The Deceitfulness of Riches

Scripture: “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. “So if you worship me, it will all be yours”; (Luke 4:5-7 NIV).

Christ was directed into combat when he was led by the Spirit into the desert. satan took Christ to a high mountain where he proposed external objects to his sight and internal to his imagination, which represents in appearance the whole world and all its glory. He thought to have imposed on Christ this way but failed in his attempt. It’s very comforting to know that Christ did not yield to the devil in spite of every temptation he offered in trying to bring Christ to sin against God. It is possible to resist him.

It has been said that “in an instant” happened just as in “the twinkling of an eye”; (1 Cor. 15:52). This means before a man can shut his eye and open it again, it was done both quick and sudden. So in a flash, satan offered his bait to Jesus but was rejected just as quickly. After all, God can not be tempted by what rightfully belongs to Him.

In this world, there is a desire to get rich quick, but sudden riches don’t last forever. Just as quickly as you receive these riches, they are soon to leave you. Countless testimonies have been given of people who have come into sudden wealth only to lose it the same way. Playing the lottery, betting at casinos or on riverboats, and off-track betting, may offer sudden wealth, but in some cases, the results end in disaster. Many families have been torn apart because of greed. Unknown relatives appear looking for their cut of the family’s sudden fortune. People have even lost their lives due to the desire of others. Money attracts all kinds of evil and attention, and not all attention is good.

“Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matt. 6:19-20).

Earthly treasures are what thieves desire and break in to obtain. Many have lost their lives trying to hold on to their earthly possessions. Therefore, it is wise that we give all diligence to making our title to eternal life sure through Jesus Christ and to look at earthly things as unworthy to be compared.

“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matt. 16:26).

Christians have the ability to spiritually think as Christ did (1 Cor. 2:16). Jesus never for a moment took his mind off of his Father’s business. He was given an assignment and with the power and authority he was given the fulfilled his purpose without giving in to temptation. Likewise, our thoughts, should be on heavenly matters and not overly concerned with the things of this world. The things of this world are temporal, therefore it is vital for us to place higher values on eternal things.

Just below are a few interesting and insightful testimonies that I read on “Faith Unlocked”, which is one of the blogs that I follow. I want to share them with you:

“God is most high. To choose God, His light, His way, His truth (all Christ), means everything flows from the highest point. To choose something lesser is to compel your life to flow from a lesser rise, a hill, rather than a mountain.” – Elizabeth Scalia

“When human beings give their heartfelt allegiance to worship that which is not God, they progressively cease to reflect the image of God. One of the primary laws of human life is that you become like what you worship; what’s more, you reflect what you worship not only to the object itself but also outward to the world around you. Those who worship money increasingly define themselves in terms of it and increasingly treat other people as creditors, debtors, partners, or customers rather than as human beings. Those who worship sex define themselves in terms of it (their preferences, their practices, their past histories) and increasingly treat other people as actual or potential sex objects. Those who worship power define themselves in terms of it and treat other people as collaborators, competitors, or pawns. These and many other forms of idolatry combine in a thousand ways, all of them damaging to the image-bearing quality of the people concerned and of those whose lives they touch.” – N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church

“One of the dangers of having a lot of money is that you may be quite satisfied with the kinds of happiness money can give, and so fail to realize your need for God. If everything seems to come simply by signing checks, you may forget that you are at every moment totally dependent on God. Now, quite plainly natural gifts carry with them a similar danger. If you have sound nerves and intelligence and health and popularity and a good upbringing, you are likely to be quite satisfied with your character as it is “Why drag God into it? You may ask. A certain level of good conduct comes fairly easily to you. You are not one of those wretched creatures who are always being tripped up by sex or dipsomania or nervousness or bad temper. Everyone says you are a nice chap, and between ourselves, you agree with them. You are quite likely to believe that all this niceness is your own doing, and you may easily not feel the need for any better kind of goodness. Often people who have all these natural kinds of goodness cannot be brought to recognize their need for Christ at all until one day, the natural goodness lets them down, and their self-satisfaction is shattered. In other words, it is hard for those who are rich in this sense to enter the kingdom.” – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

May the eyes of your understanding be opened, that you may be content in whatever circumstances that you may be facing. Know that the temptation is only a test of your faith. With every temptation common to man, God will also provide a way to endure (1 Cor. 10:13). Don’t be deceived by the devil’s wields. He comes only to kill, steal, and destroy. Beware!