If you love money then your life will be characterized by teachings and beliefs that are heretical, untrue, unstable, contrary and in opposition to the teachings of Jesus, which produce godliness. Have you ever thought about how your thoughts, desires and behavior with money can teach things that are in opposition to the gospel?
Look at 1 Timothy 6:3 – 10…
3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
As we’ve looked at this passage over the last few weeks we’ve learned that:
- The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (9-10).
- A person who loves God with their money is content with the basic necessities of life (8).
- A person who loves God with their money is content with not pursuing material gain (7).
- A person who loves God with their money is content with becoming more like Jesus (6).
- A person who loves God with their money gives gratefully because they’ve received so much in Christ (5).
- A person who loves God with their money lives in peace because of the cross of Christ.
This week we’ll highlight verse 3. Notice that Paul tells Timothy that a person who loves money is someone who “teaches a different doctrine & does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ & the teaching that accords with godliness.” In other words, if you love money then you’ll be a person who opposes the gospel.
If you love money then your life will be characterized by teachings and beliefs that are heretical, untrue, unstable, contrary and in opposition to the teachings of Jesus, which produce godliness. Have you ever thought about how your thoughts, desires and behavior with money can teach things that are in opposition to the gospel?
The gospel says that in Christ we have everything we could ever need. But a person who loves money opposes the plain and literal teaching of the gospel. If you are a person who loves money then you will resist and reject the gospel and you will actively preach a false gospel that says that, you, not God, are the ultimate dictator of right and wrong when it comes to managing money.
You will ultimately set yourself up as the god of your life. You will not find satisfaction in Christ because you’re pursuit of more money and your love of money will quench any joy or satisfaction you could find in Christ. A person who loves money… opposes the gospel.
But a person who loves God with money doesn’t oppose the gospel. When you love God with money you represent or reflect or put skin and clothing on the gospel. When you love God with money you resist the temptation to be selfish by being generous. You resist the temptation to spend impulsively by spending wisely. You resist the temptation to hoard wealth by giving sacrificially.
Can you see how someone who loves God with money represents the gospel? In the gospel we meet a loving, generous, wise and sacrificial God who gave his Son Jesus at the cross to pay the penalty and price for our sin so that we can become part of his family.
Therefore a person who loves God with money desires and thinks about and behaves lovingly, generously, wisely and sacrificially with money. A person who loves money opposes the gospel but a person who loves God with money doesn’t oppose the gospel.
The question is: Are you a person who loves money or are you a person who loves God with your money?