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Wealth

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Jacob Chen Zhe
Jacob Chen ZheJune 1, 2025

Wealth and riches can easily deceive. Those who are prosperous often see themselves as blessed, and others praise them in their success. But if they lack understanding, they may place their hope in their riches rather than in God.

Such people can become proud and haughty, forgetting—or even denying—the Lord. Scripture warns us that they stand on slippery ground. No matter how much wealth they accumulate, it can never redeem their souls—for no amount of money is ever enough to ransom a life.

God's Word makes it clear: true riches are not found in earthly treasures, but in the eternal treasures of heaven. We are not called to settle down or cling to this world as if it were our eternal home—for such a mindset is spiritually dangerous. It blinds us to the fleeting nature of earthly things and draws our hearts away from the everlasting hope we have in Christ. Instead, we are to fix our eyes on heaven and the city to come—a far better place that will never perish.

Warning

Mark 8:36-38

36For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37For what will a man give in exchange for his life? 38For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Luke 12:15

15He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”

Revelation 3:17-18

17Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing,’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.

Deuteronomy 8:11-14

11Beware lest you forget the LORD your God, in not keeping his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I command you today; 12lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built fine houses and lived in them; 13and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14then your heart might be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage;

Deuteronomy 8:17-18

17And lest you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.” 18But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is today.

Mark 4:18-19

18Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word, 19and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

James 5:1-6

1Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming on you. 2Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3Your gold and your silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be for a testimony against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up your treasure in the last days. 4Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Armies. 5You have lived in luxury on the earth, and taken your pleasure. You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6You have condemned and you have murdered the righteous one. He doesn’t resist you.

Matthew 19:21-24

21Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions. 23Jesus said to his disciples, “Most certainly I say to you, a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

Colossians 3:1-2

1If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.

Proverbs 30:7-9

7“Two things I have asked of you. Don’t deny me before I die. 8Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Exhortation

1 John 2:15-17

15Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. 16For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. 17The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

17Charge those who are rich in this present age that they not be arrogant, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; 18that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share; 19laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.

Matthew 6:19-21

19“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Proverbs 10:22

22The LORD’s blessing brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

Hebrews 13:14

14For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come.

Hebrews 11:13-16

13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Illustrations

The rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)

19“Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.
20A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores,
21and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.
24He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’
25“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted and you are in anguish.
26Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’
27“He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house—
28for I have five brothers—that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’
29“But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’
30“He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”

The parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21)

16He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.
17He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’
18He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”’
20“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’
21So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, if we are rich, guard our hearts from pride. Don’t let us forget you or put our trust in wealth that fades. And if we are poor, protect us from envy. Remind us that while earthly riches may bring comfort, they also come with great temptation—and can even become a spiritual burden.

Help us, Lord, to fix our eyes on the things above. Your Son gave up heavenly glory, became a helpless baby in a manger, and walked the road of suffering—all to redeem us. If he surrendered the riches of heaven for our sake, how can we chase after earthly treasures without grieving his heart?

May we never build our lives around what wealth can offer, nor live as though this world were our forever home. Teach us to walk as foreigners and strangers on the earth. Help us to long for a better country—the heavenly one that endures forever.

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen!

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