Is money really the root of all evil? Jesus talked about money often. Most of His money discussions were warnings. Far too many preachers attempt to explain away the warnings issued by Jesus.
Let’s take them seriously and admit that any of us could fall prey to money malfeasance.
Thank God for His grace!
The Root of All Kinds of Evil
I Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Luke 4:18-19 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Money Warnings in the Old Testament
God told the Israelites to take nothing from Jericho — nothing. Elisha declined a generous financial offer from Naaman.
Achan ignored Joshua and Gehazi disobeyed Elisha.
Joshua 7:11 Israel has sinned, and they have also violated My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things designated for destruction, and have both stolen and kept it a secret. Furthermore, they have also put them among their own things.
II Kings 5:26-27 Then he said to him, “Did my heart not go with you when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to accept money and to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves? Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence afflicted with leprosy, as white as snow.
Hosea 13:6 When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.
You Cannot Serve God and Money
Money is funny. It’s neither good nor bad. Money is amoral. However, many people stumble because of it.
Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
The Root of All Evil — Greed Is Not Good
There was a popular movie, Wall Street, that starred Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko. In the movie, his character claimed that “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”
Contextually, I understood his point. However, he was still wrong.
I Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
Proverbs 15:27 The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live.
Isaiah 57:17 I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways.
Jeremiah 6:13 From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.
Mark 7:21-23 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.
The Root of All Evil — Beware of Covetousness
Coveteousness basically makes the proclamation that we’re dissatisfied with where God has placed us in life. We look at what others have and become irate.
Covetousness, according to scripture, is idolatry.
Colossians 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Joshua 7:21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.
Acts 20:32-34 Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.
Luke 12:15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.
I Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Judgement Because of Money Misuse
God issued severe judgments over money issues in the Good Book. Gehazi became leprous. Achan and his family were summarily executed because of greed. Ananias and Saphira received death sentences because they played games with money.
Job 31:24-25 If I have put my faith in gold and said fine gold is my trust, If I have put my faith in gold and said fine gold is my trust if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.
Joshua 7:25 And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
Acts 5:5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.
Acts 5:10-11 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.
Money is not evil — the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.
We simply need to know how to use money without becoming infected by its insidious side effects. Stick with the WORD and you will do well.