1 Timothy 6:9-10 - The Dangerous Love of Money

From Pastor Mike Impact Ministries · 00:06:28

Show by Michael L Grooms

When money becomes the controlling desire of our hearts,it can become spiritually dangerous. That is precisely what the Apostle Paulwarns us about in 1 Timothy 6:9–10. In verse 9, Paul describes those who desire to be rich and explains that they fallinto temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful desires. Notice thatPaul does not begin by condemning those who possess wealth. He warns aboutthose who are determined to become rich. There is an important distinction. Aperson may possess considerable wealth and yet have a humble, generous heartthat is devoted to the Lord. On the other hand, someone with very little moneycan be consumed with the desire to acquire more. The real issue is notthe amount of money we possess. The issue is whether money possesses ourhearts. Paul uses the word "snare" to describe the danger. A snare isa trap. And one of the characteristics of a trap is that its danger is oftenconcealed by something attractive. An animal sees the bait but fails torecognize the danger surrounding it. In much the same way, the desire forwealth can promise happiness, security, influence, and satisfaction. But whenthat desire becomes the ruling passion of life, it can lead people intodishonesty, broken relationships, spiritual compromise, and even destruction. Paulsays these desires can drown people in ruin and destruction. That is stronglanguage! And then we come toone of the most familiar and frequently misquoted verses in the Bible. In verse 10, Paul says, "For the loveof money is a root of all kinds of evil." Notice carefully what hedoes not say. He does not say that money itself is the root of all evil. Hesays that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. That distinction istremendously important. Money is a tool. It can be used for good or for evil. Butwhen the love of money controls a person's decisions, it can become the sourceof countless sinful actions. Think about thetragic example of Judas Iscariot. Judas had the extraordinary privilege ofwalking with Jesus Christ, hearing His teaching, and witnessing His miracles. YetScripture reveals that Judas was dishonest with the money entrusted to him. Andeventually, for thirty pieces of silver, he betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ. Whata terrible illustration of how the love of money can corrupt the human heart! Paulcontinues by saying that some, through their greed, had strayed from the faithand pierced themselves through with many sorrows. That is another soberingthought. The pursuit of wealth can promise happiness while ultimately producingsorrow. Now, let me emphasizesomething. The Bible does not teach that poverty automatically makes a persongodly or that financial success necessarily makes someone ungodly. Abraham wasa wealthy man. Job possessed considerable wealth. And Joseph of Arimathea was arich man who honored the Lord Jesus Christ. The question is not simply what wehave, but what we love. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 that where our treasure is, there our heart will bealso. And in Matthew 6:24, He warned that we cannot serve both God and money as competing masters. So here is a questionworth asking ourselves. If the Lord were to take away some of the materialthings we enjoy, would our love for Him remain unchanged? Would we still trustHim, worship Him, and serve Him faithfully? That is a revealing questionbecause it helps us identify where our real treasure is located. There isnothing wrong with working hard, saving wisely, or enjoying the blessings Godprovides. But we must never allow those blessings to become more important thanthe One who gives them. And remember thiswonderful truth. Everything we accumulate on earth is temporary. But everythingwe invest in the kingdom of God has eternal significance. Money makes awonderful servant, but it makes a terrible master.

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