The Dangers Of Loving Money And Wealth

[Lovelytony22]

Money is good. We can't deny that; even the Bible never said money is a bad thing. Instead, the Bible cautioned us about "the love of money" being the root of ALL kinds of EVIL (1 Timothy 6:10).

We are Christians and so can't love both money and God. Unfortunately, many of us use dishonest means to make money. Even some pastors amass wealth for themselves at the expense of the poor sheep. They love to join the millionaire race by displaying their fleet of cars!!!.

Where are we laying down our treasures?.

"Do not lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves do not break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19 - 21).

Money is powerful and the King was right by saying money answers all things. However, this is very controversial but we must consider it contextually.

The love of money is leading many Christians into eternal destruction. The Devil uses earthly things to lure people into sin.

What happened to Gehazi the servant of Elisha after chasing silver and gold with lies? He was cursed with leprosy that extended to his descendants forever (2 Kings 5:9).

The Cost Of Following Jesus Christ

"Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me" (Matthew 29:21).

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24).

Thanks for reading through. Store your treasure in heaven, give generously and the Lord will always be pleased with you. Stay blessed. Amen!.

 

[Oldsaint24]

The love of money is leading many Christians into eternal destruction. The Devil uses earthly things to lure people into sin.


The Cost Of Following Jesus Christ

"Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me" (Matthew 29:21).

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24).

Thanks for reading through. Store your treasure in heaven, give generously and the Lord will always be pleased with you. Stay blessed. Amen!.

The love of many is leading many children of god to "age lasting" destruction, not eternal destruction.

The rich young ruler in the Matt. 29 passage is a child of God and if he does not get his priorities straightened out he will go to prison when he dies and miss the marriage supper and God's Sabbath rest (millennial kingdom)......but will not see "eternal" destruction.

 

[shnarkle]

Money is good. We can't deny that;

I can. Money isn't good. Only God is good.

the Bible cautioned us about "the love of money" being the root of ALL kinds of EVIL

The bible does more than that. Christ points out that unless you sell everything and give the proceeds to the poor, you can't be one of his followers. Using your logic, we could claim that there's nothing wrong with Satan as long as we don't love him.

We are Christians and so can't love both money and God.

False dichotomy. Christ points out that anyone can't work for God and Mammon (the personification of money). Note that he doesn't juxtapose God with Satan. He knows who we're really working for so he just cuts straight to the point.

some pastors amass wealth for themselves at the expense of the poor sheep. They love to join the millionaire race by displaying their fleet of cars!!!.

Doesn't really matter to Christ as he draws the line at the first dime you choose to hold onto. Those who own the whole world have a pretty good reason for making that decision. Those who are working for Mammon, and just getting by are fools.

The Cost Of Following Jesus Christ

"Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me" (Matthew 29:21).

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24).

Thanks for reading through. Store your treasure in heaven, give generously and the Lord will always be pleased with you. Stay blessed. Amen!.

While this is all correct, it needs to be placed into the proper context. In fact, the actual context it was taken from. The parables that surround these statements (e.g. the Pearl, the Coin, the treasure in the field, the lost sheep, etc.) all point out that giving one's money away comes AFTER receiving the kingdom. One does NOT give away all their belongings as a means of following Christ, but as a consequence of the revelation of the kingdom.

 

[Lovelytony22]

I can. Money isn't good. Only God is good

"Money" here isn't personified. It is in a generic term — so comparing it with God is wrong. You would surely need money to buy food, pay bills, and even give an offering at church or as an act of kindness.

Money comes as a reward for hard work and the Bible encourages hard work. God wouldn't rain money down from heaven but he blesses with riches, long life, protection, wisdom, etc. Eg. Solomon, Job, Jacob, etc.

"Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me." (Proverbs 30:8).

"Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." (Proverbs 30:9).

 

[Lovelytony22]

The bible does more than that. Christ points out that unless you sell everything and give the proceeds to the poor, you can't be one of his followers. Using your logic, we could claim that there's nothing wrong with Satan as long as we don't love him.

Yes the Bible does more than that. Why would any child of God ever claim there is nothing wrong with Satan? We know this adversary already.

Don't mix the context of "money" and Satan personified as "money." You can't demonize money in general. It would be like saying food is bad or feasting is a sin; that would be wrong. But gluttony is rather a sinful act because it makes one idolize food.

Contextually the love of money is a sign of idolizing it. This is abominable unto God. We are not to cling to material wealth or be afraid to lose earthly possessions. The love is for God only.

 

[shnarkle]

"Money" here isn't personified.

Mammon is the god of money; the personification of money.

It is in a generic term

Money? Yep.

— so comparing it with God is wrong.

Tell that to Jesus, he's the one who did just that. "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24

You would surely need money to buy food, pay bills, and even give an offering at church or as an act of kindness.

Fallacy of Begging the Question. Not if you rely upon the providence of God rather than Mammon. Let me give you a personal example if I may: I spent over a dozen years living on the street. I had no bills, no rent, etc. I ate for free almost every day. Some days I fasted instead. I met numerous other people who were what most people would characterize as "servants of unrighteousness", and just as the rain falls on the weeds as well as the flowers, they were all taken care of as well. The gospel message shows us that once it begins, there's no stopping it. A few loaves of bread and a couple fish can feed thousands of people. That's how it works, So you don't need to rely upon Mammon's riches anymore. The church doesn't really need it either so if that's what they're collecting, then it probably isn't the same church that was giving it all away.

Money comes as a reward for hard work and the Bible encourages hard work.

Especially for those who toil under the sun. Yet, under the sun there is nothing new while the gospel makes everything new, well except for being forced to rely upon money, or viewing money as your reward. Surely those who work for money have their reward already.

God wouldn't rain money down from heaven but he blesses with riches,

What riches did you have in mind? Fruits of the Spirit? The slogan for Capitol 1 isn't "What's in your heart?", is it?

long life, protection, wisdom, etc. Eg. Solomon, Job, Jacob, etc.

Yep, and none of those come from working for money.

"Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me." (Proverbs 30:8).

"Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain." (Proverbs 30:9).

Amen

 

[shnarkle]

Yes the Bible does more than that. Why would any child of God ever claim there is nothing wrong with Satan?

Because as Paul points out, 'all things work for the glory of God". Look at his examples: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Do you think Satan can? if so, why? If not, then why bother making claims that there's something wrong with Satan? Isn't he just doing his job? Of course. Therefore, we can take the same cavalier attitude we do with money, and apply it to Satan as well. Satan is not a god we place before the Creator of the universe. He's still in his proper place. Right where God wants him so when Satan offers us riches, we can gladly accept them, especially when they're Mammon's riches. We can take them as long as we don't love them, or value them over God. Of course I'm jesting, but if you're serious in your argument, then it is logically consistent to apply it to Satan as well.

We know this adversary already.

Don't mix the context of "money" and Satan personified as "money."

Satan is not personified as money. Mammon is the personification of money.

You can't demonize money in general.

Jesus juxtaposed money with God. Which one do you work for? I don't have to demonize money to make the same point Jesus did.

It would be like saying food is bad or feasting is a sin;

Ironically, Christians do precisely that. What Feasts of the Lord do Christians celebrate? None. In fact, they not only don't celebrate them, they view them as a burden. Go figure.

that would be wrong. But gluttony is rather a sinful act because it makes one idolize food.

Contextually the love of money is a sign of idolizing it.

Again, Jesus presents Mammon as the idol himself.

This is abominable unto God. We are not to cling to material wealth or be afraid to lose earthly possessions. The love is for God only.

One need look no further than what someone buys with their money to know who and what they love.

 

[Lovelytony22]

Some days I fasted instead

I like your idea of fasting. God loves to help us in times of need.

 

[Lovelytony22]

Jesus juxtaposed money with God. Which one do you work for?

I wouldn't ever work for Satan or Mammon. Do you find anything wrong with a Christian working and earning monthly salary?

 

[Lovelytony22]

Mammon is the personification of money.

So Mammon is the god of money. But here is the case we need money to buy our basic needs and other stuff.

How do you handle these words from King Solomon?:

"... money is the answer to all things."

 

[shnarkle]

I like your idea of fasting. God loves to help us in times of need.

I didn't have anything to eat so I called it fasting. A couple years ago I was stranded out in the gulf of Mexico for two weeks. I had plenty of food and water, but I couldn't get anyone to stop and help me so I had to start fasting just in case things got desperate. I had no idea how long people would ignore me so I wasn't about to take any chances.

The first thing I noticed about going a few days without anything to eat while I was living on the street was that my stomach would shrink and the rumblings of my belly would cease to be an issue. My stomach would shrink as well. it was like my body almost immediately adapted to the new situation. I noticed the same thing while trying to sleep on a particularly cold night with not much to keep me warm. My body would shake and shiver for quite a while, and as I lay there trying to sleep, I began to feel this overwhelming sense of wonder and gratitude that God had created the body with this ability to automatically warm itself up when it got too cold by vibrating the muscles involuntarily. It wasn't easy to sleep while this was going on, but I was pretty sure I wasn't going to freeze to death.

Two weeks is the longest I've gone without food, and I was particularly amazed at how good I felt while I was fasting. I had more energy, and my mind seemed much more focused and at ease. Then again, maybe it was the peace and solitude as well.

 

[shnarkle]

I wouldn't ever work for Satan or Mammon. Do you find anything wrong with a Christian working and earning monthly salary?

Not at all. I'm just pointing out that anyone who works for money can't be a follower of Christ. You posted that claim by Christ yourself. He wasn't speaking figuratively. if so, which figure of speech was he using? There is no need to point out that one shouldn't worry about where their next meal is going to come from if they have a bank account full of money. That's just plain nonsense. That statement only makes sense literally. Moreover, Christ's prescription in Luke's gospel was clearly taken literally because we have Luke's account in the book of Acts showing that's exactly what they did. "And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." Acts 2:44

 

[shnarkle]

So Mammon is the god of money. But here is the case we need money to buy our basic needs and other stuff.

Sure, but that only spotlights the point I'm making.

How do you handle these words from King Solomon?:

"... money is the answer to all things."

I handle them exactly the same way I have already handled this topic, namely by pointing out the exact same thing which is that Solomon is asking a question that fits perfectly within his overall point which is, "how does one live without God"? Read the whole book and you'll see that it makes perfect sense to rely upon money for all your worldly needs when you will never rely upon the providence of God. Getting drunk can be fun too, but it isn't for those who are feasting at the wedding feast of the lamb.

 

[Lovelytony22]

Not at all. I'm just pointing out that anyone who works for money can't be a follower of Christ

Well, this clarifies it all.

 

[Lovelytony22]

Read the whole book and you'll see that it makes perfect sense to rely upon money for all your worldly needs when you will never rely upon the providence of God.

A Christian shouldn't ever rely on money for all his worldly needs. By relying solely on God, He will provide all our needs (Jehovah Jireh).