Matt 19:16-24 "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, " 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

The rich ruler lived by the letter of the law, he accumulated so much wealth that he had enough to help others. When He asked Jesus what he need to do to have eternal life Jesus pointed to the commandments (plural), how one is to live, the last one being to 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' This young man thought he kept them all from when he was young, but actually he did not.

Jesus told this rich young man to sell what he has and give to the poor, but he also said to follow him. He was showing him that his earthly riches had him in bondage to the true riches he could have in heaven. He did not say the same to everyone who is rich, He treated people individually, not as a collective which is what socialism does.

Jesus then told him that he must distribute his wealth to the poor if he wanted to enter life, and MOST importantly follow Jesus. Jesus knew he did not keep all God’s instructions and this is what prevented him

And this is why Jesus did follow this encounter up with the statement to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." It is hard it is for wealthy people to enter the kingdom because they love money more than they do God.

V.24 it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Notice that it was his disciples that said it was impossible for the rich, not Jesus. For this very reason Jesus said in Matt 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

This would be applied today as you cannot serve God and the state

Jesus’ instruction was to a specific individual, he did not make it a universal mandate. And the further comparison of it being impossible of a camel going through the eye of a needle, it’s impossible. There is no place for excessive wealth in God’s kingdom.

The next time a socialist claims we should implement his ideology using this verse, we tell him to give his wealth away he should follow Jesus.

The United States governmental system, is not perfect, it was based on some Biblical principles and the overarching theme was to give freedom, self - governance to individuals, not government control over the minute aspects of our lives, especially our finances. This was different than every other government existing at the time. It is dictatorial governments that own the wealth of the people.

One of the main framers of our constitution stated: “To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it” (Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, April 6, 1816).

This is where the promotion begins and is now finding its way into the church. It involves a philosophy that is antithetical to Christianity. We need to look at this concept in History, philosophy, logic and most importantly the Bible, which becomes the final authoritative answer for Christians. Those who engage in promoting this inside the church are attributing Jesus’ statements as an endorsement of the philosophy of Karl Marx, whose idea was to redistribute the wealth, not Jesus.

Can we as a nation, eradicate our own poverty. Should individuals who have gained excessive wealth be forced to give up most of it to benefit others?

Ps. 82:3-4 “Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked.” Notice it’s not the rich he is to defend them from but the wicked. One can be poor and wicked as well as being rich. When we look at what communist dictators and their socialist government did to the poor in their country, giving them bread and water, and eliminated the people by the millions that is what is wicked

For now, socialism has more to do with politics than religion, but as the churches religious values decline other dictatorial systems try to enter and merge.

Socialism is theft via the government. As far as true fairness - this equality will only be found in the Millennium when Christ is here ruling, not by any earthly government today. A Divine just government the socialist supporters would not be happy with because it will bring genuine justice to all, not just a few.

Christian charity begins with us individually. We are to obey God not the state when giving your time and money to assist those in need; it is out of a love and devotion to Christ and love for people.

Heb. 13:5: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have.”

Do not those who call for social justice, covet what they do not have. Does not the Bible teach to be content in all states we are in? The Bible says not to steal, this certainly can be applied to the government that has the intention to take from some who have to give to others who do not. But it also applies to those who do not have that want from those who do, in socialism terms they pit the poor against the rich convincing them they cannot have more without them taking from the rich, thus they make a class warfare and divide people.

If you do not know the difference between good and evil how can you speak of equality. Marxists / socialists calling for this equality is an oxymoron; you can’t have right decisions on ruling people without God, and Marxists and atheists do not believe in God. And they should not be allowed to use the Scripture to advance their agenda.

It is about individual choice, freedom. Our choice to do good to others will be rewarded in the afterlife, the eternal life. To legislate a law to be dutiful to help others takes away individual choice. This becomes Christian socialism, which is an ideology in disguise.

Individual choices are what Jesus taught.

Luke 12:13-15 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness,

 Notice Jesus does not put himself in the position of distributing the mans inheritance. He then rebukes the man for being envious of his sibling as having a heart that is coveting.

Helping the poor was an important part of Jesus' message. But we need to define how helping the poor was done.

The Vineyard workers

Matt 20:4-16 You also go into the vineyard , and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'  "They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard , and whatever is right you will receive.'  "So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  "And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.  But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'  "But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?'  "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen."

He needed to bring in a harvest, to this he paid a full day's wages for just one hour of work. The first ones hired agreed to their wage just as the other men who came later agreed to their wage. It was none of their business what the master does with his money. Jesus saing Or is your eye evil because I am good?' does imply them coveting, being paid a one hour wage applied for reach for the whole days work Jesus says do I not have the right to do what I want with my own money?" This presents the principle of supply and demand, of running your own private property, and of an individuals voluntary agreements of salary. 

The question that needs answering is who does the caring for the needs of others. Is it left up to individuals, the government, or, is it the church’s responsibility to care for the poor?

Let’s look at the parable of separating the sheep from the goats which is often used for the promotion of socialism. First we need to understand that Jesus has just vanquished the armies of the world that came against him at Armageddon, he has taken out the false messiah and his armies and now sits down to judge the people of the nations, those who will enter the 1,000 reign as sheep (on his right) and who will not as goats (on his left).

Matt 25:31-33 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.”

This parable is known as the “judgment of the nations,” but it is speaking of individuals that make up a nation. It is about the activity of “people,” making it a separation of individual people. When it says nations it means those of every ethnicity, none are excluded.

It is not nations themselves that are being separated, but people who are sheep and goats. They are evaluated according to the standards of God’s word to enter the kingdom which is to commence. This upholds individual choice.

V.34-46 “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

The socialist’s use this verse to say feeding the hungry, relieving the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, and caring for the sick and the imprisoned are which Jesus judges a nation as righteous to be a part of God’s kingdom.

But it is individuals that do this and he is going to judge them as individuals. He does not decide to judge a whole nation by an individual’s actions, nor is he going to judge an individual but a whole nation’s action. God is perfect and fair in his justice.

It is Individual people are being judged on how they interacted with other people he calls “Brethren,” then they are the people of different nations being judged on how they conduct themselves to others in need.

If Jesus judged a whole nation by how nations conduct themselves to others in need, their treatment to “the least of these,” then I suppose we can conclude there are no sheep on his right, only goats on the left.

But they were individually engaged in ministry doing what they were supposed to the His BRETHREN (not to everyone), and nowhere will you find the word Brethren applied to non believers. Considering this is a recapture of the Tribulation period it would be first Jews and then Christians.

Brethren comes from the root word adephos (as a connective particle) and delphus (the womb); a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote [much like NT:1] (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance)

In other words they were individually engaged in ministry doing what they were supposed to the BRETHREN (not to everyone), this is charity was motivated by love done by individuals, they did not rely on government but were involved themselves. The meaning the Christian socialists give to "Charity" is concealed behind new definitions. Social justice is a legal way to enforce governmental control over people. Social justice (religious or political) by progressive democrats (socialists) means taking money from those that work to give to those that don't. Charity is a voluntary giving to help those we choose, we are often personally involved. Compassion for the poor does not mean we allow the government to control what, how and when we give.

When the government legislates that it is you moral duty to help others, God is being replaced by government and all the socialists, Marxists stand and applaud.

This is charity was motivated by love done by individuals, they did not rely on government but were directly involved themselves. The socialists who claim Christianity conceal the meaning behind new definitions. Socialism is a legal way to enforce governmental control over people. Socialism (religious or political) by progressive democrats (socialists) means taking money from those that work to give to those that don’t. Charity is a voluntary giving to help those we choose, we are often personally involved. Compassion for the poor does not mean we allow the government to control what, how and when we give.

When a government legislates that it is you moral duty to help others, God is being replaced by government. And you will find all the socialists, Marxists stand and applaud it.

Their argument is that we are to affirm that Jesus is Lord that includes our political life, not just our spiritual life.

Yet this is flawed, because the very people that claim this as socialists are not pro life, in fact they have pushed the envelope further to have a mother who gives birth to choose whether their child lives or dies, just as they do in other prior trimesters. Jesus tell us that this is murder. Equal rights is not just about money.

Can we as a nation force individuals by law who have gained wealth to give up most of it to benefit others, to make things equal?

Jesus said Mk. 14:7 “For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good.”Mt. 26:11 “For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

The key points is that you can help and want to help. He didn’t say, “We’re going to make you help whether you like it or not. He did not look to government but each individual's choice. The fact that he says  the poor will always be among the people. Caring for the poor means helping them overcome it, make it temporary, not paying them to stay poor, becoming dependent upon the state, 

This means implementing socialism will never be the solution That is what Jesus said, this is why we do what we can and wait for his kingdom to resolve the issues of mankind. When the government legislates that it is you moral duty to help others, God and our individual  choice is replaced by government.

In fact the Bible gives us the example to consider of those who use socialism as the cure all and are outspoken about force helping the poor. In John 12:4-7 “Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. “

Sounds like socialism but Judas was a fraud. You will find Socialists and those who tout its ideology, who are outspoken can be as corrupt as those who are rich and are greedy. They covet, they want control just like anyone else. What really needs to be remedied is the nature of man, his sinful condition.  Only Jesus can do this.