The spirit of mammon is that which works through a person's anxiety for anything that is earthly - whether that be physical possessions, happiness or what are often called 'basic rights'. Absolutely everything comes from God, and so God is the sole authority in everything. Anything that deviates the slightest bit from God's nature and authority, is against God.
Human nature is one that can only love the flesh. The flesh is that which lust for the things of the world, and can only lust for the things of the world because it is in bondage to love of the world. The acts of the flesh are: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like (Galatians 5:19-20). All these things are of the flesh and therefore, human nature which is fleshly seeks only for these things.
The doctrine of 'rights' is that of idolatry, selfish ambition and envy.These three things arise from anxiety for one's earthly needs, leading one to turn away from trusting God fully, and chase after these things. One might argue, "I don't have selfish ambition, I am not envious of others and I am not an idolatry", therefore, I am not yielding to the spirit of mammon. When a person makes such a retort, it indicates that the person is trying not to yield to the temptations of mammon in his own fallible, human strength. A person can be one who has no selfish ambition, not envious but fail to fully trust God in providing his needs. Such is (presumably) a Christian who has taken the bait from mammon. As long as one feels inadequate and the slightest bit of independence from God, mammon will seduce the person into feeling independent in one's own 'right'.
The feeling of independence from God is a sin. It is of selfish ambition, and disregard of submission to God. At the root of this is pride, and causes one is feel envious of the plan God has for others, and to idolise one's own 'strength'. Feeling independent of God is itself idolatry, an act of the flesh, which God hates. Such a person will fall for mammon's temptations because the flesh can only serve mammon, and hate God.
It is because the flesh can only feel anxiety for earthly things, mammon stirs up such anxiety in people. He has manifested through the doctrine of 'rights', one of self-entitlement, which disregards God's grace and providence, and one of independence from God which is idolatry.
'Rights' is a means of expressing one's own perceived lack of something that one believes one is entitled to, rather than seeking to serve others first, that which is of the spirit of love. It is a means of expressing one's trust in earthly things because 'rights' are a quest for one's own interests, and therefore to satisfies desires for the acts of the flesh.
The doctrine of 'rights' is of mammon, masquerading as 'legitimate needs' and blinding those under the spirit of mammon because such people think that they are entitled to seek their earthly 'needs', including many professing Christians. It it is this very act that expresses a lack of trust in God, and a trust in mammon.
Human nature is one that can only love the flesh. The flesh is that which lust for the things of the world, and can only lust for the things of the world because it is in bondage to love of the world. The acts of the flesh are: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like (Galatians 5:19-20). All these things are of the flesh and therefore, human nature which is fleshly seeks only for these things.
The doctrine of 'rights' is that of idolatry, selfish ambition and envy.These three things arise from anxiety for one's earthly needs, leading one to turn away from trusting God fully, and chase after these things. One might argue, "I don't have selfish ambition, I am not envious of others and I am not an idolatry", therefore, I am not yielding to the spirit of mammon. When a person makes such a retort, it indicates that the person is trying not to yield to the temptations of mammon in his own fallible, human strength. A person can be one who has no selfish ambition, not envious but fail to fully trust God in providing his needs. Such is (presumably) a Christian who has taken the bait from mammon. As long as one feels inadequate and the slightest bit of independence from God, mammon will seduce the person into feeling independent in one's own 'right'.
The feeling of independence from God is a sin. It is of selfish ambition, and disregard of submission to God. At the root of this is pride, and causes one is feel envious of the plan God has for others, and to idolise one's own 'strength'. Feeling independent of God is itself idolatry, an act of the flesh, which God hates. Such a person will fall for mammon's temptations because the flesh can only serve mammon, and hate God.
It is because the flesh can only feel anxiety for earthly things, mammon stirs up such anxiety in people. He has manifested through the doctrine of 'rights', one of self-entitlement, which disregards God's grace and providence, and one of independence from God which is idolatry.
'Rights' is a means of expressing one's own perceived lack of something that one believes one is entitled to, rather than seeking to serve others first, that which is of the spirit of love. It is a means of expressing one's trust in earthly things because 'rights' are a quest for one's own interests, and therefore to satisfies desires for the acts of the flesh.
The doctrine of 'rights' is of mammon, masquerading as 'legitimate needs' and blinding those under the spirit of mammon because such people think that they are entitled to seek their earthly 'needs', including many professing Christians. It it is this very act that expresses a lack of trust in God, and a trust in mammon.
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