The Christian and Riches

We've heard the prosperity gospel some time or other - preachers who pervert the Gospel of Christ, making it all about the believer's accumulation of material gain, while ensuring their own temporal prosperity in the process, and calling such vampirism the blessing of GOD. Just a few Bible passages would serve to expose their deceptions.

MATTHEW 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of GOD, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

 Paul's first letter to Timothy discusses wealth with some depth.

1 TIMOTHY 6:6-12
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith,
and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Shortly after, Paul reveals how rich believers are to conduct themselves as concerns their wealth.

1 TIMOTHY6:17-19
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Clearly, wealth in itself is not bad. The book of James contains a prophecy that addresses wealth, scheduled for fulfillment in the last days, warning all who expend their wealth on their own lusts. 

JAMES 5:1-6
Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.
Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

It says the LORD hears the cry of exploited workers when they are defrauded by unjust employers. My mind can’t divorce sweatshop workers from this scene. Or most so-called mboches. Or “perpetual interns”.

COLOSSIANS 4:1
Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a master in heaven.

The preacher made it emphatically obvious in Ecclesiastes: the accumulation of wealth is ultimately futile. The grave swallows the owner whole, another inherits the wealth. Today we see some “heaping treasures for the last days”. These see that the last days will be major trouble, but have put their trust in wealth, rather than in the LORD the omnipotent Giver of life, health, strength, and wealth, to Whom all things belong.

In the words of JESUS;

MATTHEW 6:19-21
Lay up not for yourself treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal;
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal;
for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.