The Doctrine of Nonaccumulation

I’m sure as you read the story of the wise investor named Frank, you were able to discern the parallels between his situation in Russia and ours on this earth. • Like Frank, we are living as pilgrims and strangers in a foreign country. • Like Frank, we have been commanded not to make investments in the country where we are living. • Like Frank, we are encouraged to invest everything that we can in our homeland. • Like Frank, commitment to these investment principles brings us ridicule from those who have not made such a commitment. • Like Frank, if we are faithful to invest in our homeland and to avoid foreign investing, it will have a great impact on our future welfare. • Like Frank, we prove which kingdom we are truly trusting in by the place where we make our investments. • Like Frank, we have no good reason to store up wealth in the country where we are temporarily living because our God has promised to supply our need. _______________________ So is the doctrine of nonaccumulation a true doctrine? Have you (or has your church) accepted this doctrine as true? Are you willing to commit yourself to “do and teach” this doctrine along with the rest of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount? By the way, if you believe (as I do) that the Sermon on the Mount is for us today, and that we should obey its teaching on divorce and remarriage, nonswearing of oaths, and nonresistance, then it seems only to make sense to believe in nonaccumulation also. It just isn’t consistent to accept part of the Sermon on the Mount, such as nonresistance, without also accepting its teaching about nonaccumulation. If nonresistance is meant to be practiced today, then so is nonaccumulation. If nonaccumulation doesn’t apply to us, however, then neither does nonresistance. Both of these doctrines are key parts of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Both are given to us as commandments to obey. Both are part of the teachings of the “kingdom of God” that Jesus preached everywhere he went. I will speak for myself. I believe that the doctrine of nonaccumulation is a true doctrine. If someone were to ask me to describe my (strange) views on the subject of economics, this is how I would answer: “I believe in the doctrine of nonaccumulation.” This answer would doubtless lead to more questions, which hopefully would give me the opportunity to explain what it is that this doctrine teaches. I desire, however, to do more than just believe this doctrine. My goal is also to put it into practice as God leads. And although I have already taken certain actions and made certain commitments with that goal in mind, I have also read numerous testimonies of other Christians who have put this doctrine into practice to a far greater degree than I have. But rather than try to explain away the actions of these Christians as something extreme or unnecessary, I will instead allow their testimonies to challenge me more and more to a life of faith. This doctrine stands on its own, whether I personally obey it perfectly or not. It will challenge me continually until the day I die, and prompt me to say, with Paul, Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:12–14).