The scripture delivers many warnings to the wealthy, but are those warnings also directed at middle-class Americans? It's a really good question from an anonymous woman. "Pastor John, whenever I read James 5 about the wailing and misery awaiting the rich of this world, I am filled with fear for the judgment day.

I am a middle-class American with the usual comforts of the life of the middle class, three square meals a day, unnecessary treats, desserts, coffee, entertainment through our big screen television, occasional vacations, far more clothing than I need, a comfortable bed with fine sheets, a decorated home, and the list goes on.

People might look at me and think I'm not decadent. I live in a small house in a modest neighborhood, but I know that I am the rich of this world compared to the majority. I do use many of my belongings and worldly comforts to serve others with the gift of hospitality, and I love the Lord and consider myself a strong believer and follower of Christ.

But I also know that I could live on way less, sacrificing to give away more than I already do. I tithe regularly and give to charitable organizations, but it is always with me that I could give so much more by giving up many more comforts. I struggle with feeling peace with God when I feel that He will judge me harshly for living as comfortably as I do.

I'm wondering if God wants me to give up the pleasures and comforts that this country offers. This question feels unusually timely to me because just yesterday when I was doing table talk with the seminary students over at Bethlehem College and Seminary, one of the students basically asked this exact same question.

And the question seems to boil down to this. How can we know whether the level of wartime simplicity for the sake of Christ-exalting ministry is the level it should be? How can we know we've found the right level of wartime simplicity? Now, just a reminder to those who haven't heard these categories before, the reason I refer to wartime simplicity as opposed to simplicity by itself is because simplicity alone might lead you to renounce all modern appliances and devices and machines for the smallest possible carbon footprint and move out, might lead you to move out of a mechanized urban setting into a rural agrarian setting where you can raise your own food and possibly become totally self-absorbed and do no good for anybody while being supremely simple in your lifestyle.

That's not our goal. Whereas what I mean by wartime simplicity is that we picture ourselves in a spiritual war in this globe where the battle is not only against the sins of materialism and consumerism and self-indulgence, which it is, but also the battle is for reaching the neighborhoods and the nations of the world with the gospel.

There's a very big, big task before us to achieve, and that conception of the Christian life as a massive challenge to reach the world with the gospel might incline you to own a computer, just like the Second World War inclined America to save every bobby pin so that they could build B-52s, which cost millions of dollars.

It was wartime simplicity to stop a basketball game to find a bobby pin, which happened, or not change your tires for X number of years because they needed all the rubber in the war effort. That was simplicity, but it wasn't peacetime simplicity like everybody be as non-mechanistic as possible.

So back to the question, how can we know whether the level of wartime simplicity for the sake of Christ-exalting, nation-reaching ministry is the level it should be? And before I say anything else more specifically, let me refer everybody to Randy Alcorn's little book, The Treasure Principle. I think Randy Alcorn has been raised up in our day as one of the most helpful, humble, wise, authentic spokesmen on the issue of money and how to think about it.

And if people want to ponder what I've thought more fully, they can go to the chapter on money, which is called The Currency of Christian Hedonism in the book Desiring God. But I would especially have people really get to know Randy Alcorn if they're struggling with issues of stewardship and money and lifestyle and so on.

This is one of those questions, I think, that in the Bible has no precise answer. I mean, the Bible doesn't resolve the question of how much we should own and how much we should give and use by giving quantitative answers, like percentages. I don't think the tithe is an answer to anything.

That's just a starting point for Christians, I think. And lots more than that should be on the table, like everything. The rich young ruler was told he needed to sell everything. That's what it meant for him to follow Jesus, Mark 10:21. Zacchaeus gave away half of his goods to the poor, and Jesus said, "Salvation came to this house today," when he watched that happen, Luke 19.9.

Jesus said in Luke 14.33 that in order to be his disciple, we must renounce everything that we have, renounce everything. And he said we must love him, himself, more than we love our dearest relation, Matthew 10.37. And he said the kingdom of heaven is like finding a treasure and selling everything you have to have that treasure, Matthew 13.44.

And Paul said, "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides everything to enjoy. They are to do good, be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share and store up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of life, which is life indeed." So it seems to me the New Testament doesn't give one prescription, it doesn't give one line, it doesn't make the answer easy, it doesn't answer it in quantitative numbers, it gives a relentless push.

This is really something to take into consideration. The New Testament gives a relentless push toward a wartime simplicity and economy for the sake of the kingdom, away from luxury and affluence and finery. Let me just bullet a bunch of text so you feel, you'll see what I mean by the force of wartime summons.

Luke 18.14, "They are choked by the riches and pleasures of life." Luke 9.48, "The Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Luke 12.15, "A person's life does not consist in the possessions he has." Matthew 6.19, "Don't lay up for yourselves treasures on earth." Matthew 6.33, "Seek the kingdom first and the other things will be added." Luke 12.20, "The man who built bigger and bigger barns," Jesus says, "Fool, this night your soul will be required of you." Luke 12.33, "Sell your possessions, give alms, provide for yourselves purses in heaven." Luke 18.24, "How hard it is for those who have riches to get into the kingdom of heaven." Acts 2.45, "They sold their possessions and distributed them to the poor." 2 Corinthians 6.9, "We are poor, though making many rich.

We have nothing, and yet we possess everything." 2 Corinthians 8.2, "In a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of liberality." Ephesians 4.28, "Let him labor, working with his hands, that he may have to him who is in need." So you can yield, that's one option.

You can work to have, that's another option. Or Paul's option is you can work to have in order to give. 1 Timothy 6.7, "We brought nothing into the world. We can't take anything out of the world, so we're going to be content with what we have, food and clothing." Hebrews 13.5, "Keep your life free from the love of money." James 2.5, "Has not God chosen those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith?" 1 John 3.17, "If anyone has this world's goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart to him, how does the love of God abide in him?" That's just a sampling.

I don't think it's possible to take all that biblical teaching about money and find a clear line between wartime simplicity and peacetime luxury. I don't think the line is clear at all. Therefore, my approach, both in preaching and in my own life, is to return again and again and again, just like we've done now, to the relentless thrust of the New Testament toward loving and fruitful, other-oriented, sacrificial simplicity for the sake of kingdom advance.

Riches are dangerous. That message is everywhere. And simplicity for its own sake is worthless, because love is what counts. Doing good, not going without. Doing good, not going without. That's what counts. I know there are people who've given themselves to way more simplicity than I've seen others do, and they're loveless.

And the people that have more are very more loving, and good is coming from their lives. So immerse yourself in the New Testament summons to love people, not money, to love simple beauties, not luxurious status symbols. That's just so crucial. The world is begging us constantly to love status symbols instead of simple beauties.

And learn with Paul the secret of such profound contentment in Jesus that you know how to be abased and how to abound and can be like the Christians in Hebrews 10:34, "You had compassion on the prisoners, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew, you knew you had a better possession and an abiding one." Loving simple beauties and not status symbols of luxury.

It's such a great challenge and a glorious calling in this life. Thank you, Pastor John, and thank you for making the Ask Pastor John podcast a part of your day and your week as we tackle questions like this one and get really honest with our daily lives in light of what we read in Scripture.

Well, you can stay current with our episodes on your phone or device by subscribing through your preferred podcast app. And you can now even listen through Desiring God's official YouTube channel as well. And if you'd like to search our past episodes, browse our most popular episodes, or send us your own questions, you can do those things through our online home at desiringgod.org/askpastorjohn.

Speaking of very good Bible questions, can we just skip over those few bits of the New Testament that seem to have been added to the original manuscripts? I'm thinking of sections like John 7, verse 53, through John 8, verse 11. It's a great question. Up next on Wednesday when we return, I'm your host, Tony Reinke, and we'll see you then.

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