Prosperity - Wealth – Money
Seek the Truth with all your heart.
Prosperous and very wealthy men in the Bible were: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Solomon - all children of Israel. Solomon was the wealthiest person ever in history. His net worth in today’s terms are said to have been about: USD$2.2 trillion. His assets are mentioned in 2 Chronicles chapter 9. Notwithstanding his immense wealth, Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes, and in chapter 12 verse 8 declared everything to be meaningless. He concluded in:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 ‘Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear GOD and keep HIS commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For GOD will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or bad.’
One can be prosperous in many different ways, however those who think that they do not need GOD because they are very wealthy here on Earth, will suffer the ultimate loss. By all means enjoy whatever wealth is possible on earth, but unless you make yourself eligible for GOD’s promised eternal life, by making Jesus the Lord of your life, then this life is ultimately futile, with an eventuality of eternal non-existence, never ever to exist again, which is desperately sad beyond description.
People who are pre-occupied and proud of their talents and accomplishments cannot usually sense their need for something greater than themselves. What a sad deception, which can be a blockage to eternal life.
Jesus sought people who were humble, and considered to be ordinary. They did not have obstacles to stop them fully trusting in GOD and following Jesus.
The Christian life has NO place for: greed, immorality (including unmarried sex), deception, flattery, love of power, or the love of money, which involves coveting and maybe making a ‘god’ of money, Money itself is OK, but not the love of it, or giving it first priority.
Earthly wealth and possessions are only of any use while we are alive and healthy enough to use them, however they have zero bearing on our destiny after death. Some people say that they will live on through their children, but this is not so, all that survives are memories and maybe wealth and possessions, but you are dead and totally unaware. Jesus is talking about eternal life, not eternal memories.
Self-sufficiency is a myth perpetuated by pride and temporary success. Health and wealth can disappear instantly, as can life itself. Know your vulnerability, don’t think of yourself as being bullet proof and immortal. Rejoice in your insufficiency, knowing that GOD’s Power is made perfect (= expressed) in weakness.
Abundant life is not necessarily health and wealth, it is living in continual dependence on GOD. Everything on the Earthly side of heaven is totally vulnerable to many things.
Money, like water and fire, is a good servant, but a bad master. Eternal life is of more value than having the total wealth of the world. Money and wealth are not the ultimate answer.
Matthew 16:26 “For what profit is it to a person if they gain the whole world, and lose their own soul?”
Those who think they do not need GOD because they are very wealthy here on Earth, will suffer the ultimate loss of what GOD has made available to those who love HIM.
By all means enjoy whatever wealth you have on earth, it’s only a servant like many other things, but unless you make yourself eligible for GOD’s promised eternal life, then this life is ultimately futile, because you have not included GOD with all of HIS present and future blessings. This only leaves an eventuality of eternal non-existence = never ever to exist again, which is desperately sad beyond words.
If a very wealthy person dies without having a relationship with GOD, life for that person was utterly futile.
The Christian life has NO place for greed, immorality (which includes unmarried sex), deception, flattery, love of power, or the love of money, which involves coveting money and maybe making money a god, (money itself is OK, but the love of it distorts its place in your life and creates wrong values and priorities).
The Ten Commandments are the guide, and when you are spiritually born again, the meaning of the commandments expand into deeper value.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 ‘You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your GOD, for it is HE who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms HIS covenant, which HE swore to your fore-fathers, as it is today.’
Wealth and financial independence are fine in their own way, but cannot possibly replace relationship with GOD in any way at all. Christianity and eternal life in GOD’s eternal perfect kingdom, offers immeasurably more than the most privileged and wealthy life on Earth.
In the end, wealth is nothing, and relationship with Jesus and GOD is everything.
Job 22:21 ‘Submit to GOD and be at peace with HIM; in this way prosperity will come to you.’
Psalm 37:16 ‘Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked.’
Psalm 49:16-20 ‘Do not be overawed when a person grows rich, when the splendour of their house increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendour will not descend with them. Though while they lived they counted themselves blessed, and people praise you when you prosper, they will join the generation of their parents, who will never see the light of life. A person who has riches without understanding, is like the beasts that perish.’
Psalm 112 shows that it is not wrong to have money and wealth, however the crucially important factors are: to be righteous, to have the right heart, the right priorities, to give into ministry and to the poor and needy, and to be wise with investment and money management.
So make absolutely sure that money is a servant, not your first-priority focus, not ruling and dictating your life. Focussing on money, is allowing money to be the master. If it is treated as just a servant, then it is not dominating your life; and you are able to think clearly and objectively about it, holding it in the right perspective, and not being part of who you are.
Proverbs 3:9 ‘Honour the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops (earnings / profits); then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.’
Proverbs 10:22 ‘The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and HE adds no trouble with it.’
Proverbs 11:4 ‘Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.’
Proverbs 11:24 ‘One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.’
Proverbs 11:28 ‘Whoever trusts in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.’
Proverbs 13:22 ‘A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.’
Proverbs 14:24 ‘The wealth of the wise is their crown, but the folly of fools yields folly.’
Proverbs 16:8 & 19 ‘Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.’
‘Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.’
Proverbs 21:6 ‘A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapour and a deadly snare.’
Proverbs 23:4 ‘Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.’
Proverbs 28:11 ‘The rich are wise in their eyes; one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.’
Ecclesiastes 5:10 ‘Whoever loves money never has money enough, whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.’
Jeremiah 29:7 “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray for the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Zephaniah 1:17-18 “I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind people, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD’s wrath. In the fire of His jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for He will make a sudden end of all who live in the Earth.”
Zephaniah 2:3 “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what HE commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger.”
Matthew 6:19-21 ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for your-selves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’
Matthew 6:24 ‘No one can serve two masters. Either they will hate the one and love the other, or they will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both GOD and money.’
Matthew 16:26 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
Matthew 19:16-30. Mark 10:17-31. Luke 18:18-30. This parable was spoken by Jesus to the rich young man who asked what he must do to enter eternal life, (the Kingdom of GOD), was not really referring to money but to priorities, because Jesus knew that money and riches were the young man’s stumbling block, so he revealed this by telling him that to enter eternal life he needed to sell what he had and give to the poor. At this the young man went away sorrowfully because he was unwilling to not allow his wealth to stand in the way of entry into eternal life.
So we must not allow anything on Earth that we value to stand between us and GOD, and His Kingdom of eternal life.
Mark 8:36 ‘What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?’
Luke 12:15 ‘Jesus said to them, “Watch out. Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions.”
Luke 12:19-21 ‘A rich man said to himself “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.” 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? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward GOD.”
Luke 12:32-34 ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for your FATHER has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’
‘Sell your possessions,’ means to not allow your wealth and financial independence to block - stand in the way of - helping the poor and giving to where there is genuine need.
Luke 16:13 ‘No servant can serve two masters. Either they will hate one and love the other, or they will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both GOD and Money.’
2 Corinthians 8:9 ‘For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you, through His poverty, might become rich.’
1 Timothy 6:6-19 ‘But GOD-liness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them and others into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of most kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the path and pierced themselves with many griefs.
But you, person of GOD, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, GOD-liness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of GOD, WHO gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, Who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which GOD will bring about in HIS own time; GOD, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, WHO alone is immortal and WHO lives in unapproachable light, WHOM no one has seen or can see. To HIM, be honour and might forever. Amen.
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living GOD, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may take hold of eternal life, the life that is truly life.'
This is often wrongly quoted as: “Money is the root of all evil.”
The correct statement is: ‘The love of money is a root of most kinds of evil.’
To be saved for future resurrection to eternal life, you need to have a positive, living relationship with GOD; irrespective of your earthly standard of living; whether you are extraordinarily wealthy, or desperately poor.
Hebrews 13:5 ‘Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because GOD has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
James 1:9-11 ‘Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. (High position means Relationship with GOD) But the rich should take pride in their humiliation – since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom fails and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.’
Revelation 3:14-22 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of GOD’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of My mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth, and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire = (GOD’s truth which has withstood much onslaught,) so you can become rich and wear white clothes = (symbolic of overcoming and of having moral and spiritual cleanliness,) so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with Me.
To the one who overcomes I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne; just as I overcame and sat down with My FATHER on HIS throne. Whoever has an ear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Money can be a blessing, but don’t allow it to qualify your standing. It is just a commodity, and medium of exchange, which must be kept in perspective. Have it, but do not ‘love’ it. Hold it below you not above you.
Abundance in the Bible refers to endless access to, and dependence on, GOD.