Expert: Marvin Howard - 2/5/2005

Question
Hi!  I was wondering if it is ok to be rich (big house, fancy furniture, nice cars, etc) and still be devoted to God and be able to go to heaven.  I hope you can help.  Thank You.  

Answer
Hi!

Chad, I am glad to have an opportunity to answer this. I am sure you have probably heard, "Money is the root of all evil," or a variation on this. That is a misquote. Here is the scripture.

1st Timothy 6:9-10, "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

Note, it is not the money itself which is evil, as many contend. Money is only an inanimate object; a medium of exchange. Let's look a little deeper, seeking other places where money (or wealth) is used in the reference, what people did, and what the Lord thought about it.

Matthew 20:1-16 "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."

While this is a parable concerning the rewards of heaven and when one receives salvation in his life, it uses money to make the point, because the principle is already known and understood by the hearers.

Note with me please, verse 15. "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?"

If it is yours, whatever you do with it, provided it doesn't break a law (c.f., Matthew 22:21 & Romans 13:1-7), is acceptable to God. This applies to God's laws, as well as man's. Let's look at an example of this last circumstance.

Acts 5:1-11, "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things."

Look with me please to verses 3 and 4, "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

It wasn't the fact that Annanias and Sapphira kept back any of the money. Peter says here that it was their's to do with as they pleased. It was in their full control. What was the sin then? It was lying to the Holy Spirit saying their gift was more than it actually was, not in specific monetary amounts, but in percentages. They were trying to appear greater than they were. Why do I make this claim about their motives? I am sure they were aware of the teaching of our Lord in the next passage.

Mark 12:41-44, "And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."

Two mites was not much. Even then, I have heard it said, together, they wouldn't buy much more than a cup of coffee by today's standards, even allowing for inflation. However, because it was all she had, it was considered by Jesus to be a greater gift than all of the monies cast in by the rich. This is exactly the type of praise sought by Annanias and Sapphira.

Can I make such a judgment today? According to John 7:24, we are commanded to judge. But, according to Matthew 7:1-2, we must not add judgments which are not according to God's Word. We can judge by God's Word, since that will judge us anyway, and we will not add judgments to ourselves by adhering to this standard. In other words, the appearance of something (e.g., the amount of wealth of a person) is not to be the standard of our judging. With this in mind, the answer is no. I cannot judge the inward motives of a man based solely on appearance.

Philippians 2:12-13, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

It is up to each individual to determine whether his/her inward motives regarding money are either pleasing to the Lord or covetousness. Someone else may only provide guidance. Actions, however, are another matter, as they are visible, but that is another topic.

In summary, look at the lives of Abraham, Solomon, and Paul. The first two were wealthy beyond belief compared with those in their era. The last knew richness, but knew poverty as well. It was neither money, nor the lack thereof, which made them profitable to God. It was what they did with that which they had.

When it comes to the "rich young ruler" (Matthew 19:15-22 and Luke 18:18-24), he was trying to keep the Law of Moses as a set of physical actions, while ignoring the spiritual commitment one must make to God.

What matters is a combination of actions and attitudes. Neither one, by itself, will profit you anything.

I pray this is a profitable and edifying study for you. Should you have any further points needing clarification, on this subject or any other, I ask you to give me the opportunity to do a follow up with you.

In His Service,
Marvin Howard
preacherman_1962@yahoo.com
preacherman@phoneco1.net
http://www.geocities.com/preacherman_1962