A Warning to the Wealthy

James, the Lord's half-brother, is not someone who tip-toes around a subject. I recently broke from my expositional study in James for a mini-series leading up to Easter, and when I returned to James chapter 5... well, let's just say that I was blown away by James' directness to the unbelieving rich in his audience. And, at the same time, I was also convicted by his words. We preachers are usually guilty of two errors: 1) We avoid talking about money to our people (lest we offend the ones who may give to support the church), or 2) We manipulate people through our preaching to somehow acquire wealth for ourself. Both are wrong. Jesus and the Apostles talk about money, and Peter makes it clear that undershepherds should pursue their office to simply get rich (1 Peter 5:2 / "sordid gain"). And lest believers think James has nothing to say to them--well, just read the text (James 5:1-6) prayerfully and ask God: "Am I using my earthly wealth in a way that is pleasing to You?"

Below are seven principles I shared with my congregation based on what Jesus had to say about money in a few passages in Luke's gospel... I hope they may prove helpful and enlightening to you:

1) The rich are under the judgment of God for their sins, and eternal consequences are coming. See Luke 6:24 and James 5:1-3.

2) Life is not about temporary riches, it is about an eternal relationship with God. See Luke 12:13-21 and James 4:7-10.

3) Ones actions reveal if you are trusting in and treasuring money, or if you are trusting in and treasuring Christ. See Luke 16:1-13 and James 2:1-9.

4) Riches are no guarantee of God's blessing, or everlasting life. See Luke 16:19-31 and James 1:9-11.

5) A rich man can be externally religious but still be eternally lost. See Luke 18:18-23. (Obviously there were some unsaved wealthy people in the churches James was writing to, or his words in James 5:1-6 would be pointless... wealthy people are often outwardly religious).

6) It is impossible for a rich man to change his own sinful heart... but God can. See Luke 18:24-27 and James 1:18. The new birth (John 3:3) is a sovereign gift of God's grace, and through the proclamation of the gospel in the power of the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:5; 1 Peter 1:23), a sinner can become a saint with a new nature, a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27), and new capacity to be a doer of the Word (James 1:22), as he or she repents and trusts in the Person and saving work of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9, 13 & Mark 1:14-15).

7) Regeneration--that is, the new birth--produces faith, love, and generosity. See Luke 19:1-10 and 1 John 4:7, 5:1a, and 3:16-18. Zaccheus experienced the new birth, believed in Christ, was saved and became a son of Abraham (Luke 19:9 & Galatians 3:7), and THAT is why he became so generous (i.e. loving). He didn't purchase his salvation with his money, God's grace changed his heart and made him generous instead of selfish.

So, where do you find yourself today as you read this blog? Are you materially wealthy? Not, "Are you Donald Trump or Bill Gates?", but "Do you have shelter, clothing, and food?" We sadly compare ourselves with billionaires when we should be recognizing the great blessings we possess by God's gracious hand. Do you have more than you need? Do you share with others? Do you help the poor? Are you regulalry investing in your local church financially? Do you support any missionaries around the world? Do you live lavishly to impress people? Do you like to give things away to others? Do you spend hours in a week worrying about your investments? If Jesus asked you to sell everything you have and give it to the poor, would you?

Jesus said, "So then, none of you can be my disciple who does not give up all his own possessions" (Luke 14:33). Did He mean all of His disciples should be naked, homeless, and unable to buy bread? No--He did not mean that. He does mean, however, that if you are His servant, and He is your Lord... your stuff is not your own, your stuff is not your god(s), and you will do with your stuff whatever Jesus directs you to do. If that's true, praise the Lord. If it isn't true, hear the words of James once again (James 5:1, 4:9-10), and turn to the Lord and cry out for His mercy. Only He can change your heart from a selfish idolater to a generous Christ follower.

Dependent Responsibility

As I've pondered the writings of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, and studied how a Christ follower is transformed into the likeness of Christ (e.g. Galatians 5:22-23), one theme keeps coming up over and over again: dependent responsibility.


In other words, the Apostle Paul deals a powerful death blow to the two common misconceptions concerning spiritual growth. The first common misconception about how to grow spiritually is the "let go and let God" philosophy. Those who pursue this means of spiritual transformation simply think they can enter their prayer closet, wait on God, and... ZAP! Now they are (supposedly) more holy, more loving, more joyful, and more patient because they waited, prayed, 'let go and let God', and He just poured Christ-like maturity into their lives with the wave of His hand. Well, all I can say is: "I wish it were that simple and easy." But the truth is, it's not. If it were, why would Paul tell us that we must "train/exercise/discipline ourselves unto godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7)? The Greek word translated as "train" (or exercise or discipline) in our English Bibles is the word 'gumnazo', and we get our English word 'gymnasium' from that Greek word. So, what Paul is trying to help us understand is that there is some effort required in becoming a godly person... it's not just a matter of waiting on God for a mighty ZAP from heaven.

On the other hand, there are those who say, "I'm going to change myself--even if it kills me"; and unfortunately, many religious people (and even some well meaning Christians) grow weary and depressed as they seek to transform themselves into a godly person (and fail to see results). Yet, the Bible clearly teaches that inner transformation is God's work, not ours (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). Listen to these words from Scripture: Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil (Jeremiah 13:23). What is the prophet of the Lord teaching us? Simply this: in and of ourselves we can no more change our (evil) hearts than a leopard can change the design of its fur. You and I can't make our own heart's more holy or good or loving. But praise God, HE IS ABLE to renew us from the inside out (2 Corinthians 4:16) and form in us the character of Christ Jesus (Romans 8:29; Colossians 3:10).

So, the logical question to ask is, "How does spiritual growth take place?" Well, it's not an either/or situation, but rather a both/and scenario. God doesn't just ZAP us and make us like Jesus, nor can we (in the power of our flesh) change our own hearts from evil to good by "trying harder" to be a godly person. However, we can take responsibility for obeying God's Word WHILE depending on the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us. In other words, Christians are personally responsible for obeying God's commands, but we must remember that we can never accomplish the will of God apart from the power of God which He supplies. So, as an example, I am responsible to love my bride the way Christ loves the church (see Ephesians 5:25). I am responsible (to God) to serve her, nurture her, cherish her, provide for her, protect her, seek her holiness, etc. (see Ephesians 5:25-28). However, if I don't first seek to be filled with (i.e. be controlled by) the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), follow the leading of the Spirit (Galatians 5:18), and love her by the power of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25), I will fail. I will only ever be able to love my wife the way Christ loves the church IF I depend (by faith) upon God's power (i.e. His Spirit) to supply all that I need to love her well. Thus, it's good for us to pray such Scriptures over our lives as Hebrews 13:20-21 (turning a passage of Scripture into a petition): "God, please equip me with all that I need for doing Your will today, and produce in me--through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ--all that is pleasing to You. Help me love my wife as You love the church, Jesus--so that You might receive glory forever and ever. Amen."

We must depend on God to do what only He can do in and through us, but we (as His moral creatures) must be responsible for choosing to obey His revealed will. Then, and only then, will we grow in holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit. If we live in dependent responsibility we will experience the joy of being transformed, and God will receive the glory for being the One who transfroms us into the likeness of His Son.

So, may I encourage you to do what Paul encouraged his readers to do so many years ago: Work out your salvation [i.e. sanctification] with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).