What Does The Bible Say About Materialism? We live in a world where the rich are worried about how to keep it, get some more, and smoothly pass things to their children. On the other hand, the poor are simply worried about how to get their own share of material things in the first place. Truth be told, the desire to acquire more and retain is in all of us. It takes the special grace of God and the intervention of the Holy Spirit in our heart, mind, body, and spirit for us to see beyond material things or actually value the spiritual things of God’s Kingdom more than the material things of this world. It is important to understand that material things do not last but spiritual things last.
One might ask, “what is materialism?” This is a good question because we live in a material world. Your clothes, cars, houses, businesses and wealth are all examples of material things. And it is of great importance for us to learn how to relate with material things in ways that please God be it in our thoughts, words, and actions. In simple terms, we can define materialism as “the preoccupation with material things rather than intellectual or spiritual things (God’s Kingdom).” It is definitely wrong for a Christian to be preoccupied with material things. Behold, this is not to say that we cannot have material things. What we are saying is the the obsession to achieve and maintain them is dangerous for the spiritual growth of a Christian. That is, it is a sin when you become more attached to material things than the things of God.
What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Overview
Note that over the centuries, three different distinct philosophies of materialism have emerged. One notion is that materialism is completely evil. Behold, two opposite philosophies have arisen from this way of thinking. The first is Asceticism which has to do with the thinking behind the monastery. It holds that if creation is evil, then the best thing to do is to drop out of the world as much as possible. That is, become a monk, deny yourself. In Israel, 26 miles of walking up a dry river gorge, is a monastery that holds to such thinking. That is, no woman, no television, no automobiles, and are up at 4 a.m to sing God’s praises. They stick to dry bread and water as food as they end up their day with a plank bed to sleep upon. Such is the Ascetic lifestyle.
On the other hand, Epicureanism also considers the material world to be evil. However, they come to the exact opposite conclusion from the Ascetic. Epicureans hold that if the world is evil, then nothing really matters. Their conclusion is that if the body is evil then the best one ca do is to “live it up.” That is, go ahead to indulge in wine, women, and music. But behold brethren, let no one deceive you, for both Asceticism and Epicureanism are blasphemy. The Bible clearly tells us that: “God looked on all He had made and said, It is very good” (Genesis 1:31). Behold, God Himself even took the human nature and form in the person of Jesus Christ and walked the Earth in our midst. Indeed, He ate, drank, had clothing, and lived a completely sinless life to the glory of God the Father Almighty.
More philosophical thoughts
Apart from the philosophical thinking that the material world is evil, there is a second philosophical thinking that teaches that the material world is everything, all there is, and ,hence, the greatest good. communism arises from the school of thought, The Marxist holds that the material world is all that matters. Such a person will suggest that if you want a religion, you should try science. That is Empiricism which is the logical study of how things relate. It is from this same source that capitalism originated. It holds that “Good News” is in profit, as one acquires more and more goods and services. Such is the thinking that a successful person has plenty of “things”. Truth be told, both extremes and ways of thinking are wrong – that things are evil or things are the greatest good.
If God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to take the human form, nature, and live on Earth, we can therefore not support the philosophical thinking that all things are evil. Remember that Christ lived a sinful life on Earth and pleased His Father in all things. It is in this same light that He is calling on us to Sincerely Repent from our sins, and start obeying the commands of God so as to benefit from the things He created and declared good and not evil. And for sure, he/she who repents and starts obeying the Key Teachings of Jesus Christ will also benefit from God’s special gift of Eternal Life.
What the Scriptures say about Materialism
The Scripture teaches us that any preoccupation, obsession, or fascination with anything other than God is sinful and displeasing to Him. Deuteronomy 6:5 is clear on the fact that you are to “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” It is our duty to love God our maker with all our heart, mind, body, and spirit. This also happens to be the first and the greatest commandment in the Scriptures as pointed out by Jesus Christ in Matthew 22:37-38. With this in mind, it is clear that God is the only thing we can (and should) occupy ourselves with habitually. God Almighty alone is worthy of our love, attention, worship, and service. Offering these things to anyone or anything else is idolatry.
What is wrong with materialism?
Each time that we concern ourselves with the material things of this world, we become susceptible and can easily be drawn into the “deceitfulness of wealth” (Mark 4:19). We regularly fall into the deceitfulness of wealth thinking that we would be fulfilled or happy should in case we get more of what we are chasing. But truth be told, this is a big lie from the father of lies, the devil. Satan wants us to keep on pursuing the things that will never bring us satisfaction talk less of fulfillment or peace of mind. By so doing, the devil keeps us far away from the only thing that can satisfy – God Himself. Behold, God is our joy, happiness, fulfillment, peace, and strength. Luke 16:13 says that we “cannot serve both God and money.” Hence, we should learn to be content with what we have , always giving thanks to God.
A person’s “life is not in the abundance of the things which he possesses” (Luke 12:15). Christ further calls on us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) and all the other things will be added from the riches of His Glory. If material things were able to bring satisfaction, they would have done so for Solomon, the richest king to have lived. Although Solomon had everything and even had more of it than anyone, he declared that all the things were worthless and futile. They could not bring fulfillment, peace of mind, joy, and eternal life. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” Solomon came to conclusion that we are to “fear God, and keep His commandments. For this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
What you should note
The Bible tells us that God is the one who gives riches. And for sure no one can have anything unless it is given to him from above. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for.” We’ve also been invited by the Scriptures to present our plans before God and he will bless them to be successful. In this light, it is clear that any child of God who works hard is bound to reap his/her efforts. That’s why we should come before the Lord God with a thanksgiving heart for the things that He has blessed us with.
In the same light, we should rightly manage the wealth and material possessions that God has entrusted to our care for all things in heaven and on earth belong to Him (Deuteronomy 10:14). It is important to use our material and spiritual possessions for the comfort, exhortation, and encouragement of our neighbors as well as the advancement of God’s Kingdom. In this way, we’ll be attributed true riches in God’s Kingdom that never get bad nor stolen. We should do all these things in contentment and in a thankful mindset. As a parent, you won’t be happy to offer a new bicycle to your child and find out that he/she is ungrateful. Seeing them happy will bring you joy, and so is with God. If the child now becomes so attached to the bicycle that he/she won’t answer your calls, you get upset and so is with God.
What The Bible Says About Materialism
Mark 8:36 – “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
Hebrews 13:5 – “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.””
Ecclesiastes 5:10 – “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.This too is meaningless.”
Matthew 6:19-20 – “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
1 Timothy 6:7-8 – “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”
Ecclesiastes 5:15 – “Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.“
1 Timothy 6:9 – “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
Luke 12:15 – Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 – “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Group 1 – What The Bible Says About Materialism
1 Timothy 6:17 – “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.”
Matthew 6:21 – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Colossians 3:5 – “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”
Proverbs 16:16 – “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!”
Proverbs 15:16 – “Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.”
Matthew 16:26 – “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?“
1 Timothy 6:6 – “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
Proverbs 30:8 – “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.”
Matthew 19:21– Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
1 Timothy 2:9-10 – “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”
Group 2 – What The Bible Says About Materialism
Proverbs 18:11 – “The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale.”
Acts 4:32 – “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.”
Proverbs 11:4 – “Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”
Ecclesiastes 5:11 – “As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?”
Proverbs 23:5 – “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”
Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”
Ecclesiastes 4:4 – “And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
1 John 3:17 – “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
Proverbs 21:26 – “All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.”
Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Lamentations 3:24 – I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
Group 3 – What The Bible Says About Materialism
Luke 12:15 – And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Hebrews 13:5 – “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”“
Proverbs 13:8 – “A person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes.”
Exodus 20:17 – “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
2 Corinthians 6:10 – “Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
1 Timothy 6:9-10 – “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
Matthew 6:19-21 – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Group 4 – What The Bible Says About Materialism
Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Luke 12:33-34 – “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Ecclesiastes 5:10 – “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”
1 John 2:16 – “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.”
1 Timothy 6:17-19 – “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
1 Timothy 6:10 – “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
Group 5 – What The Bible Says About Materialism
1 John 2:15-17 – “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
Mark 4:18-19 – “And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
1 Timothy 6:6-10 – “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
Group 6 – What The Bible Says About Materialism
Luke 16:19-31 – “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. …”
Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
1 John 3:17 – “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”
Proverbs 16:16 – “How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”
Proverbs 11:4 – “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.“
Ecclesiastes 12:13 – “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
Proverbs 11:28 – “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.”
Matthew 16:26 – “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?“
Group 7 – What The Bible Says About Materialism
Proverbs 30:8-9 – “Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”
Mark 4:19 – “But the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.“
Ecclesiastes 2:11 – “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”
Colossians 3:2 – “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Luke 16:1-31 – “He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ …”
Group 8 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
2 Corinthians 4:18 – “As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Luke 16:14-15 – “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Colossians 3:5 – “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.“
Ecclesiastes 5:15 – “As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.”
James 5:1-20 – “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. …”
Group 10 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Matthew 6:1-34 – ““Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. …”
Proverbs 28:22 – “A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.”
Joshua 7:21 – “When I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
Proverbs 27:20 – “Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man.”
Proverbs 22:9 – “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.”
Group 11 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Revelation 18:4 – “Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;”
Matthew 6:19-20 – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
1 Timothy 2:9 – “Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,”
1 Peter 1:1-2:25 – “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ...”
Group 12 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.”
Proverbs 20:21 – “An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.”
Ecclesiastes 6:9 – “Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.”
Proverbs 23:5 – “When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 4:8 – “One person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.”
1 Corinthians 15:42 – “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.”
Philippians 3:7-8 – “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
Psalm 37:7 – “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”
Group 13 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Acts 8:20 – But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”
Acts 2:45 – “And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
Hebrews 6:1-20 – “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, …”
Haggai 2:8 – “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts.”
2 Corinthians 5:1-21 – “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. …”
Group 14 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Zephaniah 1:18 – “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.”
Matthew 26:15 – “And said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.”
Romans 2:6-8 – “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.“
Romans 15:1-33 – “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, …”
Group 15 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Ezekiel 7:19 – “They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.”
Luke 5:11-13 – “And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.”
Mark 8:31-36 – “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. …”
Group 16 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Psalm 71:1-24 – “In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. …”
Isaiah 13:12 – “I will make people more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir.”
Isaiah 2:1-3:26 – “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; …”
Group 17 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Psalm 62:1-12 – “To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. …”
Job 20:1-21:34 – “Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: “Therefore my thoughts answer me, because of my haste within me. I hear censure that insults me, and out of my understanding a spirit answers me. Do you not know this from of old, since man was placed on earth, that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment? ...”
Job 1:1-3:26 – “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. …”
Group 18 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Deuteronomy 7:22-26 – “The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you. But the Lord your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed. And he will give their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under heaven. No one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them. The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God.”
Ezekiel 16:49 – “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.”
Genesis 13:6 – “So that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together,”
1 John 5:19 – “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
Deuteronomy 28:47-48 – “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.”
Group 19 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Isaiah 40:6-8 – “A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
1 Timothy 3:1-16 – “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? …”
Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 – “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, …”
Group 20 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Ecclesiastes 3:9 – “What gain has the worker from his toil?”
Isaiah 10:1-34 – “Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth? Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still. Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury! ...”
James 3:16 – “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”
Deuteronomy 6:5 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Proverbs 31:25 – “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”
Proverbs 28:1-28 – “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue. A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food. Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely. …”
Group 21 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
1 Timothy 6:1-21 – “Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, …”
Acts 5:1-6:15 – “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. …”
Group 22 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
1 Timothy 5:8 – “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Luke 1:37 – “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
1 Corinthians 10:14-24 – “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? …”
Group 23 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
2 Kings 1:8-2:9 – “They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.” Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king’s order, ‘Come down quickly!’” …”
Group 24 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Acts 4:12-37 – “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. …”
Group 25 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Romans 1:22-23 – “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”
James 4:4 – “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Matthew 10:8-39 – “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. ...”
Group 26 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Matthew 22:37-38 – And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”
James 1:12-2:16 – “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. ...”
Group 27 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Revelation 1:1-20 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. …”
Group 28 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Luke 14:23-35 – “And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. …”
John 8:32 – “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Group 29 – What Does The Bible Say About Materialism?
Genesis 3:6 – “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”
Matthew 5:1-7:29 – “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. …”
Also Read
- Bible Verses About Following Jesus Christ
- Bible Verses About The Kingdom Of God
- 7 Biblical Principles Of Money Management
- Bible Verses About The Judgement Day
- Christian Money Management
- Miracle Prayer For Money
- Bible Verses About Money Worries
- Bible Verses About Planning
- Achieving Financial Freedom God’s Way
- Bible Verses About Goodness
