The Bible has a lot to say about being rich. The Bible doesn’t condemn wealth. However, it does warn us about the dangers regarding money, riches, and material things. It gives us guidance, wisdom, and lessons on how to handle money. Ultimately, God is more concerned with the condition of our hearts than the balance of our bank accounts.
Table of Contents
- Watch the Video
- The Root of Evil
- The Church Makes a Shift
- Power to Get Wealth
- Rich Men and Women of God
- Money and Ministry
- Warnings About Wealth
- Recap
- Outsmart the False Teachers
Watch the Video
The Root of Evil
The church has given us mixed messages about money over the years. The old-school teaching was that money was bad and rich people were evil. Somehow being poor was associated with being righteous. Often, these teachings came from misquoting and/or misunderstanding biblical text.
Here’s a prime example…
Many of us grew up hearing “money is the root of all evil.” This is a misquote. The verse says, “the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).” So, what’s the lesson of this verse?
Simply this…
The love of money refers to greed. It’s greed that leads people to do evil things. It causes people to do wicked acts to acquire and/or maintain wealth, riches, or material possessions. Often, greed brings harm to others. It results in behavior ranging from stealing to killing. So, the verse drives home the point that greed (not money) is the root of so many problems.
The Church Makes a Shift
In recent years, the church’s message about money has shifted to another extreme. The rise of the Prosperity Gospel promotes the Christian pursuit of money (or financial blessings). The prosperity theology created a lottery mindset within the church. People were led to believe God would make them rich if they kept the so-called tithing.
The “poverty is righteous” belief is incorrect. Likewise, so is the get-rich-quick mentality of the Prosperity Gospel. Being broke, busted, and disgusted doesn’t make someone holier than a rich person. By the same token, a rich person isn’t unrighteous because he or she has wealth. The Bible teaches us to have a balanced attitude toward money, wealth, and riches.
Power to Get Wealth
God doesn’t condemn wealth. He has given us the “power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).” Although God is speaking to ancient Israel in Deuteronomy 8:18, this is an eternal power that New Testament Christians also possess.
2 Corinthians 9:8
8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (NIV)
Ephesians 3:20
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, (NIV)
This lets us know that wealth, prosperity, and abundance are a part of our Kingdom’s birthright. God wouldn’t give us the power to get wealth if being rich was bad.
Rich Men and Women of God
Many biblical figures were wealthy. Examples include Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. King Solomon was believed to be the richest man in the world during his time. Additionally, God wanted his people to prosper. This is most evident in Deuteronomy 28. As part of the Mosaic Law Covenant, the Lord promised ancient Israel multiple blessings for their obedience to the Old Covenant.
Deuteronomy 28:8
8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. (NIV)
Deuteronomy 28:11
11 The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. (NIV)
Deuteronomy 28:12
12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. (NIV)
God tried teaching the ancient Israelites that blessings come with obedience. Keep in mind obedience equals blessings is an eternal spiritual principle that also applies to Christians. This means obedience to the Holy Spirit, not the Mosaic Law for Christian believers. When you obey the Holy Spirit, there is always a blessing attached. Does this mean everyone who obeys God will become a millionaire or billionaire? No. But whatever the blessing is, it will always be something that will benefit you and others.
Luke 11:28
28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (NIV)
Hebrews 3:7
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, (NIV)
Hebrews 3:16-19
16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest. (NIV)
Money and Ministry
The Bible teaches us that wealth can play an important role in advancing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. For example, wealthy women helped fund Jesus’ ministry. Additionally, a rich man took on the responsibility of handling Jesus’ burial.
Luke 8:3
3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. (NIV)
Matthew 27:57
The Burial of Jesus
57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. (NIV)
Warnings About Wealth
The Bible warns us about the pitfalls of wealth. Keep in mind money is neutral. It is neither bad nor good. What we do with it and how we attain it matters. In other words, what matters most is our heart (or character). If the condition of our heart isn’t right, then we won’t do right when it comes to our finances.
Here’s what the Bible tells us to avoid:
Greed
Luke 12:13-21
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (NIV)
Luke 16:14-15
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight. (NIV)
1 Timothy 6: 17-19
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (NIV)
Arrogance
1 Timothy 6: 17
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Dishonest Gain
Exodus 20:15
15 “You shall not steal.
Luke 3: 12-14
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” (NIV)
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Recap
God doesn’t have a problem with wealth. Many men and women in the Bible were wealthy, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King Solomon. The Gospels mention the wealthy people who supported Jesus’ ministry and took care of his burial. Plus, God has given us the power to get wealth. In other words, we have God-given abilities to provide for our earthly necessities and luxuries. Finally, when used wisely, wealth is beneficial to advancing God’s Kingdom on earth.
On the other hand, the Bible warns us about the pitfalls associated with wealth. These include greed, arrogance, and theft. God doesn’t want us to make money our god. Instead, our material riches should serve us, not the other way around.
God desires that we have the right heart. Why? Because what we do with wealth reflects what’s in our hearts. When our heart is right, we will do what is right with the wealth we acquire.
Outsmart the False Teachers
If you want to discover more tithe facts, I encourage you to get a copy of The Tithing Hoax. This book provides in-depth information on how to give the RIGHT way. It also offers helpful tips based on Scripture.
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Thanks for reading, and be blessed!
