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The Eye of a Needle - part 2 of 2 Jesus viewed money or wealth as a spiritual power Matt. 6:24 (KJV) “24No 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.” He identified wealth as an object of worship, a rival to God. For this reason Jesus often asked people to turn away from it. Matt. 19:21 (KJV) “21Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Zacchaeus offered to give half of his possessions to the poor and restore four times to anyone he had cheated (Luke 19:8). This restitution was a sign of his desire to follow Christ. The only way to defeat the power of mammon is to give it away. Acts 20:35c (KJV) “35It is more blessed to give than to receive.” We need checks and balances in our stewardship of money. The answer to the wrong use of money is to use it for kingdom purposes. Money can be used to enhance our relationship to God and bless others. Paul commended the liberal giving of the Macedonian Christians (2 Cor. 8:1-4; compare 2 Cor. 9:7). We have a model for the responsibility that Christians have for one another. For a while members of the Jerusalem church pooled their resources for the common good (Acts 2:44-45). To provide for the needs of those in their midst, owners of land and property sold it and gave it to the apostles (Acts 4:34-35). Paul likewise warned against the power of money. One of the qualifications of a church officer is to be free from the love of money (1 Tim. 3:3). Deacons likewise must not be “greedy for money” 1 Tim. 3:8 (NRSV). The strongest warning is found in 1 Timothy 6:10 (NRSV): “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith.” Paul may be implying that people who love money will resort to all kinds of methods to get it. The desire for money has a way of enslaving the person seeking it. Hebrews encourages us to “Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have” Heb. 13:5 (NRSV). Jesus admonished us not to be anxious over material things, but to trust the Heavenly Father to care for our needs (Matt. 6:25-26). At all times we are to keep in mind that we will one day give account to God for the use of our wealth. Materialism tempts Christians. America values life in terms of the accumulation and consumption of goods, measuring success or worth in terms of wealth or possessions. Materialism leads us to justify spending on ourselves all that our income will bear. Christians are to learn to possess money and not be possessed by it. Wealth is to be channeled into ministries that serve people and spread the gospel. The Rest of God vs. Work of the Kingdom is found in Luke 12:22 through Luke 12:40 (KJV) Are you having troubles in your life, your family, your job? Seek the Kingdom of God first! -Pr. S. Chad Ross January Newsletter 2006 | Steadfast Unto the End | The Eye of a Needle part 2 of 2 Pastor's Journal January 2005 | Understanding Habits part 1 of 2 | God's Breath part 1 of 3 |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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