Lesson 9: Money

By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Commit to obeying God’s principles for proper use and management of money and resources.

(2) Understand the spiritual dangers associated with improper beliefs about and use of money and how to avoid them.

John Wesley lived in England from 1703-1791. He preached the gospel outdoors to poor people who would not be welcomed in churches. He lived carefully, seeking to honor God in every detail of life, including his use of money. He taught that when believers have earned money, they should save all they can and give all they can. He was a faithful example of using disciplined financial habits. He reduced his yearly expenses, so that he would have more to give away. Then, when his income increased, he kept his expenses the same, and gave away the extra. Although he earned much wealth over the course of his life, at his death he only had a few coins in his possession. Wesley knew that God trusts people to manage money for him, and taught that believers ought to follow God’s principles for dealing with money.

The New Testament mentions money more than most other subjects, not because money is so important to God, but because people have so many problems with money.

As the Creator, God is the owner of all people and the wealth that they have. As believers, we belong to God in a special way, because he has redeemed us. We should consider ourselves the managers of possessions that should be used for God’s glory.

It is not wrong to enjoy good things. God is pleased to bless us if we receive everything with thankfulness and humility.

But money is a spiritual danger for most people.

► What does it mean to be rich?

There are different reasons a person may be considered rich.

If you have money to buy more than your basic necessities, you are richer than at least half of the people in the world. Many people work each day for the food they will eat that day; if something happens to prevent their work, they do not have food.

People usually consider a person rich who has more wealth than most of the people in his own society. His lifestyle shows that he spends more money than most people. People consider him to be of a higher social class. He can enjoy luxuries that most people cannot buy. He has influence with people in authority. People are ready to serve him because of his resources.

The Bible has special directions and warnings for rich people.

A very serious warning is Jesus’ statement that it is very difficult for a rich person to get to heaven (Matthew 19:24).

We can get some understanding of the danger of riches from a message of the Apostle Paul for rich people.

► A student should read 1 Timothy 6:17-19 for the group.

Paul warns the rich to not consider themselves of higher class than other people. There is a temptation for rich people to think themselves better than others. James warns the church not to make the same mistake, honoring people because of their wealth or social status (James 2:1-4).

The rich person should not feel secure because of his wealth but depend on God. It is harder for a rich person to feel the need of God’s provision when he has financial reserves. There is a temptation to become spiritually careless because of not feeling the need of God’s help (Deuteronomy 8:6-18).

Rich people should be generous givers and accomplish good things with their money.

One of the condemnations of worldly rich people in James 5:5 is that they lived in pleasure while others suffered. Much good can be accomplished with wise giving. Money cannot buy happiness, but it can relieve much misery. It is wrong for a person to ignore the suffering of others while living in luxury.

Through the prophet Amos, God expresses his heart for human justice (mercy and compassion on the poor and oppressed) with these words: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). God pronounced judgment on prosperity when prosperity led to ease, self-indulgence, and indifference to the plight of the poor (Amos 6:1, 3-6; Amos 8:4-7, 11-12).

Every believer should sacrificially give to help the poor and oppressed, should tithe to support his local church, and should give to support missionary work for the spread of the gospel. John Wesley said that there were three reasons why the church of his day was making so little impact in the world:

1. Lack of sound doctrine

2. Lack of accountable discipline

3. Lack of personal sacrifice

► A student should read 1 Timothy 6:8-10 for the group.

The warnings about money are not addressed only to rich people. Many poor people feel that they can never be happy because they are poor. The Bible tells us that the love of money causes all kinds of evil. That warning applies to everyone.

The love of money can never be satisfied. A person who loves money will not be satisfied with any amount of it (Ecclesiastes 5:10). The Bible tells us that we should avoid the love of money and be content with our basic needs (Hebrews 13:5).

The person who eagerly wants to be rich has many temptations to compromise his character. Through the process of trying to get rich a person may leave his faith and gain many sorrows instead of the joy he expected.

Sometimes religious leaders attract followers by promising them wealth. They say that a person with faith should have wealth. Many people in poor societies are attracted by these promises because their lives are difficult. These leaders talk and preach about money constantly and are proud of being able to show the same signs of financial success that people in the world show.

The Bible says that godliness with contentment is a great value (1 Timothy 6:6). A person who pursues wealth by religious means has the same dangers as any person of the world who pursues wealth. Churches that promise wealth attract people who have not been converted by appealing to their personal desires. However, these churches are filled with hopeful people who never receive what is promised. The only people who get rich with the gospel of wealth are the preachers who collect offerings from people who believe them.

► A student should read Philippians 4:10-13 for the group.

Paul was thankful that the Philippian believers had sent an offering for his support. He told them that he had learned to be content in whatever condition, even hunger. This statement shows us that Paul did not always have an abundance of money. He said that with God’s help he could do everything. The context of that statement shows that he meant that in any condition he could be content and faithful to God.

► A student should read Proverbs 11:1 for the group.

This verse is talking about scales that are used to sell something by weight, like fruit or vegetables or meat. Sometimes people have scales that are designed to give a false weight in order to take extra money. This verse says that God hates dishonesty.

Many people do dishonest things for money. The next lesson in this course is on the subject of honesty.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian believers and promised that God would provide their needs. This is a wonderful promise. We should look at the passage where it occurs to see the situation that existed.

► A student should read Philippians 4:15-19 for the group.

The church sent financial support to Paul. He said it was a sacrifice to God. He promised that God would supply their needs. He did not promise a great multiplication of their money.

This promise was not for people who had been irresponsible or wasteful. It was for people who had managed their money according to spiritual priorities.

► A student should read Matthew 6:25-33 for the group.

Jesus talked about how God feeds the birds and beautifies the flowers and promised that he would take care of us. He tells us not to be worried about our survival. He promises that if we put first the kingdom of God our needs will be provided.

People usually do not worry about today but about the future. God has not promised to provide everything long in advance. Remember in the Old Testament when the manna fell, it came each day (Exodus 16). Likewise, Jesus said we should pray for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). God wants us to trust him daily.

James said that God has made the poor rich in faith (James 2:5). Poor people have a better opportunity to depend on God than people who think they have financial security.

Trusting God does not mean that we should be irresponsible. God normally provides for us through our work (Ephesians 4:28). If a person is not willing to work, he should not expect God to provide for him, and other people should not be obligated to give to him (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

We should not expect God’s provision to make us rich. God blesses a few people with riches, but riches are not God’s plan for everyone. A person who strongly desires wealth will have spiritual problems.

Functioning resources are things people have that help them produce. Examples are land, a set of tools, or a computer. A person can use a functioning resource to make profit, but he must maintain it and cannot sell it, or the production will stop. A biblical reference to a functioning resource is Proverbs 14:4, “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.”

A poor person may not understand the concept of functioning resources. For example, he may assume that his friend has plenty of money because he has an expensive set of tools, or a computer, or a vehicle. He thinks that his friend or relative who has something like that should be able to give him money when he needs it. However, any of those things may be a functioning resource that cannot be sold without making the person lose his income.

► What are other examples of functioning resources in your environment?

If a person does not understand how functioning resources work for others, he probably does not know what resources would similarly work for him. He may not be able to say exactly what he most needs or what kind of help would change his condition. He may describe help in terms of an immediate, brief boost in his daily efforts, rather than a real change of life.

One aspect of poverty is having a lack of functioning resources. Unless the person in poverty can learn the necessity of acquiring, maintaining, and reserving functioning resources, he cannot be brought out of dependence.

In some cultures, it is difficult for a person to save money and develop functioning resources, because the people around him expect him to share everything. They do not understand why he is accumulating money while someone else needs money. They expect to share what he has even if they have been irresponsible.

A follower of Christ must respect the expectations of his culture but also apply biblical principles. Scripture tells us that we are not obligated to help a person who will not do what he can (2 Thessalonians 3:10). If a person gives away his functioning resources to help a person who is irresponsible, they will both remain poor.

Scripture implies that the kind of prosperity God gives is for people to have their own functioning resources. The prophet Micah said that in a blessed society, every person would securely possess his own vine and fig tree (Micah 4:4). That refers to privately owned property and the means of producing something. In some places, agriculture may not be the best form of production, but the principle is that blessed people should have what they need to produce resources.

Often poor people who become believers begin to prosper more, not only because of God’s direct blessing but because of their better lifestyle. They stop wasting money on things like alcohol, gambling, and wrong forms of entertainment. They become better workers and get a better reputation. God blesses their support of ministry. Often the second generation of a believer’s family is in a much better situation than the first generation.

► What are ways that people in your environment can work and save to improve their financial situation?

Gambling is risking money in an attempt to gain money freely. Each person who wins is taking money from someone who loses, without giving anything in return. Many people become addicted to gambling, waste their money, and fail to take care of their families. Many people have used money that belonged to someone else to gamble, hoping to win and be able to pay it back. There are many people in prison for stealing in order to gamble. Many people in poverty gamble because they feel that they have no hope of changing their situation except to get lucky and win money.

Gambling is contrary to many Christian principles:

1. The principle of gaining wealth through work (Ephesians 4:28)

2. The principle of contentment (1 Timothy 6:6)

3. The principle of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7)

Also, God wants us to provide service or products for profit rather than taking money from someone else by luck. Gambling is harmful because it is addictive and increases crime.

Gambling is contrary to depending on God. A person should ask, “Do I believe that God is taking care of me?” “Can I pray that God will provide for me?” “Do I believe that the way God wants to provide for me is by risking money to gamble, hoping to take money from someone else?” “Do I think that God will reward me for gambling by causing me to win a large amount?” A person who gambles is not trusting God in his financial situation. When we truly trust God, we obey his clear instructions to us, knowing that he will faithfully supply our needs as we obey.

When a person borrows money, he assumes that he will be able to pay it back from money he gets in the future. Therefore, to borrow is to spend money from the future even though the future will bring new needs also.

The Bible says that the borrower is a servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7). A borrower creates obligations that limit his freedom.

Some kinds of borrowing are worse than others. When a person borrows money for basic needs such as food, he is getting into a worse situation. The food will be consumed, and the debt will remain, and he will be poorer than before.

When a person borrows money for something unnecessary, such as personal adornment, unnecessary clothing, entertainment, or home decoration, he is spending his future money. He is limiting his future freedom; in the future he will not be able to choose to buy things because the money is already spent.

Some businesses loan money at a high interest rate. People who borrow from them soon owe much more than they originally borrowed. Some stores sell things on credit at a high interest rate. People ultimately pay much higher prices for the things they buy on credit because they are not willing to wait until they have enough money to pay the normal price.

Sometimes people borrow money to provide the expensive wedding event expected by their culture. They begin their marriage with a large debt. The church as a family of faith should help its members by developing new traditions or by finding ways to make a wedding beautiful without being excessively expensive.

► A student should read Romans 13:7-8 for the group.

These verses tell us to give what we owe to others. We owe respect and obedience to authorities. We owe taxes to the government. The first sentence of verse 8 summarizes the statements in verse 7. We should not be failing to give anyone what we are supposed to give. This does not mean that we should never borrow, because if we pay back as we have agreed with the lender, we are not failing to give what we are supposed to give.

It is wrong for a person to borrow without intending to repay, or to borrow and decide later not to repay (Psalm 37:21).

The laws of the Old Testament are mostly addressed to the nation of Israel as a primitive agricultural society. Most people lived by farming and by producing what they needed in their households. Families owned the same land for many generations. Therefore, it was rare for someone to borrow money to buy land or start a business. If a person borrowed money, it was because he was in a bad situation and needed money for basic needs. God wanted Israel to be a family of faith that cared for its members. God told them to loan money to people in need without charging interest (Exodus 22:25). One of the characteristics of a righteous man described in Psalm 15 is that he does not loan money at interest (Ezekiel 18:5-9 is similar to Psalm 15).

It is not wrong for an investor to charge interest when he loans someone money to help him start a business (Matthew 25:27). The interest is the investor’s reward for making the business possible.

People who do business with the poor should not only be thinking about how to make a profit (Proverbs 22:16a). It is wrong to sell low quality products or charge unfair prices, because the poor do not have other options. It is wrong to make loans or sell things on credit for the purpose of taking high profit from people who are borrowing because of difficult situations. A businessman should look for ways to improve the situation of his customers.

The Prophet Ezekiel said that the sin of Sodom was not only sexual immorality but that the people lived in luxury and did not aid the poor and needy (Ezekiel 16:49). God calls us not only to give to the poor, but to help in a strategic way to make them stronger.

God’s laws for ancient Israel show us his priorities. Today our nation’s laws are not the same as the laws that God gave to Israel, but God’s concerns are the same and the principles are the same. The church should find ways to strengthen the poor, first caring for the family of faith, then making a difference in the community.

Some people spend all their money as soon as they get it. They often suffer from needs before they have money again. They are not able to take responsibility for others.

A budget is a plan to manage routine spending. Most people have expenses that they can expect at certain times, and they should reserve money for those needs ahead of time. For example, a person may be renting a house. He may pay monthly or annually. He needs to consistently save a portion of his income so he will be able to pay rent when the time comes. If his rent is annual, he will be holding some of the money for a long time, and there is a temptation to use it, but he should reserve that money and consider it already spent.

The first money reserved should be tithe (Proverbs 3:9-10). You should commit to giving 10% of your income to support ministry. Don’t wait to see if you have extra money for tithe after your spending. God will bless your faithfulness.[1]

After the basic needs are covered with his remaining income, a person should reserve money for emergencies. He should reserve some money for improving his situation, such as saving money to buy his own home. He should also try to invest some money into increasing his income. An example of a small investment might be to buy tools that allow him to be paid more for work.

A person who has a functioning resource (something that helps him produce) such as a vehicle or building should budget money to maintain the resource. If a person makes profit with his car but does not reserve money, he will not be able to pay for major car repairs or buy another one, and his profit will eventually end.

A person who does not budget may often be unable to take care of his responsibilities. He may depend on others for help and be unable to help others. His situation never improves because he does not invest in any way.

Jesus told about the Good Samaritan who helped the wounded man (Luke 10:25-37). Notice that the Samaritan had some money and a donkey to use to carry the wounded man. What if the Samaritan had already sold his donkey and spent all his money? Even if he had a good desire to help, he would have been limited in his ability to intervene in the situation.

Budgeting enables a person to prepare for his needs, take responsibility for those who depend on him, invest in his future, respond to emergencies, and support ministry.

In the early days of the church, soon after Pentecost, believers were so committed to the family of faith that they made sure everyone’s needs were met. They shared their possessions, and nobody said anything was his own. Many of them sold property and gave the money to the church (Acts 2:44-45). Though we may not expect life in the church to always be exactly like that, we see that when the church is at its best there is generosity and a commitment to taking care of the family.

The Thessalonian believers were making sure that all members were fed, but some were not working. Those people were living in leisure, depending on the generosity of the church. Paul did not tell the church they were wrong to take care of the family members but said a person should not be given food if he were unwilling to work (2 Thessalonians 3:10). For some, the work might not be employment for wages, but helping other believers as needed. Some people are not able to be employed, but almost everyone can do something to help.

In other letters Paul gave directions for helping widows and supporting pastors (1 Timothy 5:3-18, Galatians 6:6).

Every believer should be part of a local family of faith and should commit to helping the needs of the members and the support of the ministry.

► How can the people of the church work together to care for needs in the church while requiring people to take responsibility?

► What opportunities exist in your environment for the church people to work together to develop functioning resources?

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your promise to meet my needs. Help me to be faithful in my responsibilities to provide for myself and for others who depend on me. Help me to be generous with what I have. Help me to wisely meet the needs of others.

I pray for your financial blessings, but most of all I want to keep spiritual priorities and be content because of my relationship with you.

Amen

(1) Prayerfully consider the scriptural principles given in this lesson. Answer each of the following questions in writing:

• What temptations have I faced when it comes to money and resources?

• How do I currently gain money and/or resources?

• How do I use and manage money and/or resources?

• What does it mean to trust God with money and/or resources?

• What functioning resources do I have?

• Are there functioning resources I should plan to get in the future? If so, how will I do this?

• In what ways have I misused money and/or resources?

• How will I correct any misuse of money and/or resources listed above?

(2) Write a 1-page presentation of principles from this lesson, making specific applications to your environment. What do the people in your environment need to understand about the Christian understanding of money?

(3) Memorize Proverbs 3:13-17 and write a one paragraph reflection on it. At the beginning of the next class time, write this passage from memory and give the paragraph to the class leader.