Are possessions blessings of God, or is the possession of great material wealth sinful? - Possessions - TouchPoints
Deuteronomy 28:7-8, 11“The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven! “The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. . . . “The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops.
The Lord will bless everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain .
Job 1:1-51There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.2 He had seven sons and three daughters.3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and he employed many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.4 Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them.5 When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice. . .
Although we are not promised material wealth, the Lord wants to bless his people with abundance. Material wealth can be a blessing as long as it results in good for us and others. If it becomes our god, it ceases to be a blessing.
Luke 19:8Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
Psalm 49:6-20for no one can ever pay enough to live forever . .
Jeremiah 9:23-2423 This is what the LORD says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches.24 But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!
Material wealth can do much good, but it cannot redeem the soul. Along with wisdom and strength, it can be the source of pride and boasting, absorbing glory that belongs to God. None of these compares in value to knowing God and experiencing his forgiveness and delight.
Luke 12:13-21Real life is not measured by how much we own . . .
A life dedicated to the accumulation of material goods is a life foolishly lived. Greed can destroy our relationship with God and with others.
Mark 10:17-27At this, the man’s face fell, and he went sadly away because he had many possessions . . .
We must not allow our material possessions to take the place of God and living for him. Jesus loved the rich young ruler so much that he gently confronted his idolatry. It’s worth remembering that each of us has an impossible barrier between ourselves and God that only he can remove.
Acts 2:42-47And all the believers met together constantly, and shared everything they had . . .
As believers we must see possessions as something to be shared in ministry. If our possessions are not available to God we aren’t either.
1 John 3:17But if one of you has money enough to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person?
We demonstrate our love for God when we notice the needs of others and give of our possessions to meet those needs.
