Think about the difference between giving to get and giving because you’ve already received so much. Giving to get is focused on selfish desires. But giving because you’ve received so much is focused on giving gratefully in light of what you’ve received.
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)
This week we’re going to highlight verse 5 where the apostle Paul explains that some people in Timothy’s church were “imagining that godliness is a means of gain.” There were false teachers in Timothy’s church that were teaching people that Christianity is a means to get rich. They taught that godliness makes you healthy, wealthy and wise.
This type of theology is most noticeable in the health, wealth & prosperity teachers throughout the world today who prostitute the message of the gospel & live extravagant lifestyles that are underwritten by the financial donations of the people who buy into their message of give-money-to-get-money & be healthy, wealthy & wise. A person who loves money gives to get. But a person who loves God with their money gives gratefully because they’ve received so much in the person and work of Jesus.
Think about the difference between giving to get and giving because you’ve already received so much. Giving to get is focused on selfish desires. But giving because you’ve received so much is focused on giving gratefully in light of what you’ve received.
It’s too easy for us to fall into selfishness and get consumed with thinking about all the things we don’t currently have that we wish we had. But this kind of thinking leads to completely overlooking the things we do have in Christ.
In Christ we have all that we could ever need. We have new life, we have the presence of the Holy Spirit, we have the love and mercy and grace of God and we have the promises of God that point us to the hope of Heaven. What more could we really want in this life that would compare to what we have in Christ?
So a person who loves money gives to get. But a person who loves God with their money gives gratefully because they’ve received so much in the person and work of Jesus.