23-05-2024, 12:42 AM
Christian believers know full well that wealth has long drawn people from true belief and into idolatry. An idol is anything that they put first in their lives besides God or consider more important than Him. And whenever they allow anything to have a greater hold over their lives than Christ, they become a slave to it. God is a jealous God. He won't tolerate a rival, including the god of money that has mastery over many a man.
Christian people are not impervious to stumbling into sin and make a god of money. Some church leaders had fallen by the wayside. Penitents had mended their ways and sought God's forgiveness. The generality of born-again believers, however, do keep themselves on the straight and narrow and try not to let the world - material wealth, pleasures of the flesh - grab hold of them. They keep the world - which contains vast amounts of pollutants, spiritual contaminants - at arm's length, interacting with it but never allowing it to master or possess them.
As for tithing, many a tithe-giver, who's living right and acts in obedience to God, has received God's blessings abundantly. But there are some who give out of self-interest. They give hoping to get blessed. Well, that kind of giving isn't going to work if the attitude of their heart isn't right. For no matter how much people give or how faithfully they pay their tithes, if they give just to reap the blessing upon themselves, all their efforts will come to nought.
In conclusion, no one will be criticized for their characterization of Christians as grasping. It's patently obvious that the majority of the faithful will not serve two masters - God and money. Granted, some may have weaknesses and may stumble along the way, but most will strive to be God-centered and live in His favour than self-centered, cultivating true Christian behaviour as well.
Christian people are not impervious to stumbling into sin and make a god of money. Some church leaders had fallen by the wayside. Penitents had mended their ways and sought God's forgiveness. The generality of born-again believers, however, do keep themselves on the straight and narrow and try not to let the world - material wealth, pleasures of the flesh - grab hold of them. They keep the world - which contains vast amounts of pollutants, spiritual contaminants - at arm's length, interacting with it but never allowing it to master or possess them.
As for tithing, many a tithe-giver, who's living right and acts in obedience to God, has received God's blessings abundantly. But there are some who give out of self-interest. They give hoping to get blessed. Well, that kind of giving isn't going to work if the attitude of their heart isn't right. For no matter how much people give or how faithfully they pay their tithes, if they give just to reap the blessing upon themselves, all their efforts will come to nought.
In conclusion, no one will be criticized for their characterization of Christians as grasping. It's patently obvious that the majority of the faithful will not serve two masters - God and money. Granted, some may have weaknesses and may stumble along the way, but most will strive to be God-centered and live in His favour than self-centered, cultivating true Christian behaviour as well.