Following the Money With Jerry Bowyer

Jerry Bowyer is our resident economist and author of The Maker versus the Takers: What Jesus Really Said About Social Justice and EconomicsToday, we’re continuing our series on just what a Christian economic worldview should look like and how we can return to God’s plan for a healthy economy.Last time, Jerry told us that we have to see and think clearly and understand that an economic system fits together coherently with cause and effect. We need to see that the God who made man and the God who made the earth is one God with one mind and we are compatible with one another.  As we start out today, sum up where we’ve been.The series begins by examining how things were supposed to be, often referring back to the original creational intent and biblical principles.It is emphasized that the economy of Genesis 1 and 2 represents the ideal state of affairs as designed by God.However, humanity abandoned this ideal, leading to the economy of Genesis 3 and 4, marked by curses, worsening conditions, and the replacement of God with idols.The way out involves returning to biblical principles and organizing nations according to God's original intentions.The current state is described as the church era, with nations varying in their adherence to biblical principles and Providence shaping events since the fall of the Tower of Babel.The dispersion of nations allows people to vote with their feet and capital, and adherence to God's principles tends to enrich while violation leads to degradation.This natural order serves as a protective limit on the evil in the world, even though the original Edenic intention cannot be fully restored. So how would you then describe where we find ourselves today?The present era is characterized as the "church era" where God's influence operates through the church in various nations.Different nations exhibit varying degrees of adherence to biblical principles, with some following, some abandoning, and others moving toward them.Since the fall of the Tower of Babel, Providence has shaped the world to limit the power of the powerful and protect the vulnerable.God's statement about "nothing these people can't do" implies the potential for harm to - one another in a world.The dispersion of nations enables people to vote with their feet and capital, influencing the dynamics of global economics.Capital movement, exemplified by money flowing in or out of nations like the United States and Europe, demonstrates how adherence or violation of God's principles can impact economies.Following God's principles tends to enrich, while violating them tends to degrade and impoverish, serving as a protective limit on the extent of evil in the world. We can see on full display the evidence of that when we just look at the U.S. taking off like a rocket ship because of our adherence to those principles, right? The evidence of adherence to biblical principles is seen in the rapid growth of the US, surpassing much older nations.The US outpaced older nations, including old Europe, despite potential flaws in Christian economics in the latter.However, there's a recognition that the US is slowing down due to violations of these principles.The world operates in a way where there are inherent consequences for both violating and following these principles, creating a system of punishment and reward. Where do we go from here as the body of Christ and the church? The church is where the desired transformation should take place, following Adam's failure and Israel's shortcomings.The dispersion of nations at the Tower o