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The Rich, Money, The Kingdom, And Christians

• Aulonacara's Musings // Bible Study Lessons
• Aulonacara // May 31, 2010

The Rich, Money, and Christianity (30 May 2010)

James 2:1-7 (NIV) - “My brothers, as Believers [Christians] in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. (2) Suppose a man comes into your meeting [church or home group fellowship] wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. (3) If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here’s a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' (4) have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (5) Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the Kingdom He promised those who love Him? (6) But you have insulted the poor. IS IT NOT THE RICH WHO ARE EXPLOITING YOU? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? (7) Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of Him to whom you belong?”

We might guess there were some accommodation being made for the wealthy in the Early Church. James writes to rebuke this. Let us examine the dangers of being wealthy as Christians...

Luke 16:13 (NIV) - “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

What does money represent? Isn't money what we use to buy goods and services in the world? How often do we make these purchases without first discussing the matter with God; being motivated to spend money according to our own desires rather than that of the Kingdom? Money can give us sense of control for security from the common problems of the world. That is, money can make it easier to live our lives by sight of human cognition rather than:

2nd Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) - “We live by faith, not by sight.”

Romans 14:23 (NIV) “... everything [actions and decisions] that does not come from faith is sin.” [and some Christians think they don't have a “Sin” problem... ]

It is said money is about power to control. In the ways of the world? This is true. But in the Way of the Kingdom? This is NOT true. We are primarily citizens of the Kingdom... above all else. Our (His) money is for BLESSING others; for Kingdom use...

2nd Corinthians 5:20 (KJV) - “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ...”

Who sends the ambassadors?

John 20:21 (NIV) - "Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.'"

Let us go down a short rabbit trail about the Kingdom.

From where are ambassadors sent? What is the Kingdom? Who is the Kingdom?

Colossians 1:13 (NIV) - "For he [God] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness [the world; see James 4:4 and 1st John 2:15/16] and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son He Loves."

John 18:36 (NIV) - "Jesus said, 'My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My Kingdom is from another place.'" [His Father in Heaven]

Luke 17:21 (NIV) - "Nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the Kingdom of God is within you.'"

The Kingdom is NOT a physical existence in a worldly sense. It is entirely spiritual. It is WITHIN us IF we have received JESUS into our heart (John 3:3). In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus says: “On Earth as it is in Heaven.” This is spiritual in terms of principles, behavior, ethics, causality, and morality. That is, the people of the earth should be converted to living CORRECTLY in the WAY of Jesus Christ; according to His Will, not according to the desires of the world (James 4:4, 1st John 2:15/16, 1st John 5:4, and Ephesians 2:2).

2nd Corinthians 13:5 (NIV) - "... Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you?"

Jesus is the Kingdom. Collectively we are His Holy Temple; the Temple of God, because the Spirit of Jesus is in each Christian (Acts 16:7 and Philippians 1:19). Each of us is also an individual Temple to the Holy Spirit of Jesus (1st Corinthians 6:19).

Ephesians 2:19-22 (NIV) - “Consequently, you [Gentiles, non-Jews] are no longer foreigners and aliens [to the Kingdom], but fellow citizens with God’s people [Jews, see Ephesians 2:15] and members of God’s Household [Kingdom], (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the Chief Cornerstone. (21) In Him the whole Building is joined together and rises to become a Holy Temple in the Lord. (22) And in Him you, too, are being built Together to become a Dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.”

1st Corinthians 12:27 (NIV) - “Now you [Christians] are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of It.”

The whole of Christianity is the Body of Christ, the Holy Temple of the Lord. We collectively are all each in Christ; in His Body [Church]. He is the Kingdom from where we are sent to tell others about His Gospel. We are His ambassadors. What we do with money must be related to the Kingdom! If not, then our motives are divided!

Luke 16:13 (NIV) - “... You cannot serve both God and money.”

Matt 12:30 (NIV) - “He who is not with Me [Jesus] is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” [has no fellowship with Jesus, flees into darkness; see Proverbs 14:12]

Matthew 19:23 (NIV) - "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.'"

Don't stop reading at verse 23. How HARD is it for a rich man to enter the Kingdom?

Matthew 19:24 (NIV) - "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”

This is an expression for saying the rich man has NO HOPE of entering the Kingdom! We must get this! The early Church did:

Acts 2:44/45 (NIV) - “All the Believers [Christians] were together and had everything in common. (45) Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”

Now... this is important. We MUST DEFINE what we mean by “RICH.”

In Matthew 19:23/24, there is a context to consider:

Matthew 19:18-22 (NIV) - “'Which ones?' the man inquired. Jesus replied, ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, (19) honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ (20) 'All these I have kept,' the young man said. 'What do I still lack?' (21) Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow Me.' (22) When the young man heard this, HE WENT AWAY SAD, because he had great wealth.”

Now, the last little bit in verse Matthew 19:22 is key. The young rich man was SAD. Why? Because he had great wealth! So? Because the rich man was NOT WILLING to PART with his wealth! Why? Because his wealth brought him a sense of security (a deception), where FAITH was NOT NEEDED to live life... yet FAITH tends to be common among the poor, since they often have no consistent human means for CONTROL (regarding self-security and basic life needs). Yet... that IS the POINT: we are to LIVE BY Faith in TRUSTING GOD for our NEEDS:

Matthew 6:25-34 (NKJV) -  “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (26) Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (27) Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (28) So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; (29) and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (31) Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

We can use MONEY to escape the need for having to comply with the principles Jesus taught in Matthew 6:25-34! It is easier to live by SIGHT, through money; to gain CONTROL which money often provides. But it can become a trap! The writer of Hebrews reduces the explanation of Matthew to this wonderful wisdom:

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) - “Keep your lives free from the love of money and BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE [which is why the 'Health, wealth and prosperity gospel' is worldly; and, therefore, heretical], because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'”

1st Timothy 6:10 (NIV) - "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Wow! There is another key phrase: “LOVE OF MONEY.” We can Biblically conclude that the LOVE of money is the problem which prevents the young RICH man of Matthew 19:23/24 from gaining access to the Kingdom of Heaven! If we LOVE MONEY, then we also, of innate consequence, LOVE the WORLD (1st John 2:15/16)!

You can be RICH, yes, but NOT for the ease of living without FAITH... NOT at the expense of the POOR and HUNGRY! It is a HEART issue (to express Christ-Like Love and Mercy). We MUST judge ourselves carefully!

There is another aspect to consider. Why is God so concerned about the poor?

Proverbs 16:19 (NLT) - “Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.”

Isaiah 29:19 (NLT) - “The humble will be filled with fresh joy from the Lord. The poor will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”

It seems the poor are more aware of their need for God! Hence:

Mark 2:17 (NIV) - “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'”

The self-righteous tend to be those who are deceived by the world and success with money. Sure, there are also poor who are deceived by the world, and are self-righteous. Many poor are also trapped by drugs and the other more base things of the world. The proud don't generally live their lives by FAITH. They tend to be those who are very worldly... be they the poor or rich; but more so among the successful rich doing things at the expense of the poor.

But the truth might be that the poor are easier to convince regarding the Gospel, because they tend to already be broken of pride (ego) and the "Pride of life" (1st John 2:16). Look at how many times God brought Israel and Judah into suffering so that they might find humility, then turn back to the Lord (see Revelation 2:22, Jeremiah 5:3, Hebrews 12:4-14). The proud rich are deluded and trapped by their own self-justifications about their morality and ethics regarding wealth and success with money. They are proud in the ways of the world and self-idealism (often secular idealism).

James 2:5 (NKJV) - “Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the POOR of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”

It does seem God has a special affinity for the poor. We shouldn't pass our responsibility to care for the poor onto any secular government!

There is still another problem with being RICH. If we are RICH, then chances are (not aways) we are doing MUCH WORK in the world to earn that money. Thusly, we are often living as slaves to such work in the world! Our time is then DIVIDED between the cares of the world and the cares of the Kingdom! Which do you want to serve? We must judge ourselves carefully on this!

Do your cigarettes, marriage (1st Corinthians 7:29-34), gym membership, tasty foods, entertainment, nice car, long hours at work, boat, camper, nice clothes, hobbies, nice home, vacations, higher education (in the world), and so forth... do these come at the expense of feeding the poor or doing other work in the Kingdom (Isaiah 58:6-12)? We must judge ourselves carefully on these things!

1st Peter 4:17 (KJV) - “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?”

James 5:1-6 (NIV) - “Now listen, you rich people [often citizens of Westernized “Christan” nations or Islamic “Oil” nations], weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. (2) Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. (3) Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the Last Days. (4) Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. (5) You HAVE LIVES ON THE EARTH IN LUXURY AND SELF-INDULGENCE [see Romans 13:4]! You have fattened yourselves in the Day of Slaughter. (6) You have condemned and murdered innocent men [Christian saints], who were not opposing you.”

We MUST judge ourselves carefully!

The bottom-line?

Luke 18:8 (KJV) - “... when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?”

More About Money

Proverbs 17:16 (NIV) - "Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?"

That is, Christians MUST seek the WISDOM of God if we DON'T want to be as fools with our [His] money. Our use of money should be Kingdom related whenever possible.

Deuteronomy 23:19 (NIV) - "Do not charge your brother interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest."

Matthew 5:42 (NIV) - "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."

However, what we do is motived by Kingdom Business with Love and Mercy... we are not to just "Throw Money" at "Problems" (see Matthew 7:6 and Matthew 10:16). Example, we would not want to give money to a drunk asking for money to buy more beer (this actually happen to me the other day: a woman walked in front of my truck, then came up and asked me for money to buy beer). We might do such a thing as an opportunity to share the Gospel.

Psalms 112:5 (NLT) - "Good comes to those who LEND money GENEROUSLY and conduct their business fairly."

Psalms 15:5 (NLT) - "Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent: such people will stand firm forever."

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV) - "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." [vanity]

This is referring to those with a worldly perspective regarding their desires on spending money.

Ephesians 4:28 (NIV) - "He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands [earn money], that he may have something to share with those in need [the poor]."

1st Thessalonians 4:11/12 (NIV) - [God talking to Christians through Paul] "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands [earn money], just as we told you, (12) so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will NOT BE DEPENDENT on anybody."

2nd Thessalonians 3:10-12 (NIV) - "For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: 'If a man will not work, he shall not eat.' (11) We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. (12) Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat."

We can suspect some Christians were taking advantage of the treasury of the Church. The money of the Church was for the poor, helpless, orphans, widows, and servants doing the Kingdom Work of the Lord (Mark 10:10, 1st Timothy 5:17-18, and 1st Corinthians 9:14).

1st Timothy 6:10 (NIV) - "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Wow, I forgot to include this Bible verse in the initial draft of the lesson! Oh the pain we permit to come upon us when we are in love with our money: as the comfort and security it can SEEM to provide... the complacency it causes... the distraction to the living of REAL Christ-like lives. I suspect we "love money" more than we admit! We must judge ourselves carefully on this!

Mark 10:5/7/9 (NIV) - "These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions... (7) As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ (9) Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; (10) take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep."

Jesus commanded they take no money or means for self-defense! Why? So that they could learn to live by FAITH in the FATHER to provide through PROVIDENTIAL circumstances (verse 10) as they DID WHAT? Answer: THE WORK of THE KINGDOM (verse 7)!

Luke 22:35 (RSV) - "And He [Jesus] said to them, 'When I sent you out with no purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?' They said, 'Nothing.'”

Wow! Father God! Forgive us for MISSING IT so badly in our respective walks with your Son! MAY we find strength to move closer into a demanding discipline for LEARNING to LIVE BY FAITH... for the FLESH wants the easy road of living by SIGHT and CONTROL that money often provides...

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