God vs. Socialism: A Biblical Critique of the New Social Gospel

by Joel McDurmon

God owns everything. That is is the biblical view: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it” (Ps. 24:1). God delegated ownership and dominion of property to his Image, man (Gen 1:26–28). God sanctioned the protection of private property in His law—the Ten Commandments—including a prohibition of theft (Ex. 20:15). Jesus (Matt. 19:18) and the Apostles (Acts 5; Eph. 4:28) upheld this law.

The biblical witness is clear: God believes in private property, and He not only desires us but commands us to live by that rule as well.

Socialism is the belief that private property is a bad idea. Socialists believe that governments should own most or all property and distribute it as government experts, scientists, politicians, or occasionally voters see fit. Under socialism, the State puts itself in the place of God and says, “The earth is the State’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.”

Between these two systems—private property and socialism—there exists fundamental confl ict. They are fundamental rival religious systems. Choosing one, you reject the other. Either God commands and judges man, or man commands and judges man.

This book illustrates this war of worldviews in the economic and political realm, and argues the necessity and superiority of choosing God over humanism’s false god, socialism, in all its many forms.