Overview
Scripture presents a balanced view of wealth: while riches themselves are morally neutral and can be a blessing from God, they frequently become a source of spiritual temptation and distraction from faith. The wealthy face particular dangers of pride, trust in money rather than God, and neglect of the poor.
Key Scriptures
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:10, NIV)
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." (1 Timothy 6:17-18, NIV)
"Better to be poor and walk in integrity than to be crooked in one's ways though rich." (Proverbs 28:6, ESV)
Application
Examine your attitude toward money and possessions, ensuring they serve your faith rather than compete with your devotion to God and care for others.
✦ Scripture References 40 references
✦ Topical Scripture Breakdown 237 verses
Abram
Abuse
Ammonites
An overbearing spirit
Anxiety
Ascribe them to God
Barzillai
Be liberal in all things
Be not over-anxious for
Boast themselves in
Boaz
Bring trouble on their families
Bring trouble on themselves
Cannot deliver in the day of God's wrath
Cannot redeem the soul
Cannot secure prosperity
Corruptible
Danger of misusing-Illustrated
David
Deceitful
Deceitfulness of, chokes the word
Denying God
Devote them to God's service
Dorcas
Err from the faith
Esau
Esteem it a privilege to be allowed to give
Examples of those truly rich
Fall into hurtful lusts
Fall into temptation and a snare
Figurative
Fleeting
Folly and danger of trusting to-Illustrated.
Forgetting God
Forsaking God
Fraud
General references
Get, by vanity
Get, unlawfully
Give of them to the poor
Give worldly power
God gives
God gives power to obtain
Guilt of rejoicing in
Guilt of trusting in
Haman
Have trouble with
Heap up
Heavenly treasures superior to
Hezekiah
Hoard up
Increase, by oppression
Isaac
Jacob
Jehoshaphat
Job
Joseph
Joseph of Arimathea
Keep, to their hurt
Laban
Labour not for
Liable to be stolen
Life consists not in abundance of
Lot
Must leave, to others
Nabal
Not boast of obtaining them
Not glory in them
Not hoard them up
Not set the heart on them
Not to be high-minded
Not trust in them
Of the wicked laid up for the just
Often an obstruction to the reception of the gospel
Often increase in
Often spend their day in
Oppression
People of Tyre
Perishable
Pride
Profit not by
Profit not in the day of wrath
Rebelling against God
Receive their consolation
Rejecting Christ
Self-sufficiency
Sensual indulgence
Shunammite
Spend, upon their appetite
Swallow down
Temporary
The blessing of the Lord brings
The love of, the root of all evil
The true riches
Thick clay
To God belongs this world's riches
Trust in
Trust in the abundance of
Uncertain
Unsatisfying
Use them in promoting the salvation of others
Use unlawful means to acquire
Vanity of heaping up
Violence
When converted, rejoice in being humbled
Young man
Zacchaeus