“BE MERCIFUL, Just as Your Father Is Merciful”
What did Christ mean when he said “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful? Let’s read the full quote:
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Luke 6:35-36
The Lord was stressing here that, if we do good to our enemies and show them mercy we are being “sons (or daughters) of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” In other words, he’s encouraging us to imitate our heavenly Father, which is a scriptural principle (Ephesians 5:1 & 1 Peter 4:11). Since our Father in Heaven is kind and merciful to thankless evildoers we should extend them the same grace.
This is an awesome general principle to live by, but it shouldn’t be mistaken to mean that we’re obligated to perpetually offer sweetness and mercy to wicked ingrates who repeatedly spit on our genuine efforts of goodwill and peace. After all, God showed Herod Agrippa much patience and mercy even though he was a pompous persecutor of the Church, but when he imprisoned Peter and put James to death, as shown in Acts 12:1-5, Herod’s days were numbered and he was dangerously nearing the limit of the LORD’s tolerance (1 Thessalonians 2:15-16). When Herod arrogantly accepted praise that’s only due the Most High at a political speech he was swiftly wiped off the face of the earth by “an angel of the Lord” (Acts 12:23).
What should we make of this? God showed this wicked unbeliever much patience and mercy, but when Herod foolishly chose to spurn his awesome grace, time after time, the Sovereign Lord withdrew his mercy and decisively executed stern judgment. This occurred in the New Testament era and this is our heavenly Father whom the Messiah said we should emulate. Chew on that.
Christ himself acted the same way when he walked the earth. He prayerfully and patiently extended mercy and peace to his unbelieving enemies, avoiding conflict at first, but when they refused to yield to God’s grace and repeatedly responded with murderous antagonism and unrepentant legalism he radically rebuked them to their faces (Luke 11:37-40 & Matthew 23:13-33), not to mention fearsome deeds, like clearing the temple of greedy fools (John 2:13-17 & Mark 11:15-18).
Or how about the occasion where Paul openly confronted Elymas the sorcerer? He “looked straight at Elymas and said, ‘You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?’ ” (Acts 13:8-12). The passage clearly states that Paul was “filled with the Spirit” when he said this, not filled with the flesh. But there’s more: The apostle also pronounced the Lord’s judgment in the form of temporary blindness (!), obviously in the hope that the sorcerer would be humbled and wisely repent (verses 9 & 11).
In light of Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy 2:1-3, he no doubt researched the areas he was assigned to minister, in this case Cyprus, and subsequently bathed the peoples in prayer, which would include the proconsul and Elymas, the latter of whom was a celebrity of sorts. This is what I always do before I minister at a location. Hence, before even meeting the people of Cyprus the apostle prayed for them and blessed them, including the well-known magician.
My point is that Paul extended love and peace to this man before even meeting him, but when the fool responded with persistent stubborn antagonism, trying to steer people away from God and the gospel, the apostle reacted in a decisively stern manner, led of the Spirit. I think we can all agree that Paul wasn’t Mr. Christian Nice Guy on this occasion.
So, yes, by all means “love your enemies” and “be merciful as your Father is merciful.” Repeat as necessary. This should always be our initial response to unbelieving opposition. But this doesn’t ludicrously mean we’re bound to perpetual sugary sweetness. Ministers who advocate this aren’t being balanced with the Scriptures; either that or they simply don’t know how to read.
When some fool repeatedly spits on your gracious attempts of goodwill and peace you’ll feel righteous anger stir up within you; obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit and act boldly and decisively, just like Christ and Paul did, not to mention Peter (Acts 8:18-24). You’re being a faithful Christian when you do this. In fact, you’re emulating God Himself. Don’t let any misguided religionist convince you otherwise.
Related Topics:
Handling Personal Offenses vs. Handling Criminal Acts
Turning the Cheek — What it Means and Doesn’t Mean
What Does “GO THE EXTRA MILE” Mean?
“If Someone Takes Your Cloak, Do Not Stop Him From Taking Your Tunic”
Judging—When SHOULD You Judge and When SHOULDN’T You Judge?
Forgiveness—Should You Forgive EVERYONE for EVERYTHING ALL of the Time?
Absolute Pacifism (Unbiblical) vs. Limited Pacifism (Biblical)
Jesus Christ — Milksop or Mighty Lord?
“If Someone TAKES YOUR CLOAK, Do Not Stop Him From Taking Your Tunic”
What did Christ mean by this instruction:
“If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.”
Luke 6:29-30
Years ago there was a woman at my (then) place of employment who would leave her purse lying around. Sometimes money could be seen at the opening, usually just dollar bills. I informed her that she shouldn’t leave bills hanging out for all to see and she shrugged, “If someone takes it they need it more than I do.” She wasn’t even a Christian, but this is the general idea the Lord was conveying here.
I am reminded of the many times over the years my wife and I allowed people to borrow books, cds, dvds, apparel & tools and never getting them back; we usually conclude, “They must need it more than we do” and let it go. (And, no, I’m not saying you shouldn’t get your stuff back from borrowers, particularly expensive items). Here’s how Messiah put it in Matthew’s gospel:
“And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well… 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Matthew 5:40,42
Back in those days there wasn’t a Walmart or Goodwill nearby to purchase inexpensive clothing; decent apparel was worth more, which explains why Jesus’ executioners cast lots for his soiled garments (John 19:23-24). This helps make sense of Christ’s statement: “if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic…” If people are in such dire need that they’ll resort to legal measures to acquire clothing, give them another item as well; that is, as long as it’s within your power to do so. After all, there’s a limit to how much you can give.
A minister was serving in Haiti years ago and he noticed some needy people while going back to the mission compound. He gave away his shoes, shirt, tank top and socks. All he had left were his shorts and that’s as far as he would go, otherwise he’d have to streak naked to the compound! He had more clothes back with his luggage, of course, which is why he was able and willing to give away everything but his shorts.
Yet, I believe Christ’s teaching goes deeper than this. The Lord was advocating being in control of the situation: If a man takes your jacket he’s in control, but if you respond by willingly giving him something else you are in control. You just usurped control of the situation. We could put it like this: Don’t be a passive victim and don’t be a rash brawler; but be assertive and led of the Spirit. Maintain an attitude of love, wisdom and self-control in all circumstances, just like the Messiah.
I think it’s also important to stress that Jesus was referring more to people in genuine need rather than hardcore thieves, which is substantiated by verse 42: “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” The motive for giving on such occasions is generosity and compassion. You sympathize with the person’s needy situation just as you would want others to sympathize with you if it were your plight. This is the golden rule or “royal law” noted in Matthew 7:12 and James 2:8.
Yet there’s a huge difference between needy people wanting to borrow from you — or taking things and never giving them back — and hardcore criminals who routinely commit crimes, whether stealing, murder or otherwise. The latter should not be tolerated.
For instance, why did some of Yeshua’s disciples have swords in their possession as shown in Luke 22:49-50? They had ministered with Christ for over three years by this point, which indicates they carried swords because Jesus permitted it. Why did he permit it? Because they traveled with a money box that contained all their ministry earnings as they journeyed from town to town. The swords were obviously for protection from potential thieves, particularly in the many desolate regions they had to travel.
Furthermore, if the Lord meant we should be doormats to every thug that comes down the pike why did he note the obvious right of protecting oneself from criminals in Matthew 24:43 and Luke 12:39? Why did he radically chase the “robbers” from the temple twice during his three-and-a-half-year ministry, as depicted in John 2:13-17 and Mark 11:15-18? Why did he refuse to allow murderers to apprehend and kill him on multiple occasions, as illustrated in Luke 4:28-30, John 7:30,44, 8:59 and 10:31,39?
The only time Christ submitted his life to the hands of people with ill-intent was when he was arrested in Gethsemane because it was God’s will for him to suffer and die for the salvation of humanity. It goes without saying that we have to be balanced with Jesus’ teachings and his example in the Bible, otherwise we’ll fall into error and embrace ideas he never actually taught.
Related Topics:
What Does “GO THE EXTRA MILE” Mean?
Handling Personal Offenses vs. Handling Criminal Acts
Turning the Cheek — What it Means and Doesn’t Mean
Turning the Cheek — What it Means and Doesn’t Mean
Judging—When SHOULD You Judge and When SHOULDN’T You Judge?
Forgiveness—Should You Forgive EVERYONE for EVERYTHING ALL of the Time?
Absolute Pacifism (Unbiblical) vs. Limited Pacifism (Biblical)
Jesus Christ — Milksop or Mighty Lord?
What Does GO THE EXTRA MILE Mean?
Christ instructed believers:
“If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”
Matthew 5:41
What did the Lord mean by this?
At that time, the Holy Land was under Roman control and Roman soldiers, who walked everywhere, were permitted by law to enlist non-citizens to carry their packs or equipment, but the limit was one Roman mile, which is close to the length of a contemporary mile. So why did Jesus encourage his disciples to go an extra mile carrying the gear of enemy occupiers? The Messiah was teaching how to maintain control in an unjust world filled with people who will take advantage of others if it’s within their power to do so. When a Roman soldier forced a man to carry his equipment for a mile he was in control, yet if the victim willingly insisted on going another mile he would be in control, not to mention he would be ‘doing good to his enemy’ (Luke 6:27).
If you find yourself in a situation where you’re being taken advantage of and the perpetrators can get away with it due to position or perhaps the law or hierarchy backs them up, consider how to “go the extra mile” and consequently usurp control of the situation. This links to the principle of overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21). Sometimes in an ungodly world we can’t stop such abuses from happening, but we can choose not to be victims; we can assume mastery of the situation in a way that slyly stumps the perpetrators. Didn’t Christ say “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves”? (See Matthew 10:16). And, who knows? You might just leave a life-changing impression.
But we don’t have to get so deep as the principle works on a very basic level: When someone in authority tells you to do something, simply do more than expected. You’ll be blessed. It’s “the law of the second mile.”
I should add that this data should not be misinterpreted to mean that believers are to be passive ‘doormats’ to abuse or crimes. See this article for scriptural instructions on how to handle offenses, whether personal offenses or criminal attacks.
Related Topics:
“If Someone TAKES YOUR CLOAK, Do Not Stop Him From Taking Your Tunic”
Turning the Cheek — What it Means and Doesn’t Mean
Judging—When SHOULD You Judge and When SHOULDN’T You Judge?
Forgiveness—Should You Forgive EVERYONE for EVERYTHING ALL of the Time?
Absolute Pacifism (Unbiblical) vs. Limited Pacifism (Biblical)
Jesus Christ — Milksop or Mighty Lord?
Was Jesus Christ HOMELESS?
Christ was a carpenter up until the age of 30 and his erstwhile neighbors in Nazareth recognized him by his prior occupation (Mark 6:3 & Matthew 13:55). The Greek word for ‘carpenter’ is tektón (TEK-tohn), which refers to a craftsman, carpenter or artisan. Tektón is where we get the words tectonic and architect. In 1st Century Israel, a tektón was a general craftsman who worked with wood, stone or metal in building projects, small or large. In other words, Christ did more than make tables & chairs.
Quality carpenters/builders/architects today make good money, as do people of any profession that takes skill and is in demand (Proverbs 22:29). Imagine how skilled the Messiah was as a builder since he created everything that exists (Colossians 1:16-17)!
Scholars say that families involved in a trade in Israel back then would’ve at least been of lower-middle income status. Tradition suggests that Christ’s’ stepfather, Joseph, died a few years before he entered public ministry at the age of 30 and thus, as the eldest son, Jesus became the one primarily responsible as the family breadwinner. His four brothers would’ve worked too of course.
After entering fulltime ministry and serving as a traveling minister, there’s indication that Christ had a home in Capernaum (Mark 2:1). In John 1:38-43 we observe John & Andrew visiting Jesus’ abode with Andrew wasting no time encouraging his bother Peter to come over as well. Mark 1:29 shows that Peter lived in Capernaum. Did Christ own this home or rent it? How long did he have it? The Bible doesn’t say.
It’s true that Christ said “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20 & Luke 9:58), but ‘Context is King’: Who was the Lord talking to, what statement was he responding to, and what exactly did he mean by his answer? Let’s read the full passage:
18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Matthew 8:18-20
The Messiah was explaining the cost of being a disciple to a well-to-do scribe who claimed “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” In this particular case, following the Lord wherever he went meant traveling from town to town throughout Israel & points nearby, staying at the homes of hospitable people and such (Luke 10:3-7). Think of it in terms of modern musicians or entertainers who go on tour for months on end. It’s a challenging lifestyle, to say the least. How much more so if you’re constantly ministering to the spiritual & physical needs of people? How much more so if you have to often stay overnight in the abodes of people who are basically strangers?
Yet Christ & his disciples weren’t poor when they traveled in ministry. Part of their wages was the places they stayed and the food provided for them (Luke 10:7), but they also received constant donations, which were gathered in the ministry’s money box (or bag), aka their treasury (Luke 8:3 & John 13:29). So much money came in that Judas regularly stole from the treasury without being detected (John 12:6).
So, Christ was never ‘homeless’ in the sense of living on the street and begging for food. Rather, Jesus ministered to such people (e.g. Luke 18:35-42). So should we.
Lastly, sleeping on the ground or on a bench for a night or three doesn’t constitute homelessness. I’ve done both several times and I’ve never been homeless. This isn’t to say that there’s anything wrong with the Homeless Jesus statue because it drives home the point that the Lord has compassion on those suffering this condition and wants to help them & deliver them (Psalm 145:9 & Isaiah 25:7-8).
Related Topics:
Provision, Money and “Prosperity”
The Gist on Giving and “Tithing”
The Left’s Unbalanced View of Christ & Christianity
Understanding “the Right” and “the Left” from a Biblical Perspective
Understanding THE RIGHT and THE LEFT from a Biblical Perspective
Solomon was the wisest man on earth in his time (1 Kings 4:29-34) and this explains why God utilized his great knowledge and wisdom in three books of the God-breathed Scriptures. Notice what it says about Solomon when the Queen of Sheba came to visit him:
Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions… 3 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her.
1 Kings 10:1,3
The king’s wisdom was renowned and so the Queen came to test him with hard questions and verse 3 shows that “nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her.” “Solomon answered all her questions” and there was literally “nothing” he did not explain to her. Do you think that one of the questions she asked concerned the glaring contrast of human nature revealed in Conservatives and Liberals; that is, Rightwing people and Leftwing folks? Of course she did; after all, this is one of the most common observations of people & societies, modern or ancient.
As such, Solomon made a couple of stark commentaries on Right and Left in the book of Ecclesiastes. Here’s the most notable insight:
The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.
Ecclesiastes 10:2
One renowned minister suggested that this insight was based on the fact that, commonly, the right hand is defter than the left. But this verse is not a commentary on right-handedness or left handedness, which is something people are born with and have no control over. The text shows that, generally speaking, those on the Right naturally veer toward wisdom while those on the Left naturally veer toward folly. Thus Conservatives tend to support law & order whereas Liberals incline toward lawlessness & disorder. Please notice I said “tend toward.”
Hence Conservatives have morals & restraint and naturally desire order & tranquility while Liberals are creatures of impulse with a lust for immediate satisfaction. The Leftist mindset is that of an immature, rebellious child who wants it their way or no way at all and as fast as possible. This was true 3000 years ago when King Solomon lived and it’s true today. In other words, the contrasting inclinations of Right and Left are universal to humankind and thus have manifested in societies throughout human history, whether in countries, kingdoms, tribes, clans, families or cliques. Every one of these has Right and Left factions, mild or pronounced, overt or hidden.
Christ took the concept of Right and Left further in his prophecy of the Sheep and Goat Judgment in Matthew 25:31-46 where the “sheep” are separated from the “goats” when the Lord returns to Earth and judges those still alive after the 7-year Tribulation. The “sheep” he puts on his right while the “goats” he puts on the left. The former go to eternal life whereas the latter are cast into the lake of fire to suffer the second death. This shows that Christ is speaking of Right and Left strictly in terms of morality and not in any other way, like Jacob being a Momma’s boy Liberal and Esau being a hairy Rightwinger (more on this momentarily).
It should be stressed that those on the Right can succumb to the flesh and become corrupt, which is clearly observed in Solomon’s other commentary on Right and Left in Ecclesiastes:
Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself? 17 Do not be overwicked and do not be a fool—why die before your time? 18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.
Ecclesiastes 7:16-18
To be “overrighteous” or “overwise” refers to legalism whereas being “overwicked” or a “fool” refers to libertinism. The former is far Right and the latter is far Left. You could say that Legalism and libertinism are two sides of the same bad coin. Both are equally corrupt conditions and should be avoided at all costs. As you can see, Solomon puts it thusly in verse 18: “it is good to grasp one and not let go of the other,” which indicates that the truth lies somewhere in between the two. The extremes — far Right and far Left — should be avoided. This can also be observed in the Parable of the Prodigal Son with the prodigal representing libertinism (far Left) and the older son representing legalism (far Right). Go here for insightful details.
The Pharisees & Teachers of the Law that conflicted with Christ during his earthly ministry were legalists and were basically what we would now call Rightwing fascists. In America Today – and Western civilization in general – the problem isn’t Rightwing fascism, but rather Leftwing fascism. You can observe this in many ways: Conservatives being afraid to openly support Christianity or a conservative politician due to the threat of persecution; afraid to say such-and-such is a sin because they might lose their job; taxpayers forced to fund baby-killing & the sales of body parts; wise voices being prohibited at universities and on social media; Liberal leaders in school, government, media & entertainment shoving sexual perversion down the throats of the common people as legitimate lifestyles; etc. In summer 2016 when President Obama gave his absurd executive order to legally permit mentally ill men to use the women’s restroom it was the last straw. Conservatives & Independents in America finally had it with Leftwing fascism — even some Liberals — which paved the way for Trump’s election.
For anyone who argues that Leftwing fascism is an oxymoron, it’s not. Leftwing fascists of course say they’re anti-fascist, but they’re ideology & actions involve dictatorial control and forcible suppression of opposition, which is the definition of fascism. The centralized autocratic government that Far Left fascists bow to may not be an actual nation, but a more ambiguous shadow government or global-oriented cabal or Deep State, which is a dictatorial power. When such forces overtake a nation, as witnessed in modern America (detailed above), Leftwing fascism abounds.
Interestingly, the Rightwing corruption of the religious leaders of Judea in the 1st century provoked John the Baptist & the Messiah to righteous name-calling; some good examples can be read in Matthew 3:7-10 & Matthew 23:13-33. The outrageous Leftwing wickedness in modern America provokes a similar response in disciples of Christ.
For instance, due to Liberal fascism and their constant lies & slander, I sometimes amusingly refer to Liberals as LIEberals. One glaring example of their fallacious ideology is their insistence that Bruce Jenner – now known as Caitlyn Jenner – is a woman, even though he still has male DNA. Anyone who disagrees with their absurd claims and simply shares the truth is persecuted and branded a “bigot,” “misogynist,” “homophobe,” “xenophobe,” “transphobe,” “Islamophobe” and similar clichéd terms.
I also occasionally refer to the Democrat Party as the Demonic-rats, obviously with a wink of amusement. Why? Because they’re clearly Satan’s favorite political party in America in light of the fact that they’re anti-Christ, anti-Christian, pro-thug, anti-cop, pro-lawless, pro-strife, pro-perversion, pro-deviance, pro-baby killing (including letting abortion survivors die on the table), pro-silencing Conservative voices and more. Remember, Christ said that you can easily identify false prophets “by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-23).
For those who might argue that Christians have no place commenting on politics with much-needed truths or being involved in politics, please. If believers allow political parties like the Demonic-rats to take control of their communities & countries you can kiss goodbye many freedoms and say hello to “hate crimes” for merely preaching/teaching the Scriptures. Don’t be surprised when you can’t purchase a Bible at a local store because it contains “hate speech” (rolling my eyes). Don’t be surprised when your business is shut down for not baking a “gay” cake, refusing to make a gay-pride t-shirt or declining to photograph a homosexual wedding. Don’t be surprised when Liberal Governors and Mayors close down Church assemblies while allowing thugs to Burn/Loot/Murder and keeping abortion clinics & strip joints open.
I should add that, if you’re debating someone, focus on logical reasons & facts that support your argument and not ad hominem tactics. Let the other side be guilty of the opposite. Remember, people resort to ad hominem antics when they’re losing the debate. That said, there’s a time & place for righteous name-calling, albeit infrequent. Sometimes a ‘pattern interruption’ is precisely what is in order and (hopefully) effective in a situation (Proverbs 27:5).
Please no comments on President Trump because it’s irrelevant whether you like him or not. I don’t care what you think about him. I’m politically Independent in the truest sense, à la Joshua 5:13-15. I’m just citing modern examples of the biblical concept of Right and Left.
Don’t Be One-Dimensional About Right and Left
Except for moral issues, please don’t be one-dimensional with your understanding of Right and Left and hence unbalanced. Be careful not to look down on people who don’t fit into the box of what is cliched Right or Left. For instance, Jacob was renamed Israel and became the progenitor of God’s nation on Earth, but he was a Momma’s boy who favored hanging around the tents while his half-brother, Esau, was a hairy manly man who preferred the outdoors and hunting (Genesis 25:27, 27:11 & 27:22-23). In short, Jacob was stereotypically Liberal whereas Esau was stereotypically Rightwing. In the New Testament Christ reveals his loving gentleness at times (Matthew 11:29) — a supposedly Liberal trait — while at other times being a veritable holy terror (Mark 11:15-18). As Solomon said, “It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.”
Related Topics:
SPIRITUAL GROWTH Is Like Climbing a Mountain
The Left’s UNBALANCED VIEW of Christ & Christianity
Understanding the Religion of LIEberalism
(Pseudo) SCIENCE Is the “New God” and Dubious SCIENTISTS Are the “New Gods”
What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?
Is it Ever Okay to Call Someone a FOOL?
Christ said “anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” (Matthew 5:22). Does this mean a believer can never, ever call someone a fool under any circumstances? Obviously not since the Holy Scriptures written through designated people by the Holy Spirit openly describe certain people as fools (2 Peter 1:21). Here are a few examples:
The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.Psalm 14:1
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 1:7
Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.
Proverbs 10:18
As you can see, God’s Word describes a fool — an unwise person — as (1) someone who doesn’t believe in God, (2) is corrupt and vile, (3) despises wisdom & discipline, and (4) hates certain people and spreads slander about them, aka lies, false accusations and untrue stories. For further biblical descriptions of a fool, go here.
Furthermore, Christ Himself boldly called corrupt religious leaders “fools” in Matthew 23:17, not to mention several other names in that chapter. This shows that calling someone a “fool” may be appropriate on occasion.
How do we balance this out with what the Messiah said in Matthew 5:22? Let’s read the full passage:
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
Matthew 5:22
“Context is King” is a hermeneutical rule for good reason and the topic of this passage is murder. Christ traces the sin of murder to its source, the heart. In other words, murder begins with an attitude of carnal hostility. Speaking of which, hatred is unjust hostility and it is a work of the flesh, as detailed in Galatians 5:19-23. A good example of carnal hatred is those who lie about others – slander. The Bible says “A lying tongue hates those it hurts” (Proverbs 26:28) thus slanderers hate those they smear with lies.
I specified carnal hatred because not all hatred is of the flesh. For instance, the Bible says “To fear the LORD is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13). This explains why Christ boldly called the corrupt religious leaders of Israel “blind fools” in Matthew 23:17. He hated their corruption — their gross hypocrisies — and, as the Scripture says, “open rebuke is better than hidden love” (Proverbs 27:5). We know Jesus never sinned (1 Peter 2:22, Hebrews 4:15 & 2 Corinthians 5:21), so this hatred was spiritual hatred, not carnal hatred.
In light of all this, every believer has to search his/her heart before calling someone a fool or any other name. Make sure you’re led of the Spirit. Make sure what you say is true and not a lie, even if it’s figurative. For instance, John the baptist called the Pharisees and Sadducees “brood of vipers” in Matthew 3:7, meaning “offspring of snakes.” While this wasn’t literally true, it was figuratively correct since snakes & scorpions are biblical figures for the devil (Luke 10:19); as such, John was calling these false religious leaders children of satan, as Christ later did (John 8:44). While this may not have been nice, it was kind and good since both John and Jesus were implementing tough love. Sometimes the best thing you can do for a person who’s arrogant & corrupt — especially those in leadership positions — is openly rebuke them because only the truth can wake them up to their error and set them free.
So make sure your motive is tough love and not carnal hatred before calling someone a fool or any other name, otherwise you’ll be in danger of the fires of Gehenna, as the Messiah said.
Related Topics:
Is Name-Calling Ever Appropriate?
How to Confront & Correct (and How NOT to)
Jesus Christ — Milksop or Mighty Lord?
How to CONFRONT & CORRECT (and How NOT to)
Genuine believers are to be submitted to one another (Ephesians 5:21), which means we’re accountable to each other based on the morality of New Covenant Christianity and the corresponding God-breathed Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 4:6). The biblical book of wisdom puts it like this: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). This principle keeps believers sharp and the best they can be thus “open rebuke is better than hidden love” (Proverbs 27:5).
You can learn a lot about the character of a person by how they respond to a legitimate correction:
8 Do not rebuke mockers [proud fools] or they will hate you;
rebuke the wise and they will love you.
9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.Proverbs 9:8-9
Of course, no one appreciates a disrespectful correction or an exasperating overreaction, not even wise, godly people. In fact, an arrogant, impulsive rebuke shows that the one doing the correcting has moral issues likely greater than the one he/she is trying to correct. Keep in mind that carnal pride is sin numero uno, a decidedly satanic trait (Ezekiel 28:17; 1 Timothy 3:6; 1 John 2:16).
Humility, by contrast, is thoroughly spiritual and conducive to grace, i.e. God’s favor (James 4:6 & 1 Peter 5:5).
What the Messiah Instructed about Rebuke
What did Christ say about confrontation & potential correction? (I say “potential correction” because the rebuke might not be valid). When a brother or sister in the Lord offends you, here’s what the Lord said to do:
“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
Luke 17:3-4
The Messiah was not talking about a serious crime here, like rape, assault, robbery or the murder of a loved one. If someone commits a crime like this you need to take it to the governing authorities, which are established by God to punish criminals, including the power to execute when appropriate: “they are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:1-6).
So Christ was talking about personal offenses, like snubbing, malicious gossip (aka backbiting), insults, lying, minor theft and so forth. It could also be a situation where you observe the individual do something immoral, like committing adultery, lying, slandering or being a drunkard. When fellow believers offend in this manner they should first be confronted & corrected based on the moral truths of the Word of God, then, forgiven if they repent. ‘Forgive’ literally means to “cancel the debt” or “dismiss the charge.” When the offender is stubbornly unrepentant we are not to dismiss the offense. Jesus specified this condition in more detail here:
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
Matthew 18:15-17
When a fellow believer sins against us we’re not to gossip about it to others, but rather go to the offending person in private and share with them what they did to offend. As far as is possible, we should do this with a humble, compassionate spirit, which sometimes might be challenging because the offense in question is so offensive.
If the offender refuses to repent then we are to get one or two spiritual believers and confront the person again. I emphasize spiritual believers because if you enlist a carnal Christian into the scenario it will not help the situation to say the least (I’m talking about someone who says they’re a believer, but regularly produce bad fruit like arrogance, greed, gossip and lying). The inclusion of additional godly people will naturally help make sure the charge is authentic.
If the offender is still impenitent then we’re to tell it to the church in general so that the person is socially pressured to ’fess up and make a turnaround. If the offender continues to be stubborn and unrepentant then we’re to regard him/her as a pagan or tax-collector. A pagan is an unbeliever, which means you stop treating the person as if they were a brother or sister in the Lord because his/her actions have proven otherwise.
You can read details about confrontation & correction here, what we want to focus on in this article is…
Things to Do and NOT do when Confronting & Correcting
- Make sure you have a scriptural basis for your correction since it is the foundation “for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). If you cannot articulate from the rightly-divided Word of God what’s wrong with the behavior in question then your case is too weak for a confrontation.
- Don’t say “Yay, the Holy Spirit told me to tell you” because (A) it comes off as religious arrogance and (B) you don’t need to say this if your rebuke has a legitimate biblical foundation. Keep in mind that the Scriptures were written by the Holy Spirit thru divinely designated people (2 Peter 1:21) so any moral correction of the Holy Spirit should already be conveyed in the Bible, directly or indirectly.
- Speaking of which, don’t rebuke a person for a moral rule that’s not actually biblical. People who do this are infected by legalism, which is law-ism. It’s a religious obsession with rules, usually unscriptural rules, and the despotic enforcement of them. A couple of good examples would be playing pool or cards. There’s nothing intrinsically evil about these games; they’re neutral activities relevant to healthy R&R (Ecclesiastes 3:4), which of course doesn’t mean you have to like them or play them. If you don’t like them, don’t play them. The real reason legalists denounce these games is because pool is associated with bars & the corresponding drunkenness while card-playing is associated with gambling. In the 2000s I had a pool room in my house, but there was zero drunkenness linked to it. A person can enjoy pool and not be a drunkard. Similarly, people can play card games and not froth at the mouth with greed & corruption. By all means, rebuke drunkard-ness and greedy corruption as led of the Spirit, but not playing pool and card games. Allow the Spirit to minister to individuals about whether or not it’s wise for them to participate in a particular neutral activity.
- Don’t overreact to what you perceive as a moral offense because it might not be a sin at all. Rather, the problem could be over-sensitivity on your part because you’re weak in a certain area (we’re all weak in one area or another). At worst, the behavior in question might just be unwise. For instance, an ex-alcoholic believer sees a brother drinking an alcoholic beverage and assumes he’s a drunkard, thus rebuking him. Yet the confronted brother walks in moderation and isn’t tempted by drunkenness in the slightest. In a case like this, the brother isn’t sinning because drinking a sip of alcohol is not a sin; rather being a drunkard is what is sinful. However, depending on the location, you could exhort him that it’s not wise to drink an alcoholic beverage in public because it could make a brother or sister with a weak conscience stumble. It could also be a bad ‘witness.’ In such cases the believer should “keep it between himself (or herself) and God” (Romans 14:22); in other words, it should wisely be kept private. For biblical insights on the believer’s freedom in relation to dealing with Christians with weak consciences see Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8.
- Since your goal is to correct the person, not unnecessarily offend or antagonize him/her, phrase your correction in a respectable manner. This is especially so if the person is your elder, whether physically or spiritually, which corresponds to this passage: “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble’ ” (1 Peter 5:5). The fact that someone is more mature than you physically or spiritually does not mean you shouldn’t correct him/her, but it does mean you should apply appropriate respect, particularly if you want the correction to be received (assuming it’s even legitimate). There’s a right way to do something and a wrong way. Even if your intentions are righteous, there’s a wrong way to carry out a correction — like being rash, excessive or disrespectful — which will naturally reduce the chances of it being received. Remember: Your goal is to successfully correct the person. A good example in the Scriptures is when Paul openly corrected the elder apostle Peter (Galatians 2:6-14). The reprimand was received because Paul used wisdom in what he said, how he said it and what he didn’t say (because he didn’t need to say it).
- When you implement the confrontation be open to receiving correction yourself since “iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17). In fact, it may be you who needs correction more so than the person you’re rebuking. In such situations the Holy Spirit turns the confrontation around on the wannabe rebuker. This is one of the reasons why going directly to the offending person and discussing the issue is so wise and effective.
- Speaking of wannabe rebukers, please don’t be a “gung-ho rebuker.” Confrontation & correction is a positive thing if the reprimand is valid, not to mention the boldness required to do this is commendable. It’s an example of walking in tough love. However, being an annoying faultfinder who’s perpetually “offended” and quick to accuse is not a good thing. For one thing, it smacks of pettiness.Remember, those who make a battle out of everything won’t have the energy for building anything, at least not anything positive.Another problem with constant questionable accusations is that it’s a trait of the Enemy. I’m talking about Satan — the “adversary” or “enemy” — who is also called the devil, which is translated from the Greek diabolos (dee-AB-ol-os), meaning “slanderer.” The term comes from the verb diaballó (dee-ab-AL-loh), meaning “to slander, accuse, defame, complain.” On top of this, the Bible plainly describes Satan as “the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night” (Revelation 12:10). Moreover, Christ called the devil a “murderer from the beginning” and “the father of lies” (John 8:44). Do you know a (supposed) brother or sister in the Lord — including “ministers” — that continuously faultfind & accuse believers? They’re behaving like Satan, which isn’t a good thing. Either they’re a child of the devil and therefore a counterfeit believer (Matthew 7:15-23; John 8:42-47) or they’re grossly ignorant and misled of the Enemy (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
Make no mistake, honest correction is sometimes necessary; it’s a healthy thing because it keeps believers sharp. Just be sure to follow these seven wise guidelines.
But what if you know confronting a certain person will turn UGLY? In other words, this individual is difficult and tends to bring out the worst in you, so a reprimand on your part will probably result in a nasty mêlée. What does the Bible instruct you to do in such cases? See this article for answers.
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Related Topics:
Handling Personal Offenses vs. Handling Criminal Acts
Does Walking in AGAPE LOVE Mean You Should Be a DOORMAT to Abuse?
Condemnation & Authoritarianism
Is NAME-CALLING Ever Appropriate?
Forgiveness—Should You Forgive EVERYONE for EVERYTHING ALL of the Time?
Nosiness and Manipulation (NOT Spiritual)
What Are MANDRAKES, as Mentioned in the Bible?
“Mandrakes” are cited in the Bible five times and refer to the roots of mandrake plants, which sometimes resemble naked humans, particularly the lower areas. They were used as an aphrodisiac and to induce pregnancy, as observed in this passage:
1When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”
2Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”…
14During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”
“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”
16So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night…
22Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. 23She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” 24She named him Joseph, and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”
Genesis 30:1-2,14-16,22-24
Rachel was the favored wife of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel (Genesis 32:22-32). She wasn’t able to bear children for her husband and so made a bargain with her older homely sister, Leah – also married to Jacob – to allow Leah to sleep with Jacob in exchange for the mandrake plants that Leah’s son had found. The passage doesn’t say that the Mandrake roots actually worked to induce pregnancy, just that “God remembered Rachel” and thus enabled her to conceive her son Joseph. Nevertheless, it’s clear that mandrake roots were thought to augment sex & procreation and were sought after for this purpose.
Mandrakes are also mentioned in Solomon’s overtly erotic Song of Songs (see 7:13).
As noted, Mandrake roots sometimes look like nude bodies, particularly the nether regions. So the fact that they were used as an aphrodisiac and to induce pregnancy would be a natural correlation. Think about it in terms of walnuts, which resemble human brains when cracked open; they’re coincidentally the top nut for brain health, as chronicled here. Similarly, tomatoes resemble the heart when opened up — the “chambers,” etc. — and they’re by happenstance strategic to cardiac health, as detailed here. Is this mere coincidence or did our Creator do this purposely?
The fact that (1) the LORD created mandrake roots, (2) they’re cited in Holy Scripture five times, (3) they resemble the lower regions of naked humans and (4) were used to augment sex & procreation shows that the Almighty is an imaginative Creator, not to mention has a sense of humor.
Do mandrake roots actually “work”? I have no idea, but Rachel obviously believed they did; and belief is faith, which opens the door to the miraculous.
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Related Topics:
SPIRITUAL WARFARE — Do You Know What You’re Fighting For?
Faith — What Is It? Why Is It Important? How Does It Grow?
Does the Bible Support MONOGAMY or POLYGAMY?
Provision, MONEY and Prosperity
This article is a balanced biblical look at money & provision. The Bible distinguishes that poverty is a curse and prosperity is a blessing (Deuteronomy 28). Poverty is not having enough to make it while prosperity is the opposite. It’s God’s will to provide for you so that you can effectively fulfill your assignment & call, whatever they may be (Philippians 4:19). The individual has a part to play in this, of course. For instance, you can’t be lazy and prosper (Proverbs 13:14) and we are called to “grow in the grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:7, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 & Luke 6:38); in other words, you can’t be ungenerous and expect financial blessing (Proverbs 11:24-25). God is your helper, not your do-everything-for-you-so-you-don’t-have-to-do-anything-at-all-er (Psalm 54:4).
As far as money goes, Christ emphasized that you cannot serve God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24) while Paul said that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Please notice that money itself isn’t evil, but rather the love of money. Nor is money the root of all evil, but rather the root of “all kinds of evil.” For instance, money isn’t the root of sexual immorality, but rather lust. Needless to say, we want to make sure that we’re loving God & serving the LORD and not money. This is a given. But this doesn’t negate the importance of finances/provision in your life. For instance, you can’t help provide for others if you aren’t first provided for yourself. In other words, you can’t bless others materially unless you are first blessed materially.
The Bible has a Lot to Say about Money
Some believers freak out when the topic of money is brought up in a Christian teaching because of hang-ups. Yet the Bible actually has a lot to say on the subject. One in five verses address the issue of wealth one way or another, whether finances, property, possessions, inheritance or otherwise. One third of Christ’s parables address the topic. It’s only right that Christians have a balanced understanding of what the Holy Scriptures say on wealth and provision otherwise we’ll develop an erroneous perspective stemming from the world or religion:
- The world basically teaches that money is god and worships wealth. Thus peoples’ worth is evaluated on how much money & possessions they have. It’s a worldly viewpoint (2 Corinthians 5:16-17).
- Religion – including counterfeit Christianity – teaches two lies: That poverty is godly wherein ministers of certain sects take a vow of poverty or the opposite extreme that Christianity is about being as filthy rich as possible and poor people should be regarded as if they have the plague.
Concerning taking a “vow of poverty,” Deuteronomy 28 makes it clear that poverty is a curse along with other curses, like mental illness, physical sickness & disease, defeat to enemies and premature death. So taking a vow of poverty is as absurd as taking a vow of sickness & disease or a vow of premature death.
As for the other religious lie, that Christianity is all about being as financially prosperous as possible and anyone who isn’t is (supposedly) cursed of God, Christ rebuked the believers at the Laodicean assembly thusly:
You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.’
Revelation 3:17
Wow, what a reprimand! This shows that it’s possible for believers to be financially wealthy but thoroughly impoverished in regards to more important things in God’s eyes, which can be observed in the proverb: “better to be poor than a liar” (Proverbs 19:22). Think about what this verse is saying: According to God’s Word, it is better — superior — to be an honest poor person than a financially rich liar.
In regards to the worldly lie that money is god and wealth should be pursued above all else, Christ said that there was no human greater than John the Baptist up to that time (Matthew 11:11), but John dwelled in the lonely desert with clothes made of camel hair, living on locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4).
The reason this article is important is because believers overcome this world through faith (1 John 5:4) – which includes overcoming any CURSES the enemy throws at us, like disease, defeat and poverty – and faith comes through hearing what God’s Word says on any given topic (Romans 10:17). We are to fight the good fight of faith to overcome the curses of the enemy (1 Timothy 6:12) and this explains why Christ regularly said things like “According to your faith be it done to you” (Matthew 9:29). Needless to say, it’s important to increase our knowledge and build-up our faith in regard to God’s provision and money in general.
Please don’t stumble over the word “prosperity.” Prosperity is relative to your God-given mission and environment. Joseph, for instance, was a slave in Potiphar’s house and a prisoner in Egypt, but the Bible says he prospered in both environments despite the obvious limitations thereof (Genesis 39:2-6 & 39:20-23). Speaking of which…
Financial Blessing is determined by Season, Calling & Environmental Context
Financial provision is the blessing that tends to upset some Christians, as if they want to fight for their right to be impoverished. While there have been problems with dubious ministers who essentially make Christianity out to be a get-rich-quick scheme or have used the gospel as a means to get rich (1 Timothy 6:9), we shouldn’t throw out God’s conditional promises of financial provision with the proverbial bathwater. Disregarding the false teachings of greed-loving “ministers” (who are as rare as the dodo bird), the problem some believers have with the concept of financial provision begins with an erroneous image of what it means to be financially blessed of God in a fallen world. Moreover, their criticisms do not take into account issues like the season the believer’s in, divine purpose or environmental context. Let’s look at each of these:
An erroneous image of financial blessing in a fallen world
Someone wrote to rebuke me in response to one of our teaching videos where he mistook my references to “living the good life,” which came from the Amplified version of Ephesians 2:10. He evidently envisioned “living the good life” to mean living like Hugh Hefner, as if true prosperity is all about owning a huge mansion and sipping cocktails while lounging at an in-ground pool with myriad half-naked women prancing about, etc. (I’m not saying, by the way, that a believer can’t own a mansion or have an in-ground pool). For one thing, this is a one-dimensional and decidedly worldly image of “prosperity.”
Secondly, the video itself defined the “good life” as being hooked-up with God’s will and fulfilling the objectives the Spirit gives you, whatever they may be, which includes acquiring the resources to carry out these objectives. An objective or purpose like this could be any number of things, including moving to an undeveloped area and ministering (e.g. missionaries). God’s objectives — His courses — for each believer are exciting and good because they’re in line with your Creator’s will who knows you inside & out and therefore how you’re “wired.” Living in accordance with the LORD’s purposes is “the good life,” regardless of what that purpose is. There will be hardships and persecutions, of course, but God knows what you can handle and can’t handle and will provide the grace to get through as you wisely fight the good fight of faith. Watch the video for details.
The Season You’re In
You might be in God’s perfect will and yet the season you’re in will determine your prosperity to an extent. For instance, prosperity at 18 years-of-age is different than prosperity at 65. Consider, again, the example of Joseph, who was a type of Christ: He was unjustly sold into slavery by his jealous brothers when he was 17 and became a slave, and then a prisoner, before eventually living in the palaces of Egypt many years later as second-in-command of the nation (Genesis 41:41-43). This journey entailed about 13 years. When he was a slave in Potiphar’s house the LORD blessed Joseph and he “prospered” in that context, but he was still a slave (Genesis 39:2-6). Obviously, there are limitations to how much you can prosper as a slave. Likewise Joseph “prospered” while an inmate in prison, but he was still a prisoner (39:20-23). You see? The season you are in determines the extent of your prosperity.
Your Divine Purpose
Your God-given calling will also determine the scope of your prosperity. This is similar to the previous one: Joseph was called to be a slave for a season, and then a prisoner, before becoming second-in-command of Egypt. He prospered as a slave and a prisoner, but this divine direction certainly limited his prosperity during those times. Why would God possibly call Joseph to be a slave and prisoner for so many years? Because Joseph was being groomed to be second-in-command of one of the most powerful nations on Earth at the time. The way up is down. People are more apt to be quality leaders if they have personally experienced humiliating circumstances, unjust suffering and corrupt non-leadership.
Your Environmental Context
A brother-in-the-Lord I know came from the more modest sections of Youngstown, Ohio, and as he became increasingly successful his fiancé wanted him to move to a better area before marrying. Yet he insisted that he was called to stay in that community to reach the people there. The LORD heavily put them on his heart. Whether he knew it or not, this corresponded to Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthian believers: Generally speaking, they should remain in the situation they were in when they were called in order to reach the people thereof, as directed by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 7:17-24). After all, who better to reach a group of people than those from that community and culture? This was a general instruction and not an ironclad law. Obviously if a person is led of the Spirit to move outside of such a context then that’s what he or she should do (Galatians 5:18 & Romans 8:14).
The brother who felt led to stay in a modest area of Youngstown would indeed prosper there, but it would be a different expression of prosperity than if he were called to, say, the wealthy side of Hollywood or the jungles of the Amazon. What if your environmental context is a communistic country where the ruling elite ensure that everyone stays at an equally modest level (except for them, of course)?
Obviously, there’s some overlap between the season you’re in, your divine calling and your geographical setting.
In any case, when you grasp these things, it helps set you free of envy and facilitates contentment in your God-given assignment.
What is “Prosperity” Anyway?
This all brings us to the definition of prosperity. What exactly is prosperity for the believer? It’s having enough resources for your needs and righteous desires in order to fulfill your God-given calling, which depends on the season you’re in, your specific assignment and the environment to which you’re called. Righteous desires are, of course, not the same as unrighteous desires, like greed, hedonism and pomposity.
With this understanding, someone could be living below the so-called “poverty threshold” of his or her area/nation and still be prosperous in the Lord. In other words, the secular “poverty threshold” is irrelevant and meaningless to the believer and his/her purpose or call. Simply put, the “poverty threshold” does not exist to the spiritually-regenerated believer in covenant with the Most High God. It does not define your prosperity in the Lord. Are you following? So throw it out.
People who lust after material things for the purpose of being greater than so-and-so (the proverbial Jones) and looking down on others are walking in eye-rolling carnality. Yet there’s nothing wrong with having a spirit-of-excellence and wanting what you have to reflect the glory of God. I Praise the LORD for my neighbors who maintain a great home & yard rather than let things get rundown.
Nor is merely being rich evil, as Abraham, Job, Solomon and David were (or became) quite wealthy.
When Paul instructed the young pastor Timothy on rich people in the congregation he didn’t tell Timothy to rebuke them for being wealthy, he simply exhorted Timothy to tell them not to be arrogant, but to put their hope in God rather than their riches and “to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:17-18). Why did Timothy have to tell them not to be arrogant? Because the attainment of material wealth tends to feed the fleshly ego and tempts people to look down on those with less. This is a form of greed, which Christ blatantly condemned (Luke 12:15); so is putting on airs to impress others. Needless to say, if you’re wealthy don’t let it go to your head. Instead, develop the spirit of a giver; giving is the antidote to greed (Romans 12:8). Yet don’t become arrogant of your giving and look down on those you presume don’t give as much and condemn them as not truly saved or what have you.
Again, it’s not money that’s the root of all kinds of evil, but rather the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10). It’s fine to have money; it’s just not fine for money to have you. Speaking of which…
“Do Not Wear Yourself Out to Get Rich”
When I was in my early 20s I was working for a small company wherein the supervisor suddenly quit and I was offered his job. I was excited because the position offered an impressive salary. I took the job but suddenly found myself running around like a headless chicken and no longer had the time to spend with studying the Scriptures or prayer/meditation, things that were dear to my heart. After a few weeks I went to the remote corner of a dark stockroom and literally wept. I had inadvertently made money my god and was pursuing it at the expense of more important things.
This brings to mind this wise Scripture:
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.
Proverbs 23:4 (BSB)
This corresponds to what Christ said about how the deceitfulness of wealth — including the obsessive pursuit of it — can “choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). This is what happened to me on this occasion.
Needless to say, we have to be careful not to fall into the mindset of the world where everything revolves around how much you make and the respect/privileges thereof. The world says that if you make under a certain figure you’re in “poverty” and if you make over a certain figure you’re “prosperous,” but this is irrelevant to true prosperity. Again, the Scriptures say that Joseph was prosperous as a slave in Potiphar’s house and when he was in prison (Genesis 39:2-6) & 39:20-23). Chew on that.
What to do When You are Hit with a Financial Attack
Paul pointed out in Philippians 4:12-13 that he knew what it was like to be in need and also to have plenty; he knew what it was like to be hungry and to be well fed. He also testified to his brushes with financial attack in 2 Corinthians 6:10. So we know Paul went through challenging experiences where physical resources were seriously limited. Yet, in the Philippians passage he shared his secret of being content in any situation, whether living in plenty or in want: He said he could do all things through the Lord Jesus Christ who strengthened him. In other words, he stood in faith. He didn’t give-in to worry or despair in times of need and defeatedly cry “God has forsaken us—we’re not gonna make it!” Likewise, in the Corinthians passage he admitted to having nothing, but countered it with an expression of faith, “yet possessing everything.” Consequently, he always made it through times of lack with a peaceful contentment. He fully understood that blessings come via faith & patience in our covenant, and faith works in love (Hebrews 6:12 & Galatians 5:6). Jehovah Jireh — which literally means “the LORD Provides” — always eventually provided and Paul fulfilled his many God-given missionary assignments.
Late in his life, when Paul was in custody in Caesarea, Governor Felix frequently went to him hoping Paul would offer him a bribe (Acts 24:26). This indicates that even under house arrest Paul was financially blessed since wealthy politicians don’t try to milk people who are impoverished and have no money.
A good example from the life of Christ would be when, out of nowhere, tax collectors required Peter and Jesus to pay the annual Temple tax, which amounted to about $500 each (Matthew 17:24-27). Christ wasn’t taken off guard and, interestingly, didn’t even ask Judas to take the money from their ministry earnings. He had faith that God provides the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) and knew precisely where to get the amount they needed by the Spirit. Hence, the LORD provided.
Christ, Job and Paul are our examples. When any of the five general curses of the Law show up in your life, including an attack on your resources, it means you are under satanic attack.
When this happens, the first thing you need to do is determine if the assault is a Self-Inflicted Trial (SIT), a Discipline-Intended Trial (DIT) or a Maturity-Intended Trial (MIT). Here’s an explanation of each:
- SITs are obvious; the result of one’s own folly, like suffering poverty because the individual is lazy and refuses to work (2 Thessalonians 3:10, Proverbs 10:4 & Proverbs 12:11). In such cases the person’s travails are not due to some satanic plot, but simply his/her foolish choices. The answer to SITs is learning wisdom.
- A DIT means the curse is hitting you due to disobedience, whether a sin of commission or a sin of omission. If this is the case, immediately ’fess up and God will dismiss the charge (1 John 1:8-9); then take up your weapons and fight the good fight of faith until the curse departs.
- An MIT means that the curse is striking you for righteousness’ sake and the LORD is allowing the enemy to assault you in order to test your character and, once your character is proven, turn the negative situation around to your good (Romans 8:28). That’s the genius of MITs: God takes something in which the enemy intends to destroy you with—or, at least, hinder you—and ultimately turns it around to your good, making you “strong, firm and steadfast” “after you have suffered for a little while” (1 Peter 5:8-10). Of course, this is providing you fulfill your role by fighting the good fight of faith and enduring. (Remember: the LORD is your “helper,” not your do-everything-for-you-so-you-don’t-have-to-do-anything-at-all-er). This is precisely what happened with Joseph and Job (Genesis 50:20 & Job 42:10).
The reason this data is essential is so that you know with certainty when you’re under satanic attack. After all, what good is the armor & arms of God if you can’t even recognize when you’re being assaulted?
This material is also essential so you don’t mistake a satanic attack for “God’s will.” For instance, a genuine Christian woman was diagnosed with life-threatening cancer and concluded that, whether she lived or died from the cancer, it was God’s will. No, it’s Satan’s will to take out fruit-bearing believers prematurely.
The obvious problem with this woman’s type of fatalistic reasoning is that, if you think something’s God’s will — including a financial attack — you won’t fight it. You’ll accept it and suffer the consequences. But if you recognize something as a satanic attack you’ll fight it tenaciously.
Needless to say, don’t accept any curse of the Law on the mistaken grounds that it’s “God’s will”! If a curse shows up in your life due to your own folly or rebellion, you’re evidently undergoing an SIT or DIT; simply repent and proceed to fight the good fight of faith. The curse will depart as you persevere in faith; the enemy will literally flee from you (James 4:7).
If, however, you’re walking blamelessly before the LORD, keeping with repentance, you’re obviously undergoing an MIT. Don’t embrace the curse as “God’s will.” Tenaciously fight the good fight of faith and don’t give up. The curse will eventually depart and the LORD will turn around the negative situation for your good.
For important details on spiritual warfare — fighting the good fight of faith — see this article.
For scriptural details on God’s provision and “prosperity,” check out this audio sermon, which was designed to increase the believer’s faith in receiving provision (as it is said, “Where God guides, God provides”) just keep in mind the points of this article for scriptural balance; the video conveniently cites all the key passages:
Related Topics:
The Gist on Giving and “Tithing”