...BUSINESS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD The Bible’s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business Book Review BUSI 301 In the book, “Business for the Glory of God”, the author, Wayne Grudem, states there are many aspects of business that a Christian can use to glorify God. The main aspects are Ownership, Productivity, Employment, Profit, Money and Borrowing and Lending. According to Grudem, all these things can bring glory to God in the way they reflect the nature that is God and His provision for man. God structured humans in such an intricate way to give them the ability to provide food, shelter and clothing for themselves and families. He also designed us to be a part of a community, one with an economic system for sustainability. The basis for all economic systems is free enterprise. The ability to govern one’s own business and to set forth the mandates therein is essential to the well being of any strong economy. In today’s marketplace, many consumers have become weary of businesses due to the high level of corruptness and the large amount of government interference. Grudem suggest that rather than business being viewed with inherently evil motives, consumers should understand that business activities are sometimes manipulated and used as a means to sin. In this book, he proposes that the practice and nature of business is a blessing given by God to mankind. The Introduction and fist chapter begin by acknowledging that many view business ownership as a means to procure...
Words: 2006 - Pages: 9
...The book Business for the Glory of God is a great resource on business and each chapter starts with a phrase. The book has many opportunities for glorifying God but also many temptations to sin and what it can do to you and your business. The writer Grudem concisely lays out his reasons why business is good and very briefly raising some of the dangers of greed, envy and materialism. The weakest arguments by far are his argument that inequality of possessions is the way God intended things to be, that this is a good thing that gives glory to God. While extreme wealth and extreme poverty are both considered 'bad things' there's no way of drawing a line, no attempt at working out how some inequality is good but too much inequality is bad. Nor is there recognition that in the countries that have excelled in competition, profit making and generally getting rich is also the countries with the greatest inequality. So while it is good to be in business, and it is good to equip those who are called to business, this short book is unbalanced by taking complicated issues and making them black and white. For me is what the Bible is about taking a yes being a yes and a no meaning don’t do it, nor go there because he gives you all the reasons of what happens in evil deeds. Companies close, people go bankrupt and show on the news of people going to jail for fraud for being greedy. Hebrews 12:11 NIV No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces...
Words: 1787 - Pages: 8
...I believe that the study of secular literature can be a legitimate Christian pursuit if one studies literature to glorify God. First, it is necessary for Christians to be rooted in the Word of God so that everything that is put into their mind is screened through “biblical lenses”. As we read in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, knowledge without the love of God “puffs up”, produces arrogance (1 Cor. 8:1). In addition, Christians need to be careful of the material that they put in their minds. In the same letter, Paul commanded the church to expel any evildoers from their presence because of the influence they would have on the others (1 Cor. 5:11). Christians should fill their minds with things that will inspire worship of God and service to others (Phil. 4:8). Moreover, it must be understood that many people claim to be Christians, but trust in their own understanding rather than Scripture, which is a direct contradiction of the Word of God (Prov. 3:5-6). People have become wise in their own eyes after consuming knowledge based on human wisdom. Society often influences and dictates the actions of most people and one finds it difficult to see a difference in the behavior of many professing Christians and the rest of society. One does not need to study literature to understand the problems with society. The Bible is sufficient for all of our needs (2 Tim. 3:16). The debate of evolution vs. creation or the age of the Earth are good examples how knowledge and science...
Words: 730 - Pages: 3
...read the book Business for the Glory of God, where the author Grudem, tries to explain us different areas in the business world trying to connect with God’s word. It works perfectly with economic models, and we can try figure out which one of this models can match better according to the Bible. Capitalism is an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled not by the State, but by private owners looking for profit. Capitalism is basically based on private ownership, economic freedom, and competition. This concept works with two chapters of the book, Chapter 1 and Chapter 8. Chapter 1, Ownership, tell us about private property and how our desire to be owner of things is a gift by God and how He sees the good things we can apply with our possessions, and doing a relation with the Bible, we can see in Isaiah 65:21-22, “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands”....
Words: 575 - Pages: 3
...According to the Bible in 1 Corinthians 10:31 it says, so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God." The author of The Business for the Glory of God must have derived their inspiration from this verse and interpreted the “whatever” to mean, among other things, business. One intriguing question many may ask is why someone would venture into trying to relate the business ideology with the aspects of God seeing that theological studies always tend to distance themselves from the worldly business wealth creation activities. Wayne Grudem goes a long way to try and answer these questions in his book The Business for the Glory of God. Grudem makes a point out that most people fail to recognize and hence miss out on...
Words: 439 - Pages: 2
...The Glory of God Can Be In the Business World I know that before I read Wayne Grudem’s book, I felt as if I didn’t really want to be in the business world because of all the negative aspects that I’ve heard. Our society today idolizes money and success and if you don’t rely on God then you will easily fall into the snares of the devil. “God created us in such a way that we would want to imitate his character. He created us in such a way that we would take spontaneous delight in seeing reflections of his character in our own actions and in the actions of others” (pg. 15). Even in the Business World, this is possible. Grudem discusses 9 key business activities that will help you be able to glorify God through business. The 9 key business activities are Ownership, Productivity, Employment, Commercial Transactions, Profits, Money, Inequality of Possessions, Competitions, Borrowing and Lending. There were also two chapters on the Attitudes of the Heart and the Effect on World poverty. I loved how in every chapter, Grudem starts with “…is fundamentally good and provides many opportunities for glorifying God but also many temptations to sin” and ends with, “But the distortions of something good must not cause us to think the thing itself is evil…” I feel as if he did this just to emphasize the dangers of greed, envy, and materialism and show us that the business it’s self isn’t evil, but if you give in to temptation, it is a wicked place. Grudem tells us that we can live a life for...
Words: 2482 - Pages: 10
...“God, glory, and gold” –Europeans broke away from the area they confined themselves in for the almost a millennium in search for these. Although the Europeans never really lost touch which the outside world, their contact with non-European civilization stayed limited. Europeans soon embarked on many overseas journeys and found what was known as the “New World.” Many explorers such as Christopher Columbus found native people in the “New World.” Despite the differences from Europeans, the natives flourished in their own way; however, that all changed when Europeans flooded the land. The exploration and colonization on the native peoples in the fifteenth century by explorers such as Columbus and Cortés killed much of the population due to foreign...
Words: 1106 - Pages: 5
...Wayne Grudem’s Business for the Glory of God: The Bible’s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business analyzes a myriad of misconstrued facets of business and how these facets are rather intended and are able to be implemented as acts that glorify God. Primarily, these various components of business carry negative connotations, because, it seems, more often than not that businesses fall into corruption and scandal due to greed and lust. Grudem does an exceptional job in explaining that it is not the concepts of business themselves, such as money or owning multiple possessions, that are evil, but rather the acts of coveting, idolizing, or being wicked stewards of money or possessions. In business, Grudem articulates, the main position supported...
Words: 1574 - Pages: 7
...The author of the writing of the Transfiguration belongs to John Mark, his original audience of the writing was directed to the Gentile Christians in Rome. The writing of Mark was written to give account upon the life and ministry of Jesus. The Transfiguration was a preview of what the Lord Jesus will be like when He comes back to set up His Kingdom. Jesus was showing that although there was suffering, gloriousness is the final outcome to His Kingdom. In this passage concerning the Transfiguration there are several key terms to be examined. I will be focusing in on the term “glory “only. Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology defines glory as” splendor, brightness, majesty to a number of external manifestations and conditions...
Words: 671 - Pages: 3
...Paper 1 Christopher Columbus andartolomé De Las Casas were both two men who B have left legacies that are admired, criticized, idolized, rationalized and despised by adventuring out to find the three motivators that have lead to the foundings of what we call America. Christopher Columbus and Bartolomé De Las Casas both set out with the three motives: God, Glory and Gold. God, Glory and Gold also known as the three G’s are labeled as the roots of the age of discovery during the midfifteenth century and ending in the midseventeenth century. Of the three motives each had a higher priority for each one and their priority of each motive led to different ways of exploration and conquering. While both Christopher Columbus and Bartolomé De Las Casas had similarities that we can compare, Christopher Columbus set out in his voyage with a craving appetite for Gold. On the other hand Bartolomé De Las Casas had other ambitions. Bartolomé De Las Casas set out with the ambition of converting the Indians to Christianity which supports that De Las Casas prioritized God over Glory and Gold. Even though both Columbus and De Las Casas were both on similar missions their desires differed when looking at the three G’s and their place in the discoveries with Columbus and the settling in the new colonies with De Las Casas. Christopher Columbus born in 14511506 was a sailor who was heavily influenced by the 13th Century voyages of Marco Polo...
Words: 1277 - Pages: 6
...same views regarding women that the rest of his culture did as well as the idea that the gods played a large part in daily life; however, Sophocles satirized the Greek value of kleos, the glory one receives. In Ancient Greek society women were seen as inferior, Sophocles uses the treatment of Jocasta and her daughters as a way to...
Words: 1123 - Pages: 5
...Psalm 100:1-5 ESV / 22 helpful votes A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 150:1-6 ESV / 21 helpful votes Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Psalm 147:1-20 ESV / 19 helpful votes Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. Psalm 148:1-14 ESV / 15 helpful votes Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts...
Words: 4992 - Pages: 20
...Business for the Glory of God: The Bible’s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business Book Review Nathan Minor Liberty University The book that is under review is “Business for the Glory of God: The Bible’s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business” by Wayne Grudem. It is a useful resource for looking at business from different prospects. First off, it addresses a view on relationships between business and religion. Secondly, it shows how different philosophies connect. Lastly, Mr. Grudem does a great job nudging readers to look at a different perspective. First I would like to start this review by mentioning the main ideas and points of this book. The author of “Business for the Glory of God: The Bible’s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business” proposes to the readers that business itself glorifies God when it is conducted in a way that imitates God’s character and creation. All elements of how a business operates like profit, money, competition, borrowing, should glorify God because they are reflective of God’s nature. In Business for the Glory of God, Wayne Grudem points out, “When people ask how their lives can ‘glorify God,’ they aren’t usually told, ‘Go into business.’” Yet business is where God calls many, if not most, Christians to serve him. Though they can repeat that familiar line from the Westminster Confession, “the chief end of man is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever” (Peel 2015). What he is saying is few are encouraged to run their business for...
Words: 1359 - Pages: 6
...images are the zombie boy fall in love with the girl Julie when she was shooting zombies head(Levine, 2013). The Bible contains the similar idea that sinners will fall into the glory of God shortly. These two ideas are closely related to each other. The explanation is given below. The zombies are the sinners in the movie who represent evil. In the movie, the zombie boy in an airport with other zombies. Obesely, zombies eat humans, especially humans’ brain, which is the best part for them. Once he and his zombie friends go out to hunt some food. At the same time, Julie went into the zombie area to kill some zombies. The zombie boy, R, and his friends smell humans, therefore, they start a flight. It supposed to be either R eats Julie or Julia shoot R. Nevertheless, a dramatic moment happens, when Julie is shooting zombies, R fall in love with her (Levine, 2013)....
Words: 540 - Pages: 3
...Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Hail Mary Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with You Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. ----------------------------------------------------------- Glory Be Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Mary At Fatima- Prayer O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy. The Apostle's Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Hail, Holy Queen Prayer Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life...
Words: 800 - Pages: 4