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James 2:6-7
6 But [de] ye [humeis] have despised [atimazo] the poor [ptochos]. Do [katadunasteuo] not [ou] rich men [plousios] oppress [katadunasteuo] you [humon], and [kai] draw [autos] [helkuo] you [humas] before [eis] the judgment seats [kriterion]?
7 Do [blasphemeo] not [ou] they [autos] blaspheme [blasphemeo] that worthy [kalos] name [onoma] by [epi] the which ye [humas] are called [epikaleomai]? KJV-Interlinear
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? NASB
There are two categories of wealth. Spiritual wealth is derived from spiritual growth. Temporal wealth comes from the many aspects of 'things' from this world.
Likewise, there are two categories of poverty. Spiritual poverty comes from the lack of spiritual resources. Unbelievers for example are spiritually destitute. And temporal poverty comes from the lack of worldly possessions like property, or income, or money and so forth.
In James' illustration, the poor man is poor with respect to worldly things and the rich man is rich with respect to worldly things. But, on the other hand, the poor man was rich with respect to spiritual things and the rich man was poor with respect to spiritual things.
If you turn your life over to God and pursue your spiritual life, then you are automatically classified as poor worldly speaking, and rich spiritually speaking. Why so? Well, anything of this world is temporary and anything of the spiritual realm is eternal. The temporary has virtually no value when compared to anything eternal.
So, a billionaire loses his wealth when he dies. His billions have no value, to him, after he has left this world. His bank accounts and titles do not transfer to heaven. In the worst possible case, a billionaire who is an unbeliever, will be wealthy one minute, and die, and then the next minute will find himself in Torments awaiting the Lake of Fire. That is the quintessence of losing it all, really fast.
And on the other hand, the spiritually mature person who is a poor man in this world, can die, and then enter into heaven and be instantly wealthy because his eternal blessings are beyond imagination and therefore beyond calculation.
But, if you despise the poor man in this world, then you also despise God, who put him in that position. If you play favorites with the rich man because you perceive there will be some benefit for you, then you reject God and Gods plan, and Gods definition of exactly what has value and what does not.
Likewise, there are two possible realms in which we can live, in the spiritual realm, which is founded on truth, or in the temporal realm, which is here because of truth, but stands in opposition against truth.
So, anyone who lives in this world and pursues the world, seeking their riches from the world, will stand in opposition of you, purely because you live in the spiritual realm, or at least try to live your life in accordance with Gods mandates.
Believers are persecuted, Christians are persecuted, conservatives in general are persecuted. Tyrants persecute the masses. Club members persecute, by gossip, other club members. Office politics attempts to eliminate competition for advancement.
Now, lets do a little current events. Far left liberal views are generally in opposition to truth. They oppose self-determination, they oppose the use of military force, they oppose war even if it is just, they are appeasers, they pursue big government, they oppose Christian spiritual expression in public, they promote racism and controversy, and so forth.
Now if you are insulted, then you do have a philosophical problem that you need to correct. But anyway, truth embraces freedoms, and liberties, and helping out others even if a war is called for. And we live in a time when politicians will make public spectacles of placing prayers in walls, while the masses of media promote liberal values, while basic Christian values are squelched in the courts and in the classrooms.
As an advancing Christian, you are the one who is being oppressed, by a world that would prefer to destroy your values, while advancing its own evil 'one world' views.
The last time a 'one world view' existed, was at the time of the Tower of Babel. And before that, just prior to the Flood of Noah. The next 'one world view' will come from the antichrist in the Tribulation, and that is still future.
So, the rich (worldly pursuers) of this world, persecute the poor (spiritual pursuers), by virtue of their anti-God philosophy. Because Satan hates God, because the world is founded in the evil philosophies, then anyone who pursues their spiritual life will inevitably find themselves the target of oppression.
Better to be the target, than one who conforms to the world and joins the world in its attacks against Christian values.
Oh, and by the way, we are not trying to identify the antichrist here. No one in this dispensation will be able to do that. Evil has, for a long time, attempted to take control of the reigns of history, but God thwarts evil at every turn. Empires have tried to control history, religions such as Islam have attempted to seize control over history, but this will never occur until after the Rapture occurs, and the Tribulation begins.
If the time is not yet right, then God will prevent any attempt of evil, to seize the world. But then, that does not prevent oppression from existing in the world. And certainly we cannot make world problems go away by ignoring them, either.
Do not joins forces with evil, lest you join in its outcome.
