Гроші – це не зло, Але любов до грошей – це зло, цитується багатьма християнами. Це звучить так благочестиво і, звичайно, це правда, тому що Біблія говорить в 1 Тімоті 6:10, that the love of money is the root of all evil. Проте, do these words come from a righteous heart that belongs to Jesus or from a corrupt heart that is selfish and belongs to the mammon? Тому що багато разів, these words are used by Christians to cover up their love for money and their covetousness and desire for riches. What does the Bible say about the love for money and the desire for riches and what happens when money becomes your god?
The warning of false teachers who consider godliness a way of gain and make merchandise of the believers
В 1 Тімоті 6:1-10, Paul warned Timothy of false teachers, who taught another doctrine, contrary to his doctrine and the wholesome words, even the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the teaching which is according to godliness. These false teachers considered godliness as a way of gain.
Але побожність із задоволенням є великим надбанням. Бо ми нічого не принесли в цей світ, і точно ми нічого не можемо виконати. А маючи їжу та одяг, будьмо цим задоволені. Але ті, хто бажає збагатитися, потрапляють у спокусу та в сітку, і в багатьох безглуздих і шкідливих похотях, які топлять людей у знищенні та загибелі. Бо любов до грошей — це корінь усіх зол: якого в той час як деякі бажали після, вони відступилися від віри, і пронизали себе багатьма скорботами. Але ти, О Божа людина, тікати від цих речей; і слідкуй за праведністю, благочестя, віра, Кохання, Терпіння, лагідність. Боріться добрим подвигом віри, тримайся вічного життя, до чого й ти покликаний, і сповідував добру професію перед багатьма свідками (1 Тімоті 6:6-12)
Peter also warned of false teachers, who would bring in damnable heresies and through covetousness with feigned words make merchandise of the believers. (2 Петро 2:1-4).
What does the Bible say about the love for money?
The Bible says that the love for money is the root of all evil. Paul wrote in 1 Тімоті 6:10, що ті, who will be rich shall fall into temptation and a snare, і в багатьох безглуздих і шкідливих похотях, які топлять людей у знищенні та загибелі. Бо любов до грошей — це корінь усіх зол, якого в той час як деякі бажали після, they have been led astray from the faith, і пронизали себе багатьма скорботами.
На жаль, many Christians have ignored this warning.
Many Christians have been deceived by false doctrines, which derived from covetousness (жадібність) and focus on (fulfilling) the lusts and desires of the carnal man and earthly prosperity.
Because of these false doctrines, many Christians have been deceived and have come under the control of the mammon. They have a love for money and are controlled by greed, whereby they are never satisfied and never have enough but keep lusting for more money.
Everything revolves around money in their lives.
They use Biblical principles prayers and the words of God for their carnal lusts and desires and apply soulish manipulative methods in the spiritual realm to get money and draw the riches of this world to them, just like those, які належать світу і володар цього світу, the devil and don’t know God.
By faith in their thoughts, слів, and methods they receive what they want. Проте, because they are carnal they don’t know that by applying these deceptive methods and participating in occult practices, they also open the gates for the darkness and not only receive earthly riches, but also corruption and mischief of the world (Читайте також: Життя – це пророцтво, що самореалізується?)
Коли гроші стають твоїм богом, you can’t serve God
Не збирайте собі скарбів на землі, де моль і іржа корумповані, і де злодії пробиваються і крадуть: Але покладіть на себе скарби на небі, де ні моль, ні іржа не корумповані, і там, де злодії не прориваються, ні крадуть: Бо де знаходиться ваш скарб, там буде і твоє серце (Матвій 6:19-21)
Ніхто не може служити двом панам: бо він буде ненавидіти одного, і любити іншого; інакше він буде дотримуватися одного, і зневажати іншого. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Матвій 6:24)
Jesus warned many times about the danger of love for money and the deceitfulness of riches. Ісус сказав, Серед інших, that you can’t serve two masters. Because you will either hate the one and love the other or you will hold to one and despise the other. тому, you can’t serve God and mammon.
Проте, many preachers say the opposite and claim that you can love both and serve both.
And because many Christians believe the words of preachers above the words of Jesus, they believe this lie and walk in this lie and have a love for money and are focused on money and put their trust in money, Так само, як світ (Читайте також: Чому проповідується євангелія процвітання?).
Коли гроші стають твоїм богом, you shall trust in money instead of God
Таким чином говорить Господь, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, судження, і праведність, in the earth: for in these things I delight, каже Господь (Єремія 9:23-24)
І Він (Ісус) said unto them, Прислухатися, і остерігайтеся зажерливості: Бо життя людини полягає не в великій кількості речей, якими він володіє (Люк 12:15)
Але Слово говорить, that you shouldn’t trust in money, but you should trust in God. Money is a tool on earth and should remain a tool and must not become a god in the lives of Christians.
Проте, many Christians rely more on money than God, Так само, як світ.
Maybe money has great value on earth, but money has no value in God’s Kingdom.
You can’t buy access to God’s Kingdom, nor buy the things of God’s Kingdom.
In contrary to the people on earth, God is not for sale and you can’t impress God with money and/or bribe God with money. And the Holy Spirit is also not for sale (Люк 12:15-21, Акти 8:17-24).
Only Jesus Christ can save and keep you. His blood can cleanse you from all your sins and iniquities and justify you and reconcile you with God. Only through Jesus Christ you can enter the Kingdom of God and receive the Holy Spirit.
And as long as you put your trust in Jesus and obey Him and keep His commandments, you will stand and remain saved (Читайте також: What are the commandments of God and the commandments of Jesus?).
Jesus commanded the church in Laodicea to repent
That’s why Jesus commanded the church in Laodicea to repent. The church was very prosperous and wealthy and trusted in his riches. The church had need of nothing. Хоча, that’s what the church thought.
In the eyes of people, the church was wealthy, процвітаючий, and considered blessed by God. Проте,, in God’s eyes, the church was not blessed, заможний, and prosperous at all, but lukewarm, whereby Jesus spewed the church out of His mouth, and wretched, miserable, бідний, сліпий, і голий.
Jesus counseled the church to buy of Him gold refined in the fire, so that they would become rich, і білий одяг, so that they would be clothed and cover the shame of their nakedness, and anoint their eyes with eyesalve, so that they would see (Одкровення 3:14-22).
Всі, who trusts in money and the riches of this world shall be deceived.
Коли гроші стають твоїм богом, you shall leave the straight ways of God
When money becomes your god and your love for money is greater than your love for God, you shall be tempted to leave the straight ways of God and enter the corrupt ways of the world.
Because the way the world operates is often tempting and promising
If the love for money controls your life, you shall lie, обманювати, and withhold things to earn more. Maybe you shall do undeclared work, creative accounting, красти, вчинити шахрайство, evade taxes and regulations, and compromise with evil to fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Because of that you shall leave the straight way of God and enter the crooked way of the world and exchange good for evil.
And to ease your conscious that silently accuses you in the background (and maybe even the people, who are witnesses of your evil works), you shall come up with all kinds of excuses, аргументи, and lies and play the victim to approve your evil behavior and wicked works and to exonerate yourself from evil.
But it doesn’t matter how many arguments you use, you shall never succeed in making evil good. Because to God everything is settled forever. And what is settled with God forever is settled in everyone’s conscious.
Because since the fall of man, every person has knowledge of good and evil. Therefore no one can provide a valid excuse for evil behavior and the justification of wickedness (Читайте також: Чи можете ви використовувати зламаний світ як виправдання?).
God sees everything. He sees the heart and the evil that derives from an evil heart. He sees how people reject the Word of God by doing evil and putting Jesus to an open shame (Читайте також: Чи можете ви знову розіп’яти Ісуса і відкрито присоромити Його??).
People can say they are Christians and believe and testify of Jesus, but the testimony of their works proves whether they belong to God and are born of Him and whether they love Jesus and follow Him or not.
Коли гроші стають твоїм богом, the words of God shall choke in your life
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, і обман багатства, and the lusts of other things entering in, задушити слово, and it becomes unfruitful (Марк 4:18-19)
In the parable of the sower Jesus revealed again the danger and the consequences of the love for money and the deceitfulness of riches.
Ісус сказав, that the cares of this world, обман багатства, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the words of God.
Believers can hear and receive the words of God, but if the cares (the distractions) of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of all other things, control their lives, the words of God shall choke and become unfruitful in the lives of believers (Читайте також: Чотири типи віруючих)
Коли гроші стають твоїм богом, the words of God shall be used for gain and the believers as merchandise
The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, і сказати, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest (Micah 3:11-12)
When Christians have a love for money, they shall use the gospel and the words of God and prayer solemnly as a tool to become wealthy.
Проповідників, who have a love for money are led by a spirit of greed and focus on gain. They misuse the gospel for the enrichment of themselves.
They consider the faith as a business, and the church as a company, and the believers as merchandise.
Their mission is not the saving and the keeping of souls, though most of them say they do, but their mission is profit maximization (Ой. Єзекіїль 22:27, 2 Петро 2:1-4 (Читайте також: Чи врятовані душі, fed and tended in church?).
To accomplish their mission, they rely on their own human wisdom, прозріння, and ability and use the knowledge and wisdom of the world.
They don’t focus on Jesus and His will, but on the will, потреби, and desires of people and respond to it.
And so they give the church a modern makeover, so that the interior of the church becomes more appealing to the senses of the (плотський) людина. They adjust the church service and sermons to the will and desires of man and what people want to hear. And they organize pleasant activities and trips, to attract and keep as many people as possible. Because more people means more money and therefore more gain.
By using begging techniques, they pull on the emotions of church visitors to collect as much money as possible. Because these (плотський) preachers don’t rely on God that He will provide, but they rely on people, who must provide money for them (Читайте також: Гроші, гроші, гроші).
Prophets prophesy for money
There are many carnal apostles, Пророків, Євангелісти, пастори, and teachers, who are always looking for an angle and only preach, молитися, пророцтво, and teach for money. They don’t take action before they see money. But such apostles, Пророків, Євангелісти, пастори, and teachers don’t know God and are not standing in His service.
If prophets prophecy for money, then they are not prophets but fortunetellers, who also only predict the future for money.
The sad thing is, that many Christians believe this insanity and spend (багато) money on these false prophets to receive a prophecy for their lives.
Many Christians pay for prayer, пророцтво, миропомазання, holy water, тощо. (Читайте також: Are God’s people destroyed for a lack of knowledge?)
Коли гроші стають твоїм богом, you shall not tithe and give offerings
Чи буде людина грабувати Бога? Але ви обкрали Мене. Але ти кажеш, Чим ми Тебе пограбували? У десятинах і приношеннях. Ви прокляті прокляттям: бо ви обкрали Мене, навіть весь цей народ. Принесіть усі десятини до комори, that there may be meat in ine house, і доведи Мене тепер цим, говорить Господь Саваот, якщо я не відчиню тобі небесні вікна, і виллю вам благословення, що не буде достатньо місця для його прийому. І я докорю пожирачу заради вас, і він не знищить плодів вашої землі; і виноградна лоза ваша не кине плоду свого на полі, говорить Господь Саваот (Малахія 3:8-11)
Коли гроші стають твоїм богом, you shall no longer give. You shall no longer pay tithes and offerings and remember the poor. But because you are led by greed, you shall keep your income for yourself and enrich yourself.
Many times the argument is used that Christians don’t live under the law in the Old Covenant anymore. Therefore Christians are not required to tithe and give offerings. But this argument is contrary to their other confessions. Since people like Abraham and Solomon and Scriptures from the Old Testament are constantly used and cited to condone their greed and love for money and their focus on wealth. This may be used and cited to receive money from God, but the words of God may not be used for giving to God.
The receiving part still applies, but the giving part is outdated and no longer applicable to the new man, who lives in the New Covenant?
We indeed don’t live under the law of Moses. But before the law of Moses, Abraham and many others gave a tenth of their income and the firstlings of their profit out of gratitude to God. They didn’t have to tithe but they wanted to tithe and did tithe.
By giving they yielded themselves to God and acknowledged God as the God and Lord of their lives and their Provider.
Money was not important, but God was important to them, which they showed by their works
Should Christians tithe to the church?
Christians don’t have to tithe to the church, because everything is of God. This is another argument that is based on the first church and cited by many Christians to not have to tithe and give offerings. Але люди, who say these pious words often give less than 1 percent (Акти 4:32-37).
Це чудово, how many Scriptures are taken out of context and how many excuses and arguments are used and cited by Christians to back out of their obligations and responsibilities.
When someone refuses to tithe and give offerings, it says more about the person than the words of the person.
If Christians weren’t led by the love for money and greed, but by the Holy Spirit, they would tithe and give offerings, and many churches would not have financial problems and lay waste and are leased or sold to worldly bodies (agencies, організації).
Всі, both poor and rich, should at least give a tenth of their income out of love and gratitude towards God, not because they have to but because they want to.
Так, even someone, who doesn’t receive much and maybe struggles to make ends meet. That person should definitely give, so that by his or her deed the person shows, that he or she is thankful and trusts in God and not in his or her money. God shall see it and provides, because God is a Provider to those who love Him and fear Him and therefore obey His words and apply His words in their lives.
The poor widow in the temple, who gave everything she had, showed by her deed how much she loved God and how much God was worth to her, namely everything (Марк 12:43-44, Люк 21:1-4).
Коли гроші стають твоїм богом, you shall deny Jesus
Unlike Jude, one of Jesus’ учні. Jude had a love for money and this love controlled his life. His love for money was greater than his love for Jesus.
Because his love for money was greater than his love for Jesus, Jude betrayed Jesus and sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver to the religious leaders of the House of Israel.
Jude thought his deed would make him rich and happy, but Jude was deceived.
His love for money and his resulting deed brought Jude no gain at all. But his corrupt deed, which derived from his corrupt heart, led Jude to death.
Коли гроші стають твоїм богом, you shall deceive the Holy Spirit
This was also the case with Ananias and Saffira, who were members of the first church. They had repented (for the eyes of people) and baptized and apparently, the apostles had laid their hands on them for the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
But the love for money reigned in their hearts and controlled the lives of Ananias and Saphira, whereby satan had power over their lives.
Ananias and Saphira were led by greed and thought they could deceive the Holy Spirit and therefore they lied to the Holy Spirit. Because they didn’t know God and didn’t fear the Lord, they thought they could get away with their lie and enrich themselves. But their deed didn’t profit them anything, but let them to death (Акти 5:1-11)
Коли гроші стають твоїм богом, you shall not be able to resist the mark
And just like Jude, Ананій, and Saphira, there are many Christians whose love for money is bigger than their love for Jesus, whereby satan rules in their hearts and has power over their lives.
And because they have a love for money and their love for money is greater than their love for God the Father, Jesus the Son, і Святого Духа, they shall not be able to resist the mark that will come (Одкровення 13:16-17).
They shall not be able to stay faithful to Jesus and keep standing in the faith in obedience to the words of God, Who has warned through the Word and revealed the consequences, but they shall succumb under the pressure of the world and the antichrist.
Є християни, who think they can get the mark and repent afterward, so that they won’t be rejected by the world and excluded from society, but neither be rejected by God on the Day of Judgment and excluded from the new heaven and the new earth and cast into the eternal lake of fire.
They want to be a friend of the world and a friend of God. Але це неможливо!
Whosoever wants to be a friend of the world and belong to the world shall take the mark of the beast and remain part of society and live prosperous without persecution.
Але ті, who are a friend of God and belong to Jesus and are led by the Holy Spirit, they shall refuse the mark with all its consequences.
The choice you make depends upon the love that rules in your heart and reigns in your life.
Let not money become your god, but let Jesus be your God
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?» (Євреїв 13:5 ESV)
тому (якщо застосовно), repent and let money no longer be your god. Don’t be led by covetousness (жадібність) і обман багатства, but let Jesus be the God of your life and be led by the Holy Spirit and be satisfied. Because godliness with contentment is great gain.
Let Jesus be the love of your life instead of money
Put your trust in Jesus and follow Him and build yourself up in your most holy faith, so that you spiritually mature and become spiritually strong, so that you will be able to see the deceptions of the world and be able to resist the temptations, oppression, and persecution of the world and the mark of the beast. І так само, як Ісус, you shall not bow to the ruler of this world, сатана, and he shall have nothing in you, but you shall keep standing on the Word and stay faithful to Jesus until the end.
Будьте сіллю землі’
