Poverty

Poverty is a condition in which people or communities lack the financial means to meet their basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing. Grudem teaches that while followers of Christ must care for the poor, Scripture does not authorize government to take from one group to give to another. He writes, “I do not think there is any passage in Scripture that justifies the idea that government has the right to compel rich people to help the poor or to ‘take from the rich and give to the poor,’ apart from using general tax revenue ... to provide for very basic needs.”¹

Can Government Programs End Poverty?

Grudem warns that government handouts cannot truly end poverty because they must be “repeated month after month and year after year,” leaving people dependent rather than equipped for lasting security. The lasting way out of poverty, he argues, is when people gain the skills and habits needed for stable, productive work. Jobs that create new value in society—such as those in farming, manufacturing, or skilled trades—come primarily from private businesses, not government employment.²

Why Does Work Matter for Human Worth?

Work, in Grudem’s view, is part of how God designed people to live. Long before sin entered the world, God placed Adam in the garden “to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). The apostle Paul instructed believers to “work with your hands ... so that you may live properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12) and warned, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Hard work provides both material needs and dignity. Scripture observes, “A worker’s appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on” (Proverbs 16:26).³

What Kind of Society Helps People Rise From Poverty?

Grudem believes the surest way to lift people out of poverty is through a thriving private economy. For this to happen, government must create conditions that encourage investment and growth rather than burden it. These include:

A free market guided by fair prices
Stable money and trustworthy banks
Effective law enforcement and secure property rights
Courts that are impartial to rich and poor alike
Low taxes and a solid education system

When such structures are in place, businesses can expand, create jobs, and help people gain the independence and self-respect that come from providing for themselves.⁴

References

Wayne A. Grudem, Politics - According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 283.
Grudem, Politics - According to the Bible, 284.