowering yourselves from your high position as heirs of all things. All men (including your teachers) belong to Christ, and therefore to you, by your union with Him; He makes them and all things work together for your good (Ro 8:28). Ye are not for the sake of them, but they for the sake of you (2 Co 4:5, 15). They belong to you, not you to them.  ³Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 269). Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The author references 1 Co 1:31. But it’s one verse. No context. Yes, the verse is appropriate. And yet, the point isn’t fully made unless we read the entire passage containing that verse.

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

1Co 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

1Co 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

1Co 1:26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

1Co 2:1 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

Now, we see a continuum. When we first become Christians, the vast majority of us weren’t, to put it bluntly, very high on the human food chain. We weren’t all that significant, even to other people.

But then, when we become Christians, Christ is in us. God is in us!

And if we have God in us, why are we boasting about people?

And here’s more of a narrative look at it from another source:

Worldly wisdom (3:18–23)

The final paragraph of chapter 3 reverts to the theme of worldly wisdom and the futility of any kind of boasting about powerful personalities as leaders. That is certainly how the world thinks, but the wisdom of this world is folly with God (19). Those who are truly wise in God’s sight are those who deliberately reject such worldly wisdom and adopt an attitude to people and to things which everyone else will call foolish (18).

This attitude sees nothing as grounds for boasting, because everything and everybody is a gift from God to undeserving sinners—including apostles and teachers like Paul, Apollos and Cephas, not to mention the whole wide world, life and death, the present and the future. So it is totally out of place to boast about people and things which, quite undeservedly, have been placed in our laps by a lavishly generous God.

Indeed, concludes Paul, the fact that they belong to us as gifts of his grace must be held firmly in the context that we belong to Another—to Christ himself: you are Christ’s (23). He brings the argument full circle by stressing also that Christ is God’s (23), presumably indicating the dependence of the Son upon the Father and the submission of the Son to the Father.  ⁴Prior, D. (1985). The message of 1 Corinthians: life in the local church (p. 61). InterVarsity Press.

This says much the same thing, but with more explanation.

All of this raises the issue of why boast about people, or be proud over the people we follow or associate with, when we have God in us? What is a mere human, no matter who they are, compared to God?

And don’t forget, yes, Jesus was fully human. But, Jesus was also fully God. If we don’t believe Jesus was God, or we boast about him only as a human, then we aren’t boasting about God, are we?

That’s why C.S. Lewis wrote the following:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.”   ⁵C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

So we see, even boasting about Jesus as only a man is improper. Even more so, a Christian shouldn’t even view Jesus as only a human. He was both God and man. Why is this such a big deal? Because if Jesus was only a human, then His death on the cross couldn’t possibly be enough to pay the price for our sins.

Plus, if we deny His place as the Son of God and/or His statements that He and the Father are one, then we’re also calling Him a liar. How can we possibly worship someone we don’t believe, let alone believe in?

Some warnings from Paul

OK – yes, Paul does say All things are yours.  But he also prefaces it with these warnings:

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.

The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.

So then, no more boasting about men!

So, there’s a catch to that All things are yours.  Wisdom of the world is a thing.  Futile thinking is a thing.  Boasting about men is a thing.  But such things keep us as mere infants in our walk of faith.  Surely they aren’t good things.

As this letter to the church in Corinth continues, Paul goes on to address more issues.  Immoral brothers.  Lawsuits among believers.  Sexual immorality.  Marriage.  Food sacrificed to idols.  And more.  These are all things.  But with the issue of sexual immorality, Paul gets into greater detail regarding the topic we’re exploring.

Sexual Immorality

1Co 6:12 “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

1Co 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Let’s check this out.

Everything is permissible for me.

but not everything is beneficial.

OK – so even though all things are yours, ours, if we’re Christian, not all of those things are beneficial.  That’s not the impression I got from reading Bell’s book.  That’s not a big, buoyant, beautiful, affirming view of the world.  It is a warning about some of the things in this world.  

In fact, it’s such a warning that Paul goes on to write:

Flee from sexual immorality.

That’s nowhere near affirming!  

Bell goes on, I want us all to have faith big enough to handle whatever challenges come our way and open enough to celebrate whatever new discoveries we make in this world. Or other worlds. 

I say something very different is in order, based on the true context of All things are yours.  We need to have a faith big enough to realize that there are some things God warns us not to celebrate. 

Just because we discover something, that doesn’t mean it’s good.  That’s a lesson we should have learned all the way back at the beginning.  Like after what happened in the Garden of Eden. 

Have we really not learned that lesson even today?  If you’re not Christian, I don’t have an expectation that you’ll agree with me here.  But if you call yourself a Christian, or want to be a Christian, this is basic stuff.  It’s milk.  There is evil in the world and we must have the wisdom from God to be able to recognize it, and stay away from it.

Revisiting part of the passage we looked at earlier, let’s look at wisdom.

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

1Co 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

1Co 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

So when someone says we should celebrate everything surrounding All things are yours, where does that come from?  Is that wisdom from God?  Or is that wisdom from man?  Clearly, it’s not from God’s Word.  The actual words in the phrase might be.  But the intent behind the phrase certainly is not. 

As it turns out, it’s not a proper translation of the words either.

What does “all things” really mean?

So, we’ve gone through in English (unless you’re using Google translate) to see what this phrase – all things are yours – means within the context of the book, and more importantly within the Bible.  But to show that the conclusion about the context is truly correct, let’s go back in time.  Let’s also look at the culture.  Specifically, let’s look at the Greek word – yes word! – that gets translated as “all things”.  Hope you’re sitting down – because it actually doesn’t mean, literally, “all things”.

3956 πᾶς [pas /pas/] adj. Including all the forms of declension; TDNT 5:886; TDNTA 795; GK 4246; 1243 occurrences; AV translates as “all” 748 times, “all things” 170 times, “every” 117 times, “all men” 41 times, “whosoever” 31 times, “everyone” 28 times, “whole” 12 times, “all manner of” 11 times, “every man” 11 times, “no + 3756” nine times, “every thing” seven times, “any” seven times, “whatsoever” six times, “whosoever + 3739 + 302” three times, “always + 1223” three times, “daily + 2250” twice, “any thing” twice, “no + 3361” twice, not translated seven times, and translated miscellaneously 26 times. 1 individually. 1A each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything.

That is, when viewed in context, in the Bible, it doesn’t mean literally, “all things”. Here’s why. Let’s keep going with what πᾶς [pas /pas/] means.

2 collectively. 2A some of all types. Additional Information: … “the whole world has gone after him” Did all the world go after Christ? “then went all Judea, and were baptized of him in Jordan.” Was all Judea, or all Jerusalem, baptized in Jordan? “Ye are of God, little children”, and the whole world lieth in the wicked one”. Does the whole world there mean everybody?

This is getting a bit messy here, isn’t it?  “All things” in English isn’t the same as πᾶς [pas /pas/] in Greek.  Oops.  Major Oops.  But let’s go further.

The words “world” and “all” are used in some seven or eight senses in Scripture, and it is very rarely the “all” means all persons, taken individually. The words are generally used to signify that Christ has redeemed some of all sorts—some Jews, some Gentiles, some rich, some poor, and has not restricted His redemption to either Jew or Gentile …—C.H. Spurgeon from a sermon on Particular Redemption.  Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

In this cultural context, it makes little if any sense to conclude that “all things” πᾶς [pas /pas/] really means everything.  It doesn’t line up with It’s such a big, buoyant, beautiful, affirming view of the world. Wherever you find truth, wherever you discover something new, affirm it, embrace it, enjoy it the way it’s presented in the book.

What “all things” πᾶς [pas /pas/] really seems to mean goes back to when Paul wrote “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial.  “all things” πᾶς [pas /pas/] is all those things left after removing the things that aren’t beneficial from the literal “all things” / “everything”.  “all things” πᾶς [pas /pas/] are the things that are beneficial.  “all things” πᾶς [pas /pas/] are the things that Jesus died on the cross so that we could enjoy them.

Then what is ours?

The simple truth of what Paul wrote is that those things which are beneficial to Christians are all ours.  And, in the context of that statement, Paul also tells us to essentially grow up and stop wasting time on those things that aren’t beneficial.  Plain and simple.

OK, maybe not so simple. But also not that hard to find.

I agree with the statement above from C.H. Spurgeon. To be sure, some commentators do not.  I believe it comes down to a question of how the analysis is done. Is it more in the direction of purely linguistical and strict definitional point of view? Or is it based on culture and context?

As you should be aware by now, I’m very much in favor of culture and context. Even today, words have varying uses, and it’s impossible to know what they mean without context. Why should it be any different with the Bible?

I’ll get into an example in the “Closing thought” portion of the conclusion. I believe it makes it quite clear, in the context of today’s world.

But so much gets lost in the translation.  And when we don’t put in the time and effort to find out what the authors of the Bible, those who wrote God’s Word, really meant – we end up thinking “all things” means everything.  Even though the Bible talks at length about good and evil, fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of sinful man, Etc.  

Conclusion – Does the Bible really say, “all things are yours”?

There is good and evil in this fallen world. Everyone knows that. Is God really telling us that all of it is ours? Maybe, within certain contexts and caveats that come out when we don’t take those four words alone and leave everything else behind.

But then, isn’t God telling us that while all things may be in this world, some are good and some are bad? It’s somewhat along the lines of telling Adam that he can eat from all the trees in the garden, but if he eats from one specific tree he will “die die”. No – that’s not a typo. The Hebrew says this:

So yes, the word we know as “die” is repeated. To be sure, here’s more:

4191 מוּת [muwth /mooth/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 1169; GK 4637; 835 occurrences; AV translates as “die” 424 times, “dead” 130 times, “slay” 100 times, “death” 83 times, “surely” 50 times, “kill” 31 times, “dead man” three times, “dead body” twice, “in no wise” twice, and translated miscellaneously 10 times. 1 to die, kill, have one executed. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to die. 1A2 to die (as penalty), be put to death. 1A3 to die, perish (of a nation). 1A4 to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct). 1B (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch. 1C (Hiphil) to kill, put to death. 1D (Hophal). 1D1 to be killed, be put to death. 1D1A to die prematurely.  ⁶Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

The Problem of Free Will

Free will means there’s responsibility attached to our choices.  If there’s a price to pay for a given choice, the bill comes to us.
Free will means that when we mess up, we are at least partly at fault.  It’s hard to blame someone else for choices that we made.

Read More

While the various usage cases leave little doubt about the result, the specific one from a grammatical sense is: 1A (Qal). 1A1 to die. 1A2 to die (as penalty), be put to death.

How can he die twice?

One is spiritual. The other is physical.

For more on this topic, I encourage you to check out The Problem of Free Will. The topic of “die die” comes up towards the end.

I need to make it a separate topic – so I’ll revise this when it’s done.

The thing is, I hope all Christians agree that when we look at the evil in this world that leads to spiritual death, it’s not really something God wants us to look at as a gift from Him. I mean, it’s a curse from the fall. How can we think evil that leads to spiritual death’\ is something God gave us, in the same manner as the good things He gave us to enjoy His creations and even to care for them?

Things that aren’t “ours”

In that vein, here are some examples of things that exist in our fallen world, but that do not fit in with an “All things are yours” viewpoint that says It’s such a big, buoyant, beautiful, affirming view of the world. Wherever you find truth, wherever you discover something new, affirm it, embrace it, enjoy it.

Do Not Love the World

Just the NIV heading tells us something: Do Not Love the World. Let’s check it out.

Do Not Love the World

1Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

No, that doesn’t sound like something we should affirm, embrace, or enjoy. Even with the good things, we should still love God so much more than them.

You adulterous people

No, you adulterous people, isn’t a passage heading. But it is a phrase from James.

Submit Yourselves to God

Jas 4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Jas 4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”

Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Jas 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

There’s quite a bit in there that conflicts with All things are yours and should be enjoyed. Plus, there’s this question: why would God give us something and then tell us it will separate us from Him?

I was going to give some examples now. However, this got longer than I expected. Therefore, what was going to be “Final thought on All things are yours” is part 2 – Would God make us rich to separate us from Him?

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Footnotes

• 1
  Bell, Rob. What We Talk About When We Talk About God. HarperOne. Kindle Edition.
• 2
  Now, can you write a few paragraphs about the painting? Here’s what’s happening:
  The man was in church, and he heard the preacher talk about where the Bible says, “All things are your”. Immediately, his mind went to the kinds of things you put in the painting. He is ecstatic. He begins to think of what his new life is going to be like. But all of a sudden there’s a loud noise like a clap of thunder. And from the heavens is the sound of God’s voice telling everyone in the church, “That’s not what “All things are your means!” The man is greatly saddened. He doesn’t know what to do. He just slowly leaves the church and goes home.
• 3
  Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 269). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
• 4
  Prior, D. (1985). The message of 1 Corinthians: life in the local church (p. 61). InterVarsity Press.
• 5
  C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
• 6
  Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.