Characteristics of the Nation of God, Part 3

7. Our Economic Philosophy is Sowing and Reaping rather than Buying and Selling.

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” Matt. 21:12-13

God’s Way is Giving and Receiving.
Mammon’s Way is Buying and Selling.

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38

8. Financial Philosophy – We Handle Money Differently

We are givers rather than takers.

First View: Do Not Desire to be Rich

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 1 Tim. 6:9-11

Second View: Exercise Your faith to be rich

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us… 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Gal. 3:13-14

The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. Prov. 10:22

As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor–this is the gift of God. Eccl. 5:19

Biblical View: Aspire to faithfully handle God’s wealth to qualify to handle true riches

“Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” 14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16:11,13-15

Passing Qualification:

We overcome the Spirit of Mammon which entices us to trust money to meet our needs.

• Wealth is what God owns; Money is a medium of exchange in the world system.

“The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,” says the LORD of hosts. Hag. 2:8

For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. Psalms 50:10

Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. Gen. 13:2

God owns all the resources and commodities of the earth.

And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deut. 8:17-18

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. Prov. 13:22

Money Belongs to the World System.

And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” 21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Matt. 22:20-21

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Acts 5:3-4

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Luke 16:13

Money should be viewed as a fruit of our lives,
not the root of our lives.