For The Love of Money...

It is evident that throughout history, prevailing up to today, there is a love of money among men and women. What does God tells us about the love of money? Let's take a look. 1st Timothy 6:10 says, "For the love of money is a root of all evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Understand that the intention of this entry is not to point fingers at anyone, but to inform on what some have asked me to write about, "The Love of Money."

St. Paul calls the love of money the "root of all evil." Is this true? It wasn't an opinion, it was a Biblical fact. It is an often misquoted verse, in which people say, "Money is the root of all evil." That is not what the scriptures say. It says, "For the LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil." The Love of Money, not Money itself. Having Money does not make a person evil. Scripture does not devote much time to the love of money, but even though it is mentioned but a few times, it should not be taken lightly. The Laws of Moses were strict to the point that if we stole from other and sold their possessions, if we hoarded money, there were consequences. Colossians 3:5 illustrates this point.

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." In other words, put off all your former ways, including a love of money. St. Paul warned us about the love of money in the end times. "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy..." (1st Timothy 3:2) St. Paul goes on to describe the 29 Signs within Man - signs of the End Times. Are people lovers of money today? Of course! It is evident in the world around us.

God warns us to turn from our ways, so that swift judgment does not follow. What does God truly think about money involved in evil acts? Well, let us take a look at what Jesus has said. John 2:13-17 says, "When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers sold doves he said, 'Get these out of here! Stop making my Father's house a market place!' His disciples remembered that it is written: 'My devotion for your house, O Lord, burns in me like a fire.' [Psalm 69:9]" If Jesus was perfect, why did he get mad? He had what is called Righteous Anger. As the prophecy said, "My devotion [zeal] for your house, O Lord, burns in me like a fire." In other words, My devotion to you, when tested, ignites. You do not make church a marketplace. It is God's House of Worship, not a place to sell livestock and other such things.

Since the people who wanted to sell things had a love of money, they went so far as to sell - in God's Temple! So how does God wants us to live, if we have a love of money? If one claims to be a Christian, then we must follow this: "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Does this mean we are to achieve what the New Agers call "Christ-Consciousness?" No. It means we are to be Christian! The Word Christian means "Christ-Like." St. Paul was not making a suggestion, he was giving a commandment from God: Put off your former way of life. If we put money before God, we are not only disobeying what he's told us through St. Paul, through Jesus Christ, we are disobeying the First Commandment. The First Commandment says, "Have no gods before [God]." Yes, we are to take each commandment at face value. But there's a deeper meaning. It also means, "Put God first." Can we say that we put God before money? We should be able to. It is not abstruse. So, if we are lovers of money, what do we do? If we can see that we put money before God, then it becomes an issue.

Troy Hillman