God and Money

Stewarding Money and Material Wealth

Our focus in this teaching is the importance of stewarding material wealth, with a specific focus on money.

There is only one owner for all the wealth in the world and that is God.

We are called to be stewards, and stewards are called to be wise in their use of money and wealth to give a good return to the owner, the Lord Jesus Christ, when He returns.

Money is important to God. If we do not steward our money in line with God’s Word and will, then we are out of line with God’s will everywhere.

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus spoke of two kinds of wealth; one is material wealth which is temporary, and the other is spiritual wealth which is eternal.

What we do with our material wealth (money, assets like land, buildings, inheritances we receive from family members etc.) has a lot to do with how much eternal wealth we end up with. (Luke 16:11). 

In the example of Moses in Hebrews 11:24-27, we learn that Moses was faced with a choice in this regard. He understood the ways of God and was able to refuse the privileges of being Pharaoh’s son, chose rather to suffer with the people of God, esteem the reproach as a result of his stand for God, and endure till the end since he kept his eyes on God who is invisible. Moses did not embrace poverty, but true riches. It is the same for us; we must learn to refuse, choose, esteem, and endure, seeing Him who is invisible. That is God’s wisdom and that is faith.

Is money good or evil?

In Revelation 5;12, of the seven aspects of this world attributed to the Lamb on the throne we find power, riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. Riches include money. Seen rightly, power, wisdom, riches, strength can be used to oppress people, but it does not make it evil. In Haggai 2:8-9 God attributes the silver (Heb, kesef or money) and the gold to the coming glory of the temple, which is more fully to be seen with the presence of God among His people in the coming ages.

What we do with our money proves the sincerity of our love for God and His kingdom. (2 Corinthians 8:8,24).

So, it is important we pay heed to the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:24 “you cannot serve God and mammon.” While money is not inherently evil, Jesus is pointing out that mammon is an evil influence inspired by Satan himself. Mammon has a controlling influence and has the final say in the lives of many believers. It dictates the service and surrender of God’s people. It leads to inequality in the body of Christ, the gap between the haves and the have nots.

The question we should learn to ask ourselves is not will we serve but who will we serve?

Man is always serving someone or something, so it is important as believers, we know whom we are serving, God or mammon. The proof is in how we use our money. A practical way to identify this in our lives is to follow the money trail; where do you invest your money? Your heart will be where you invest your money. So, Jesus is essentially telling His people, “Invest wisely, invest where your heart is” and He leaves the choice to each of us. When each of us stand before the judgement seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10), our choices will become apparent for eternity.

Some truths of Kingdom giving that should govern lives of believers in Christ:

1. Give not under command (law) but by grace through faith. When we tithe, we do so like our father Abraham who acknowledged the priesthood of Melchizedek, pointing to Jesus Christ, our great high Priest before God. It is like Jacob who acknowledged that the Lord is God who prospers His people- John 1:17, Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 3:3, Proverbs 4:23; Romans 4:11-12, Genesis 14:19-20, 28:20-22 and 32:10.

2. The Holy Spirit is generous. David recognized that he had lost the joy of salvation and asked that God would uphold him by His free (generous) Spirit. Many times, the lack of joy in believers may point to a wrong stewardship of money and material wealth. First learn to give yourself as a living sacrifice and then the mind will be renewed to understand and walk in God’s will which is good, pleasing, and perfect. The old wineskin, unrenewed mind cannot discover God’s will. Those who wait to give until they receive a blessing are not moving in faith but fear - Psalm 51:12, Romans 12:1-2; Luke 6:38

3. God’s grace gives you abundant life, and abundance. It is like a “wave” that measures us to the point of overflowing - 2 Corinthians 9:8

4. View your giving as sowing a seed. The measure of your sowing determines the measure of your reaping. Invest in places that bring the greatest harvest of eternal wealth. Do not be foolish and scatter your seeds without prayer and thought. Do not give by habit or impulsively because others are giving. Give because you are convinced about God’s generosity towards you in Christ. Do not get discouraged when you do not see immediate fruit. 2 Corinthians 9:6, Galatians 6:9, 2 Corinthians 4:1

5. Giving is part of worship. It is sacred, and is to be offered in an attitude of faith and prayer- Exodus 23:15, Psalm 96:8

6. God keeps a reckoning (an accounting) of our giving for the kingdom. He gave the law through Moses, and about 1,200 years later, God spoke through Malachi and said that people had robbed what rightfully belonged to Him. It is the same for us as believers. Bring your seed into the storehouse, where you receive the spiritual food, you eat and the seed you sow. Do not withhold it from God. Malachi 3:7-8

7. We give because we are under a better covenant, with better promises. Could we then offer God less than what they offered God under the Mosaic law? Hebrews 8:6

   
   

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