We know it’s not a healthy sign when a Christian is money-hungry. When we have dollar signs flashing in our eyes, we probably have our eyes focused on temporal things rather than what is eternal. How does the sin of loving money compare to other sins a Christian could commit?
Although we don’t encourage believers to go whole hog after the almighty dollar, is it possible we pay no heed to those who do? When the Word of God says to keep free from sin or stay away from drunkenness, or don’t commit fornication, or refrain from loving your neighbour’s spouse — somehow we understand that such Scriptures are to be taken literally; they mean exactly what they say. To violate such fundamentals is to sin. And with great conviction, we would label such offences as serious and grave.
But what about the frequent references to the evils of being attracted to money and the commands not to love money? Have we been so conditioned by capitalistic values and a materialistic society that we fail to see the seriousness of our sin when we find money so appealing and attractive?
Consider this verse:
Let your conversation [character or manner of life or conduct] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
That’s a very familiar translation to many. Perhaps, because of our familiarity with that rendering, some of us have found the verse less arresting and easier to skim over without being overly convicted. But here’s what the verse has always said and says to us again today.
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.” Hebrews 13:5 ESV
It doesn’t say: “Keep your life mostly free from….” Even the older English translations don’t say: “Let your conversation [life] be without very much covetousness.” No. The thought is to be absolutely free from the attraction and compulsion towards money. It is not a matter of degree or the extent to which we love the dollars. We are to have no (n-o) love for the almighty dollar —even though we are surrounded by a culture and people who find money such an attraction — although often elusive.
On the heels of ‘No love for filthy lust’ teaching (Hebrews 13:4) is the teaching of ‘No love for filthy lucre.’ Do we have a far darker view of Christians who lust after others and flirt with them than those who sadly love and flirt with dollars? Are we quicker to condemn Christians for their love of an intoxicating beverage than those who love money and all that it will buy?
Money and materialism impair our Christian judgment and distort our view – so do chemicals. It’s very serious, and the Scripture has repeated warnings and commandments to abstain from the love of money. Oh, it’s so subtle and perhaps that’s why it is so difficult to nail down and identify. Is it love of money or diligence in business? Is it really me — the owner of my company who loves the money, or is it the business that loves the money?
See how tricky it is to see it for what it really is and how easily we can justify things and be in self-denial about the real root — sinful covetousness? Is it the love of money or just me being a good steward? The underlying compulsion must be judged by myself, but ultimately, all our motives are judged by God. Others can only look at the fruit and make an educated guess about the root.
That’s why we must be brutal with ourselves in the presence of God as we seek to walk in fellowship with Him and showcase Christ to a perishing world. We are quick to see the faults in others for their loves and their cherished sins but sluggish and slow in identifying our own failures and offences.
Check out another Bible Bite on this topic dealing with money and the deceit that can be associated with it that infected the earliest days of the Christian Church, requiring a severe intervention by God. Money! Money! Money!
We need to judge ourselves and our motives in the Lord’s presence. If there is even a hint of loving money, we must confess our sin and change course — just like we do for other sins in our lives.
"Lord, search my heart and help me to judge in Your Holy Presence any and every trace of money-thirst in my life and abandon it completely in accordance with Your Word and for Your glory."