What does the Bible say about Christians and wealth?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible does not condemn or encourage wealth, viewing neither poverty nor prosperity as a virtue. In the Old Testament, God often blessed individuals with wealth in response to their faithfulness, but wealth was never seen as the ultimate goal. Further, this was a reciprocal part of the Mosaic Covenant, specifically for Israel. Other places in the Bible warn that wealth can be a hindrance to following Jesus, as seen in the story of the rich young ruler. We are also warned against trusting in riches and are called to trust in God instead. While having wealth is not sinful, believers are reminded that true wealth is found in heavenly treasures, not earthly possessions. Christians are called to use their resources to bless others and rely on God as their provider, staying humble and focused on eternal life. Our view of the pursuit of riches should be mainly focused on eternal life and the treasures we can store up in heaven that we read about in Matthew 6:19–21, treasures that will never be stolen or destroyed.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Through everything he faced, from betrayal by family to false imprisonment, Joseph stayed faithful to God and aimed to act as God would expect him to. Because of this, over the course of many years in Egypt, God blessed Joseph with high positions and monetary wealth (Genesis 41).
• God often allowed someone to become wealthy in response to their faithfulness to Him, consistent with the Mosaic Covenant. God promised that if Israel followed Him and obeyed the Law, He would bless them. Deuteronomy 28:11 describes some of the blessings: "And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you." These blessings were specifically for the nation of Israel during that time.
• When Solomon became king over Israel, God gave him the chance to ask for anything he wanted. Solomon asked God for wisdom to lead the people well. While God granted this request, He also gave Solomon immense wealth due to the condition of his heart and his desire to follow God (1 Kings 3:11–13).
• King Jehoshaphat also had his kingdom established through righteousness and was given great wealth by God (2 Chronicles 17:5).
• Job was extremely wealthy and is described as blameless and upright, attributes that were more important than great wealth (Job 1:1–3).
• Job's friends questioned Job's righteousness when God took away his property and children in Job 1:13–19. God refuted their assumption that Job had sinned in Job 42:7, saying that He had His own reasons for allowing Job to lose his wealth in Job 38–41.
• A righteous person should be more concerned with having a good name and following God than accumulating wealth (Proverbs 22:1).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• John the Baptist, who made the way for Jesus, did not live richly but wore animal hair and ate locusts, living in the wilderness (Matthew 3:4).
• We are not to store up for ourselves earthly treasures that will fade, be stolen, or get destroyed, but, rather, we are to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven that will never be destroyed or stolen (Matthew 6:19–21).
• Jesus’s disciples, while following Him, faced times of poverty and resorted to taking charity reserved for the poor (Matthew 12:1).
• Gaining all the riches in the world does us no good if our souls are not saved by God’s grace (Mark 8:36).
• Jesus Himself experienced poverty, not having a place to His head (Luke 9:58).
• We cannot equally serve both God and money; we must choose one or the other (Luke 16:13).
• After His interaction with the rich young ruler, who chose his wealth over following Jesus, Jesus states that it can be very difficult for those with great wealth to enter the kingdom of God (Luke 18:24).
• Believers should follow the model of the early church, not holding to their own wealth, but sharing and giving generously to those in need (Acts 2:42–45).
• True wealth for believers comes in heavenly riches from God, received by those who are faithful to Him (Ephesians 1:18).
• We may be tempted to accumulate wealth in order to feel secure and that our needs are met, but God is the one who provides for us. He will see that our needs are met (Philippians 4:19).
• If we do have wealth, we should not let it make us haughty or arrogant, but we should remember that God is the one who provides everything to us (1 Timothy 6:17).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Wealth is not inherently sinful. What matters is how we acquire the wealth, our hearts toward the wealth, and what we do with it. For believers, wealth is a blessing from God to be used for His purposes. It is not something to be coveted, it is not a reward for obedience, and it is not something we should expect. The Bible does promise riches to those who faithfully follow Christ, but these are heavenly riches—specifically eternal life. Whatever wealth we are blessed with should not just be used on ourselves, but also to bless others in need around us. We must remember that monetary blessings are not guaranteed, so we should not live in expectation of them. God is our provider and will give us everything we need, whether we are wealthy or not. Remembering this can help us to stay humble and focused on Christ, the true source of our joy, security, and, ultimately, eternal life.

UNDERSTAND

• Wealth is neither condemned nor encouraged in Scripture.
• Believers should focus on eternal treasures, using earthly wealth to bless others.
• God is the provider, and wealth should be used for His purposes, not coveted.

REFLECT

• How do you view your wealth, and how does that affect your priorities and lifestyle?
• How can you use your resources to bless others and honor God?
• When faced with financial challenges, how do you remind yourself that God is your provider?

ENGAGE

• How can we help others see that wealth is temporary, but living for the things of Christ is eternal?
• How can we help other believers keep their focus on eternal wealth, rather than earthly riches?
• What does it look like to honor God and bless others with our wealth?