A person who loves money has a chaotic life. But a person who loves God with their money lives in peace because of the cross of Christ. This is a hard truth to accept but it’s true nonetheless.
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).
This week we’ll highlight verses 4 – 5 where the apostle Paul explains that a person who loves money is someone who teaches a different doctrine or is a false teacher who 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, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth.
A person who loves money lives in chaos but a person who loves God with their money lives in peace because of the cross of Christ.
So how do these verses help us know if we are lovers of money or lovers of God?
If you love money you’ll be puffed up with conceit or filled with self-obsession. You’ll believe that you have all the right answers when in reality you know nothing which will be proven by your unhealthy craving for controversy and quarrels and arguments.
If you love money, you’ll be envious or jealous of what others have, that you do not have & that you think you must have. You’ll always be stirring up dissension or division because of your craving to have more than you currently have. This unhealthy desire erodes the peace of God that should be present among God’s people.
If you love money you’ll slander or say untruthful things about other people so that you can make yourself look better & advance yourself up the corporate ladder. If you love money, you’ll be suspicious of other people’s intentions & you’ll attach evil motives to everything they think, say and do and you’ll constantly experience friction & conflict with other people.
If you are a person who loves money then you are a person who is depraved or darkened in your thinking and you are deprived or robbed of the truth of the gospel. If you are a person who loves money then you’ve believed a lie that says money is the answer to your problems when the reality is your love of money, which drowns out any love of God, is the real problem.
You see, a person who loves money lives in chaos but a person who loves God with their money lives in peace because of the cross of Christ.
When a person loves God with their money they cease living in the chaos of the pursuit of money and material gain. They stop being an enemy of God. They are no longer puffed up with conceit. They no longer understand nothing. They no longer love unhealthy controversy and arguments. They are no longer depraved in mind and deprived of the truth. A person who loves money lives in chaos but a person who loves God with their money lives in peace because of the cross of Christ.
When a person loves God with their money they find everything they ever wanted or needed in the person and work of Jesus. They become a son or daughter of God. They are humbled by the truth that their enemy gave his life so that they could become family. They become a person who is being transformed by the renewing of their minds in Christ Jesus. They become a person who loves to live at peace with other people because of their newfound peace with God. They become a person who is full of the knowledge of truth, which is found in the person, and work of Jesus Christ.
In summary, a person who loves money lives in chaos but a person who loves God with their money lives in peace because of the cross of Christ.