Materialism

Bible Questions Answered:

“Where does it say we shouldnt want things?...”

Rox/ Fair Oaks, California U.S.A.

Bible Answer:

Bible Texts:

The Word never says we are not to want things, it says we are not to love and worship things, in place of God.

Exodus 20:3,4 KJV (Commandments I & II)

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

4Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.

Earthly objects may easily become “first place,” in our lives. Our shiny new car, yes its Sunday, but if we want our costly investment to last, we'd better stay home and wax it. Sure we should tithe but if we don't skimp and save everything, we'll never get that big screen T.V., like the neighbors, in time for the football season. Etc. etc.

God, second, third or last place, and earthly things first place over God, than we are worshiping another god.

Our God, knows that we need things, but we are not to let them usurp His place in our lives.

Matthew 6:8 KJV
“...your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.”

A true materialist, has no place for God, and to be without The Lord, is to be lost.

What The Word Says About Materialism:

Deuteronomy 8:10-16 NLT

10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise The Lord your God for the good land He has given you.

11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget The Lord your God and disobey His commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.

12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in,

13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful!

14 Do not become proud at that time and forget The Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.

15 Do not forget that He led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from The Rock!

16 He fed you with Manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good.

Amos 6:1,4-7 KJV

1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

4 That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David;

6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

7 Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

Proverbs 11:4 KJV

Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Proverbs 15:16,17 KJV

16 Better is little with the fear of The Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.

17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

Proverbs 22:1 KJV

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.

Ezekiel 7:19 KJV

They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of The Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity.

Ezekiel 16:49 KJV

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 KJV

Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 5:10,15 NLT

10 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!

15 We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.

Zephaniah 1:18 NLT

Your silver and gold will not save you on that day of The Lord’s anger. For the whole land will be devoured by the fire of His jealousy. He will make a terrifying end of all the people on earth

Haggai 2:8 KJV

The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, saith The Lord Of Hosts.

Matthew 6:19-34 KJV

19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.

20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.

23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?

27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,

29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’

32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your

Heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 16:26 KJV

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 19:21 KJV

Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me.

Mark 4:18,19 KJV

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear The Word,

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 8:31-37 KJV

31 And He began to teach them, that The Son Of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

32 And He spake that saying openly. And Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him.

33 But when He had turned about and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

34 And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Luke 12:15-21 KJV

15 And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And He spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Luke 16:14,15 NLT

14 The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at Him.

15 Then He said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.

II Corinthians 4:18 KJV

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Philippians 3:7,8 NLT

7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.

8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

Philippians 4:11-13 KJV

11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Colossians 3:2 KJV

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

I Timothy 6:6-12 KJV

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Hebrews 13:5 KJV

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

James 5:1-3 NLT

1 Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.

2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.

3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment.

I John 2:15-17 KJV

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of The Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of The Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Moses of old warned the people of God....

Deuteronomy 4:24 KJV

For The Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

Jesus said...

Luke 16:13 NLT

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

Our God requires of His people, complete surrender of their affections, either The Lord is first place, or He is at no place at all.

Prayer:

Isaiah 45:22 KJV

Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

Acts 4:12 KJV

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

I John 1:8-10 KJV

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and The Truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.