Audio transcription
The love of cash is the foundation of all evil – so what warnings ought to be given to Christian entrepreneurs who’ve got down to elevate cash for a brand new enterprise enterprise? That's a extremely good query from a listener named William.
“Hi there Pastor John! First Timothy is absolutely an exhortation towards false lecturers and the issues in that church due to them. Then figuring out that 1 Timothy 6 offers with false lecturers, I’ve all the time had a tough time absolutely understanding verse 9 about 'needing to be wealthy'. I’m an entrepreneur and enterprise proprietor and thru my enterprise I wish to fund myself and my group so we will accomplish missions collectively. That's why I wish to withdraw some huge cash. Does it contradict the Bible? Is it within the context of greed or the need for cash as the final word? What does it imply to be wealthy and the way a lot does it cowl? Is there a godly option to get a whole lot of finance?'
Let's begin with Jesus' phrases after which come to the textual content he was speaking about—1 Timothy 6.
Jesus mentioned, “Don’t lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, the place moth and rust destroy, and the place thieves break in and steal, however lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, the place neither moth nor rust destroys, and the place thieves don’t break in and steal.” steal. For the place your treasure is, there your coronary heart will probably be additionally” (Matthew 6:19–21).
“The center that loves cash wants cash to be glad, so it isn’t glad in God. Such a coronary heart breeds evil.”
Later, Jesus illustrated the hazard of this hoarding of treasures on earth by describing a idiot whose enterprise prospered and so he stored constructing greater and greater barns to build up increasingly of the income he made.
The person mentioned to himself, “Soul, you’ve sufficient items”—way over sufficient—“you’ve sufficient items for a few years; relaxation, eat, drink, be merry” (Luke 12:19).
God mentioned, “Fools!” Boy, you don't need God to name you a idiot. Man could name you a idiot, however you don't need God to name you a idiot. “Idiot! Your soul is required of you tonight, and people issues you’ve ready in all these barns, whose shall they be?” (see Luke 12:20).
Massive barns
The issue isn’t that this man's enterprise prospered. It’s virtually inevitable that gifted, hard-working entrepreneurs with integrity will run companies that thrive. Total they are going to be profitable. They are going to earn some huge cash.
That's not what Jesus condemned right here, as if to say, “You recognize, for those who're good at what you're doing, you need to cease doing it. That's not how Jesus handled issues.
More and more bigger barns have been an issue. The issue was the buildup accompanied by — I say accompanied for it may be each the trigger and the impact—a way of self-sufficiency, of self-satisfied well-being on this world, as if the subsequent world, or the distressed world over there (in who is aware of what quarter), didn’t actually matter. me.
Jesus relates extreme hoarding to the place your coronary heart rests: “The place your treasure is, there your coronary heart is” (see Matthew 6:21).
If it isn’t evil to achieve success in enterprise, however it’s evil to hoard and hoard and hoard due to your sense of mandatory safety, your satisfaction, your indifference to the world, and your indifference to the approaching judgment, then that will imply that one thing else ought to be finished with the proceeds of all that God-given success.
Let's flip to 1 Timothy 6 and see what it says.
Utilizing Christ to get wealthy
Paul says: “Godliness with contentment is a good achieve, for we introduced nothing into the world and can’t take something from the world.” But when we’ve got meals and clothes, we’re content material with that” (1 Tim 6:6-8). That is the sort of witness that may appeal to the world as a result of it’s uncommon.
“If we’ve got meals and garments, we will probably be glad.” Christ has created an unimaginable future for us and supplies for all our wants.”
This may lead the world to ask within the phrases of Peter, “What’s the purpose of the hope that’s in you?” (see 1 Peter 3:15). They are going to ask this as a result of they see that our hope isn’t primarily based on what they base their hopes on – to be richer and richer and richer. Subsequently they are saying, “What’s the purpose for the hope that’s in you? You appear content material with meals and clothes, and in some way make your self the medium of extraordinary bounty.'
That is the distinction between true Christianity and the prosperity gospel. The prosperity gospel believes that the world will see the fabric prosperity of Christians and be motivated to just accept Christ. Properly, it doesn't work like that. They’re motivated to just accept the cash that Christians have amassed. If Christ could be a good inventory funding to get them, they are going to use Christ to get what they really need. That isn’t saving religion.
If we’ve got meals and clothes, we will probably be glad with them as a result of Christ has created an unimaginable future for us and offered for all our wants. This would possibly trigger the world to get up and query the explanation for the hope that’s in us, as a result of it appears to them that we don’t hope for a similar factor that they hope for—specifically, the buildup of wealth.
Loving cash
Paul continues: “However those that wish to be wealthy . . .” (1 Timothy 6:9). This isn’t essentially a profitable entrepreneur. Let's make this distinction once more. It is a man who sees his enterprise thriving and succumbs to the temptation to consistently improve his way of life with the symbols of wealth and energy—what he wears, what he lives in, what he drives and what holidays he takes.
Everybody has to look wealthy, wealthy, wealthy and opulent. In any other case, folks gained't know the way a lot cash they actually make and the way profitable they’re. That is “falling into temptation and a snare, into mindless and hurtful wishes, which plunge males into wreck and destruction” (see 1 Timothy 6:9). For the love of cash and all these symbols of wealth are the foundation of evil (1 Timothy 6:10).
I believe the phrase “the love of cash is the foundation of all evil” ought to be translated that manner somewhat than “all types of evil” as a result of the center that loves cash wants cash to be glad and isn’t glad with God. That’s the sort of coronary heart that produces all evil.
All evil comes from this sort of coronary heart: “By this very want some have erred from the religion and pierced themselves with many pains” (1 Timothy 6:10). So that’s Paul's model of the warning about loving riches and constructing barns in Jesus' phrases.
Cash will rust
Paul then gives another imaginative and prescient of the profitable Christian entrepreneur. So hear up, as a result of that is the reply to the query that was really requested. Paul says, “As for the wealthy on this age, command them to not exalt themselves” (1 Timothy 6:17). Know your self and your sin and your weaknesses and your dependancy and your God. You recognize them so effectively that cash can’t make you proud.
“We try for a coronary heart that’s so glad in God that we’re free of the need to hoard.”
He continues, “Neither hope within the uncertainty of riches” (1 Timothy 6:17). Understand how frail your physique is, how frail your thoughts is, Mr. Wealthy. Understanding how fragile the financial system is. Understanding how fragile tradition is. Understanding how fragile financial theories are. Understand how fragile and non permanent this complete world is. Know this effectively sufficient that you just can’t be so silly as to depend on one thing as fragile as wealth.
He continues: “However [set your hope] to God, who richly provides us with all the pieces to rejoice” (1 Timothy 6:17). This enjoyment isn’t just the straightforward pleasure of consuming and consuming, studying and gardening, however much more the pleasure of sharing these sources with others, for it’s extra nice to offer than to obtain (Acts 20:35).
Lastly, Paul closes and says: “They’re to do good, to be wealthy in good works” – that is an alternative choice to bigger barns: wealthy in good deeds — “to be beneficiant and able to share” (1 Timothy 6:18).
Keep in mind Jesus mentioned, “Don’t lay up treasures on earth. Retailer up treasures in heaven” (see Matthew 6:19–21). Right here is Paul's interpretation of it: “If you do all these good works and make all these wonderful enterprise successes a method of doing good on this planet, you might be laying up treasures as a very good basis for the longer term, that you could be lay maintain of the life that’s really life.”
He’s doing effectively
William, it appears to me that the idea of the reply to your query is that we attempt for a coronary heart that’s so glad in God and all that He’s for us in Christ by the gospel that we’re free of the need to build up. We flip our massive earnings, which aren’t evil, into doing good for others.
I don’t merely say “give to others”. I don't wish to be simplistic right here. I'm not saying, “In the event you're wealthy, give your cash away.” This isn’t essentially sensible.
Right here's why I say that. Making a gift of your cash is probably not almost as efficient in doing good as creating an trade that employs ten thousand folks. What can be higher? Give work to 10 thousand unemployed folks? Or give ten thousand folks $100 every? Or $1000 for that matter.
It's significantly better to allow them to work, and you will have a manner to try this. It is a deep and exquisite work of God within the coronary heart of a diligent, inventive, trustworthy, humble, unashamed, Christ-exalting businessman who has not deceived himself, however really wishes to reside for the glory of God and for the great of others, particularly their everlasting good .
