Earthly thinking has permeated right through the modern church. This is evidenced through earthly interpretations of many Bible passages, and also a zeal for merely defeating the political goals of the unsaved, but not reaching out to them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Mammon is not behind money per se. It is behind wealth. Wealth does not equate to money. Wealth is that which has material value in this world, and may include power, prestige, social status, or even things like family, health and education. A person who 'has it all' is one who is wealthy, despite their income being below average: a big family, nice place to live, loving spouse, wonderful children and an intellectually stimulating job, despite not being the highest paid in the nation. Such is a wealthy person. in the Biblical sense of the term.
A person may think that he or she is not under the spirit of mammon because one live's a simple life. It is this belief prevalent in the modern church that the spirit of mammon has blinded so many mammonised Christians of the west. They are comfortable behind their wealth, and have no ache for the lost, the vulnerable, the hurting, the needy and the poor. As a result, they have failed to be salt and light of the Earth. The world tramples on them and laughs at them because of this (Matthew 5:13).
Many of them think that wealth is a blessing from God. No where does it say in the Bible that God will give those who are obedient to Him wealth, or even what they perceive to be "their" so-called 'basic needs'. No where! In fact, wealth is often a curse. After telling the rich man to sell all he had, Jesus warned His disciples, "Again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24).
Wealth is a danger to the soul. Money is a danger to the soul, but so are other things like power, education, family, romance and anything else that is earthly. This is because having some wealth stirs up one's desire to have more, and such a desire to enjoy earthly things for oneself is a love of earthly things. Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not (James 4:2).
The desire to enjoy earthly things to satisfy one's flesh is to love mammon. To love mammon is to hate God. Such desire manifests in jealousy and envy for others. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men (1 Corinthians 3:3)?
The root of all sins is pride which is manifested in self-love. Self-love is the love of the carnal flesh, and therefore the hatred of God (Romans 8:7). Envying, strife and divisions are the sins that are caused by self-love which is of the spirit of jealousy and envy. The spirit of mammon works through jealousy and envy that are of the flesh.
Mammon is behind envying, strife and divisions. This is not perceived "divisiveness" of those who seek to speak the truth, and in doing so, offend others. 'Divisions' in 1 Corinthians 3:3 refers to dissention that is self-seeking and seeks only to fight others. Envy is the desire for what others have. Strife is the love of conflict and dissention.
Such is the spirit behind all wars through human history. It is because people do not have, but yet want.
Mammon is not behind money per se. It is behind wealth. Wealth does not equate to money. Wealth is that which has material value in this world, and may include power, prestige, social status, or even things like family, health and education. A person who 'has it all' is one who is wealthy, despite their income being below average: a big family, nice place to live, loving spouse, wonderful children and an intellectually stimulating job, despite not being the highest paid in the nation. Such is a wealthy person. in the Biblical sense of the term.
A person may think that he or she is not under the spirit of mammon because one live's a simple life. It is this belief prevalent in the modern church that the spirit of mammon has blinded so many mammonised Christians of the west. They are comfortable behind their wealth, and have no ache for the lost, the vulnerable, the hurting, the needy and the poor. As a result, they have failed to be salt and light of the Earth. The world tramples on them and laughs at them because of this (Matthew 5:13).
Many of them think that wealth is a blessing from God. No where does it say in the Bible that God will give those who are obedient to Him wealth, or even what they perceive to be "their" so-called 'basic needs'. No where! In fact, wealth is often a curse. After telling the rich man to sell all he had, Jesus warned His disciples, "Again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24).
Wealth is a danger to the soul. Money is a danger to the soul, but so are other things like power, education, family, romance and anything else that is earthly. This is because having some wealth stirs up one's desire to have more, and such a desire to enjoy earthly things for oneself is a love of earthly things. Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not (James 4:2).
The desire to enjoy earthly things to satisfy one's flesh is to love mammon. To love mammon is to hate God. Such desire manifests in jealousy and envy for others. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men (1 Corinthians 3:3)?
The root of all sins is pride which is manifested in self-love. Self-love is the love of the carnal flesh, and therefore the hatred of God (Romans 8:7). Envying, strife and divisions are the sins that are caused by self-love which is of the spirit of jealousy and envy. The spirit of mammon works through jealousy and envy that are of the flesh.
Mammon is behind envying, strife and divisions. This is not perceived "divisiveness" of those who seek to speak the truth, and in doing so, offend others. 'Divisions' in 1 Corinthians 3:3 refers to dissention that is self-seeking and seeks only to fight others. Envy is the desire for what others have. Strife is the love of conflict and dissention.
Such is the spirit behind all wars through human history. It is because people do not have, but yet want.
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