金钱不是邪恶的, 但对金钱的爱是邪恶的, 被许多基督徒引用. 这听起来很虔诚，当然这是真的, 因为圣经说 1 蒂莫西 6:10, that the love of money is the root of all evil. 然而, do these words come from a righteous heart that belongs to Jesus or from a corrupt heart that is selfish and belongs to the mammon? Because many times, these words are used by Christians to cover up their love for money and their covetousness and desire for riches. What does the Bible say about the love for money and the desire for riches? What happens when money becomes your god?
What does the Bible say about the love for money?
但敬虔加上知足的心就是大利了. 因为我们没有给这个世界带来任何东西, 可以肯定的是我们什么也做不了. 有吃有穿就心满意足. 但那些想要富有的人却陷入了诱惑和网罗, 并陷入许多愚蠢而有害的欲望, 使人类陷入毁灭和毁灭之中. 因为贪爱金钱是万恶之源: 虽然有些人垂涎欲滴, 他们在信仰上犯了错误, 并用许多悲伤刺痛自己. 但你, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, 信仰, 爱, patience, 温柔. 为信仰打那美好的仗, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses (1 蒂莫西 6:6-12)
在 1 蒂莫西 6:1-10, Paul warned Timothy of false teachers, who taught another doctrine, contrary to his doctrine and the wholesome words, even the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the teaching which is according to godliness. These false teachers considered godliness as a way of gain.
Peter also warned of false teachers, who would bring in damnable heresies and through covetousness with feigned words make merchandise of the believers (2 彼得 2:1-4).
But Paul said, that those, who will be rich shall fall into temptation and a snare, 并陷入许多愚蠢而有害的欲望, 使人类陷入毁灭和毁灭之中. 因为贪爱金钱是万恶之源, 虽然有些人垂涎欲滴, they have been led astray from the faith, 并用许多悲伤刺痛自己.
很遗憾, many Christians have ignored this warning and have been deceived by false doctrines, which derived from covetousness (贪婪) and focus on (fulfilling) the lusts and desires of the carnal man and earthly prosperity.
Because of these false doctrines, many Christians have been deceived and have come under the control of the mammon. They have a love for money and are controlled by greed, whereby they are never satisfied and never have enough but keep lusting for more money.
Everything revolves around money in their lives. And to get more money, they use prayers and the words of God for their carnal lusts and desires and apply soulish manipulative methods in the spiritual realm to get money and draw the riches of this world to them, just like those, who belong to the world and the ruler of this world, the devil and don’t know God.
By faith in their thoughts, 字, and methods they receive what they want. 然而, because they are carnal they don’t know that by applying these deceptive methods and participating in occult practices, they also open the gates for the darkness and not only receive earthly riches, but also corruption and mischief of the world (另请阅读: 生命是一个自我实现的预言吗?)
当金钱成为你的上帝, you can’t serve God
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, 飞蛾和铁锈腐蚀的地方, 以及小偷闯入并偷窃的地方: 但要为自己积攒财宝在天上, 虫子和铁锈都不会腐蚀的地方, 窃贼不会闯入或偷窃的地方: 因为你的宝藏在哪里, there will your heart be also (马修 6:19-21)
No man can serve two masters: 因为他会讨厌其中之一, 并爱对方; 否则他会坚持下去, 并鄙视对方. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (马修 6:24)
Jesus warned many times about the danger of love for money and the deceitfulness of riches. 耶稣说, 除其他外, that you can’t serve two masters. Because you will either hate the one and love the other or you will hold to one and despise the other. 所以, you can’t serve God and mammon.
然而, many preachers say the opposite and claim that you can love both and serve both.
And because many Christians believe the words of preachers above the words of Jesus, they believe this lie and walk in this lie and have a love for money and are focused on money and put their trust in money, 就像世界一样 (另请阅读: 为什么要宣扬成功神学?).
当金钱成为你的上帝, you shall trust in money instead of God
主如此说, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, 判断, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, 耶和华说 (耶利米 9:23-24)
And He (耶稣) said unto them, 谨慎, 并谨防贪婪: 因为一个人的生命不在于他所拥有的物质的丰富 (卢克 12:15)
但圣言说, that you shouldn’t trust in money, but you should trust in God. Money is a tool on earth and should remain a tool and must not become a god in the lives of Christians.
然而, many Christians rely more on money than God, 就像世界一样.
Maybe money has great value on earth, but money has no value in God’s Kingdom.
You can’t buy access to God’s Kingdom, nor buy the things of God’s Kingdom.
In contrary to the people on earth, God is not for sale and you can’t impress God with money and/or bribe God with money. And the Holy Spirit is also not for sale (卢克 12:15-21, 使徒行传 8:17-24).
Only Jesus Christ can save and keep you. His blood can cleanse you from all your sins and iniquities and justify you and reconcile you with God. Only through Jesus Christ you can enter the Kingdom of God and receive the Holy Spirit.
And as long as you put your trust in Jesus and obey Him and keep His commandments, you will stand and remain saved (另请阅读: What are the commandments of God and the commandments of Jesus?).
Jesus commanded the church in Laodicea to repent
That’s why Jesus commanded the church in Laodicea to repent. The church was very prosperous and wealthy and trusted in his riches. The church had need of nothing. Although, that’s what the church thought.
In the eyes of people, the church was wealthy, prosperous, and considered blessed by God. 然而,, in God’s eyes, the church was not blessed, 富裕, and prosperous at all, but lukewarm, whereby Jesus spewed the church out of His mouth, and wretched, miserable, 穷, blind, and naked.
Jesus counseled the church to buy of Him gold refined in the fire, so that they would become rich, and white raiment, so that they would be clothed and cover the shame of their nakedness, and anoint their eyes with eyesalve, so that they would see (启示 3:14-22).
每个人, who trusts in money and the riches of this world shall be deceived.
当金钱成为你的上帝, you shall leave the straight ways of God
When money becomes your god and your love for money is greater than your love for God, you shall be tempted to leave the straight ways of God and enter the corrupt ways of the world.
Because the way the world operates is often tempting and promising
If the love for money controls your life, you shall lie, cheat, and withhold things to earn more. Maybe you shall do undeclared work, creative accounting, 偷, commit fraud, evade taxes and regulations, and compromise with evil to fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Because of that you shall leave the straight way of God and enter the crooked way of the world and exchange good for evil.
And to ease your conscious that silently accuses you in the background (and maybe even the people, who are witnesses of your evil works), you shall come up with all kinds of excuses, arguments, and lies and play the victim to approve your evil behavior and wicked works and to exonerate yourself from evil.
But it doesn’t matter how many arguments you use, you shall never succeed in making evil good. Because to God everything is settled forever. And what is settled with God forever is settled in everyone’s conscious.
Because since the fall of man, every person has knowledge of good and evil. Therefore no one can provide a valid excuse for evil behavior and the justification of wickedness (另请阅读: Can you use the broken world as an excuse?).
God sees everything. He sees the heart and the evil that derives from an evil heart. He sees how people reject the Word of God by doing evil and putting Jesus to an open shame (另请阅读: 你能再次将耶稣钉在十字架上并公开羞辱他吗?).
People can say they are Christians and believe and testify of Jesus, but the testimony of their works proves whether they belong to God and are born of Him and whether they love Jesus and follow Him or not.
当金钱成为你的上帝, the words of God shall choke in your life
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, 和财富的欺骗, and the lusts of other things entering in, 窒息这个词, and it becomes unfruitful (标记 4:18-19)
In the parable of the sower Jesus revealed again the danger and the consequences of the love for money and the deceitfulness of riches.
耶稣说, that the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the words of God.
Believers can hear and receive the words of God, but if the cares (the distractions) of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of all other things, control their lives, the words of God shall choke and become unfruitful in the lives of believers (另请阅读: The four kinds of believers)
当金钱成为你的上帝, the words of God shall be used for gain and the believers as merchandise
The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, 并说, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest (Micah 3:11-12)
When Christians have a love for money, they shall use the gospel and the words of God and prayer solemnly as a tool to become wealthy.
Preachers, who have a love for money are led by a spirit of greed and focus on gain. They misuse the gospel for the enrichment of themselves.
They consider the faith as a business, and the church as a company, and the believers as merchandise.
Their mission is not the saving and the keeping of souls, though most of them say they do, but their mission is profit maximization (哦. 以西结 22:27, 2 彼得 2:1-4 (另请阅读: 灵魂得救了吗, fed and tended in church?).
To accomplish their mission, they rely on their own human wisdom, insight, and ability and use the knowledge and wisdom of the world.
They don’t focus on Jesus and His will, but on the will, needs, and desires of people and respond to it.
And so they give the church a modern makeover, so that the interior of the church becomes more appealing to the senses of the (carnal) 男人. They adjust the church service and sermons to the will and desires of man and what people want to hear. And they organize pleasant activities and trips, to attract and keep as many people as possible. Because more people means more money and therefore more gain.
By using begging techniques, they pull on the emotions of church visitors to collect as much money as possible. Because these (carnal) preachers don’t rely on God that He will provide, but they rely on people, who must provide money for them (另请阅读: 钱, 钱, 钱).
Prophets prophesy for money
There are many carnal apostles, 先知, 传福音者, 牧师, and teachers, who are always looking for an angle and only preach, pray, prophecy, and teach for money. They don’t take action before they see money. But such apostles, 先知, 传福音者, 牧师, and teachers don’t know God and are not standing in His service.
If prophets prophecy for money, then they are not prophets but fortunetellers, who also only predict the future for money.
可悲的是, that many Christians believe this insanity and spend (much) money on these false prophets to receive a prophecy for their lives.
Many Christians pay for prayer, prophecy, anointing oil, 圣水, ETC. (另请阅读: Are God’s people destroyed for a lack of knowledge?)
当金钱成为你的上帝, you shall not tithe and give offerings
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in ine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts (玛拉基 3:8-11)
当金钱成为你的上帝, you shall no longer give. You shall no longer pay tithes and offerings and remember the poor. But because you are led by greed, you shall keep your income for yourself and enrich yourself.
Many times the argument is used that Christians don’t live under the law in the Old Covenant anymore. Therefore Christians are not required to tithe and give offerings. But this argument is contrary to their other confessions. Since people like Abraham and Solomon and Scriptures from the Old Testament are constantly used and cited to condone their greed and love for money and their focus on wealth. This may be used and cited to receive money from God, but the words of God may not be used for giving to God.
The receiving part still applies, but the giving part is outdated and no longer applicable to the new man, who lives in the New Covenant?
We indeed don’t live under the law of Moses. But before the law of Moses, Abraham and many others gave a tenth of their income and the firstlings of their profit out of gratitude to God. They didn’t have to tithe but they wanted to tithe and did tithe.
By giving they yielded themselves to God and acknowledged God as the God and Lord of their lives and their Provider.
Money was not important, but God was important to them, which they showed by their works
Should Christians tithe to the church?
Christians don’t have to tithe to the church, because everything is of God. This is another argument that is based on the first church and cited by many Christians to not have to tithe and give offerings. 但人们, who say these pious words often give less than 1 percent (使徒行传 4:32-37).
It’s remarkable, how many Scriptures are taken out of context and how many excuses and arguments are used and cited by Christians to back out of their obligations and responsibilities.
When someone refuses to tithe and give offerings, it says more about the person than the words of the person.
If Christians weren’t led by the love for money and greed, but by the Holy Spirit, they would tithe and give offerings, and many churches would not have financial problems and lay waste and are leased or sold to worldly bodies (机构, 组织).
每个人, both poor and rich, should at least give a tenth of their income out of love and gratitude towards God, not because they have to but because they want to.
是的, even someone, who doesn’t receive much and maybe struggles to make ends meet. That person should definitely give, so that by his or her deed the person shows, that he or she is thankful and trusts in God and not in his or her money. God shall see it and provides, because God is a Provider to those who love Him and fear Him and therefore obey His words and apply His words in their lives.
The poor widow in the temple, who gave everything she had, showed by her deed how much she loved God and how much God was worth to her, namely everything (标记 12:43-44, 卢克 21:1-4).
当金钱成为你的上帝, you shall deny Jesus
Unlike Jude, one of Jesus’ 门徒. Jude had a love for money and this love controlled his life. His love for money was greater than his love for Jesus.
Because his love for money was greater than his love for Jesus, Jude betrayed Jesus and sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver to the religious leaders of the House of Israel.
Jude thought his deed would make him rich and happy, but Jude was deceived.
His love for money and his resulting deed brought Jude no gain at all. But his corrupt deed, which derived from his corrupt heart, led Jude to death.
当金钱成为你的上帝, you shall deceive the Holy Spirit
This was also the case with Ananias and Saffira, who were members of the first church. They had repented (for the eyes of people) and baptized and apparently, the apostles had laid their hands on them for the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
But the love for money reigned in their hearts and controlled the lives of Ananias and Saphira, whereby satan had power over their lives.
Ananias and Saphira were led by greed and thought they could deceive the Holy Spirit and therefore they lied to the Holy Spirit. Because they didn’t know God and didn’t fear the Lord, they thought they could get away with their lie and enrich themselves. But their deed didn’t profit them anything, but let them to death (使徒行传 5:1-11)
当金钱成为你的上帝, you shall not be able to resist the mark
And just like Jude, Ananias, and Saphira, there are many Christians whose love for money is bigger than their love for Jesus, whereby satan rules in their hearts and has power over their lives.
And because they have a love for money and their love for money is greater than their love for God the Father, Jesus the Son, 和圣灵, they shall not be able to resist the mark that will come (启示 13:16-17).
They shall not be able to stay faithful to Jesus and keep standing in the faith in obedience to the words of God, Who has warned through the Word and revealed the consequences, but they shall succumb under the pressure of the world and the antichrist.
有基督徒, who think they can get the mark and repent afterward, so that they won’t be rejected by the world and excluded from society, but neither be rejected by God on the Day of Judgment and excluded from the new heaven and the new earth and cast into the eternal lake of fire.
They want to be a friend of the world and a friend of God. 但这是不可能的!
Whosoever wants to be a friend of the world and belong to the world shall take the mark of the beast and remain part of society and live prosperous without persecution.
但那些, who are a friend of God and belong to Jesus and are led by the Holy Spirit, they shall refuse the mark with all its consequences.
The choice you make depends upon the love that rules in your heart and reigns in your life.
Let not money become your god, but let Jesus be your God
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.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (希伯来书 13:5 ESV)
所以 (if applicable), repent and let money no longer be your god. Don’t be led by covetousness (贪婪) 和财富的欺骗, but let Jesus be the God of your life and be led by the Holy Spirit and be satisfied. Because godliness with contentment is great gain.
Let Jesus be the love of your life instead of money
Put your trust in Jesus and follow Him and build yourself up in your most holy faith, so that you spiritually mature and become spiritually strong, so that you will be able to see the deceptions of the world and be able to resist the temptations, oppression, and persecution of the world and the mark of the beast. And just like Jesus, you shall not bow to the ruler of this world, 撒但, and he shall have nothing in you, but you shall keep standing on the Word and stay faithful to Jesus until the end.
‘成为地球之盐’
