Gain is Not Godliness: What the Bible Says about Wealth

“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen (Matt. 20:16).” The blessed apostles who served God and not mammon were penniless, persecuted, imprisoned, Lazarus the greedy rich man burned while the beggar was carried to Abraham’s bosom, Jesus overthrew the moneychangers from the church and fed the most needy in society. Yet modern-day prosperity gospel led by private-jet-begging charlatans, offers the destitute nothing more than the spiritually-weakening notion that poverty and struggle is a spiritual failure — a lack of blessing. This great deception that has Christians coveting and feeling like failures for struggling financially, or not having mansions, jets, and yachts like mega-church preachers, is paramount to heresy. Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25).” It’s easy to feel unworthy in this consumerist age, but followers of Christ are not meant to live easy, carnally attuned life. We are meant to seek the kingdom of heaven first as the disciples of Christ who knew that life was more than raiment did.

Matthew 16:25-26: “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Timothy 6:5-11: “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ..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.”

Poverty and struggle isn’t a lack of blessing. It’s easy for those who have it to say money does not matter, but if we look to the Bible and the apostles, we see that the most spiritually blessed were materially poor. A generation of millionaire, self-edifying motivational speakers masqueraded as prosperity preachers, has deceived millions into thinking poverty is a lack of blessing. However, the word of God shows us the opposite — whether through Jesus’ teachings, the apostles stories of struggle, we are told a materialistic life isn’t a blessing from heaven, but rather a life of servitude, discipleship, and love of God is glory to Him. Do not compare yourself to those who fail to fill the spiritual void with carnal, selfish pursuits — to people’s highlight reel of objects on social media. 

The Bible tells us that the wicked may triumph and be materially rich on earth, but by walking in sin and disobedience they will not obtain the treasure of heaven. The Bible is firm in its condemnation of greed, of moneychangers, and wealth that comes from corruption and exploitation. It warns that wealth can be corrupting as people use it to sow desires of the flesh. The Bible condemns the worship of the rich and oppressive class, and oppression of the poor, “But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats (James 2:6, KJV).” It even calls on the wealthy in power to give fairly to workers.

• Psalm 94:3-4, KJV: “Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?” 

• James 5:1-8: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.  Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

• James 1:11: “For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.“

• Luke 16:20-25: “ And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”

• Mark 11:15-17: “And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple; And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.”

• Acts 8:20-21: “But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.  Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
• Colossians 4:1: “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.”

Those who are materially rich, are to not only walk in God’s commandments and statutes  but to give to the poor cheerfully, and not live a hedonist life of excess.

• Matthew 19:20-21, KJV: “And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” 

• 2 Corinthians 9:7-9: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.”

• Deuteronomy 24:19-22, KJV: “¹⁹ When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.²⁰ When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. ²¹ When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. ²² And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.” 

• “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35)

God has chosen the poor, and rich in faith. The poorest will be “first” in the sense that there is no advantage to being rich. No one can be saved on their own merits. Jesus destroyed the notion taught by rabbis that wealth was a sign of God’s approval, so why have modern-day Christians devolved back to this ideology?  

• Mark 10:31, KJV: “But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.” 

• Luke 21:1-4, KJV: “And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”

• James 2:2-8:  For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?  Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

What is carnal, perishes, we are not to covet material abundance. We can not be servants of both God and mammon. Christians are  to walk after the spirit, after the kingdom of heaven first because Jesus is the bread of life. We are called not to distract ourselves with earthly lusts and covetousness. We are not to worry about anything but trust God.

• Mark 8:34-38: And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

• 1 Timothy 6:5-11: Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.9 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. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
• John 6:27, 32-35, KJV: 32 “27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” 

• Psalm 94:6-10, KJV: “They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever: That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. 

• Matthew 6:19–24: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. .No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
• Matthew 6:25: “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?”

• 1 Timothy 6:9, KJV: “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.”

• Luke 21:34-36: “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

This Christmas as everyone is sharing gifts and prosperity online, let’s remember that the material is not the eternal and not enter the coming year coveting. Instead we should enter the year as 2 Timothy 2:22 instructs us, “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”  Material wealth will not give us the treasure of heaven. We must seek the kingdom of God first and all things shall be added on to us. A lack of wealth isn’t a lack of blessing, it’s part of the struggle of living in a fallen world, but we must not center on our problems, we must focus on Jesus Christ’s words, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:13)”