Everyday I hear people criticising children of God who are wealthy. This made me to go back to the Bible again to check if it is indeed a sin for believers to have material wealth. Well, I have my conclusions, but what are yours? Do you think God created silver and Gold and the world's wealth for the Devil and his crowd, but banned his own children from Touching them? Let's talk.
NOTE: this discussion is for the Christian community, if you are not a Christain you will hardly have scriptures to back your claims. Don't bring in your own or worldly opinions of what you think. NO. Pls bring up scriptures that says believers shd or shd not be wealthy.

On issues like this, the following principles(more like laws or ordinances) apply:
1. Proverbs 10:4,5
He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand:
but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son:
but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
Proverbs

Meaning a lazy believer would be satisfied with poverty while a diligent, hardworking unbeliever will be rich.

2. Psalm 75:6,7
For promotion cometh neither from the east,
nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the judge:
he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

Notice that it does not attribute promotion to the Fatherhood of God but to His justice; meaning we reap what we sow. If we are diligent, we'll be promoted. If we are not, another (though he be an unbeliever) will be promoted. The Judge of all the earth decides who deserves promotion according to His ordinances and laws. Now one of those laws is Matthew 6:33 but that does not render Proverbs 10:4(quoted in 1 above) redundant

3. Matthew 5:45
45 that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust

The resources for wealth/opportunities is given to both believers and unbelievers. We become rich by our use (or poor by our disuse) of these and we shall also be judged (at the end of time) by our abuse of these. Note that abuse may bring wealth (the world is depraved and perverted) but it also brings judgement.

4.Proverbs 21:25,26
25 The desire of the slothful killeth him;
for his hands refuse to labour.
26 He coveteth greedily all the day long:
but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

It's good to dream and desire and pray on these but the time must come when we roll our sleeves and get down to intense labour. Also note that giving (to the needy) is part of labour that will be rewarded as the Judge sees fit.

Being wealthy is not condemned by scripture but the get-rich-quick-at-all-costs disposition is what is condemned. A rational man desires to have wealth but it should not be a search for wealth at the expense of your relationship with God, spiritual responsibility and eternal destiny; a time might come when a choice must be made and the allure of the temptation is very strong hence the call to contentment. If with contentment, you continue diligently in a business, wealth will surely come as a disposable by-product ,and not as a lord.

1 Timothy 6:5-10(AMP)
5 And protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a [c]source of profit [a moneymaking business, a means of livelihood]. From such withdraw.
6 [And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of [d]inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.
7 For we brought nothing into the world, and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world;
8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied).
9 But those who crave to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish (useless, godless) and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction and miserable perishing.
10 For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many [e]acute [mental] pangs.


Earthly riches is not an automatic birthright such that we can toss and turn on the bed all day and get 6 - figure alerts, in hard currency, every other day!
2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat

2 Timothy 2:5
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned (by the Judge), except he strive lawfully.(Parenthesis mine) God gives power go get wealth but the striving (use of that power)lies with us.

you xtians keep running from verses like this; Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come,follow me."

mujahid1339:
you xtians keep running from verses like this; Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come,follow me."

Kindly quote the passage where that was spoken to the disciples as a pre-condition. Many things were said to various individuals which applies to them. Examples:

Mark 10: 17,21

17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

compare with
Mark 5:18,19,20

18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel


To the rich man he said follow me (physically). To the delivered man he said go home and share your testimony to others. The cost of discipleship for both was great but different:
The one was enslaved by his much possessions while the other by shame/stigma and bad reputation of life under influence and he that will
surrender to Christ as Lord must be prepared to dethrone these idols or lords (due to the control they exert on such a person). They vary from person to person.

Corollary? The passage you alluded to was not one of those commands to the disciples and followers in general but a condition of discipleship to a man who came to Christ. (for another, it was the cost of being satisfied without a decent accommodation Luke 9:58)
(Back to the focus of the thread)

Scholar8200:
Kindly quote the passage where that was spoken to the disciples as a pre-condition. Many things were said to various individuals which applies to them. Examples:

Mark 10: 17,21

17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

compare with
Mark 5:18,19,20

18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel


To the rich man he said follow me (physically). To the delivered man he said go home and share your testimony to others. The cost of discipleship for both was great but different:
The one was enslaved by his much possessions while the other by shame/stigma and bad reputation of life under influence and he that will
surrender to Christ as Lord must be prepared to dethrone these idols or lords (due to the control they exert on such a person)

Corollary? The passage you alluded to was not one of those commands to the disciples and followers in general but a condition of discipleship to a man who came to Christ. (for another, it was the cost of being satisfied without a decent accommodation Luke 9:58)
(Back to the focus of the thread)

but the second man may have been already poor

mujahid1339:
but the second man may have been already poor

Yes. But the focus of Jesus was not to help either to get wealth, but help them in seeking the kingdom and,while the moral obligation remains constant,the terms/cost of a personal walk as Christ's disciple varies.
But apart from the moral obligations (sermon on the mount which is fundamental) the cost of discipleship for all varies!

Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea etc were also disciples but they were not asked to do same (follow Jesus physically).

Zacchaeus was another rich man but he did what he did of his own volition (since he got most of his wealth by deception,it was only proper that in making his way right, efforts would be made to rectify past actions) not by commandment.

In fact Jesus did not repeat same command to Zacchaeus by asking him to leave his household and follow Him (physically) even though he also was a rich man.
It's all about a personal relationship with Him.

Anas09:
Everyday I hear people criticising children of God who are wealthy. This made me to go back to the Bible again to check if it is indeed a sin for believers to have material wealth. Well, I have my conclusions, but what are yours? Do you think God created silver and Gold and the world's wealth for the Devil and his crowd, but banned his own children from Touching them? Let's talk.
NOTE: this discussion is for the Christian community, if you are not a Christain you will hardly have scriptures to back your claims. Don't bring in your own or worldly opinions of what you think. NO. Pls bring up scriptures that says believers shd or shd not be wealthy.

Possession and value (money) only exist in our mortal dimension. In the spiritual side what they value most is "agelessness" , worship and flatter.

Anas09:
Everyday I hear people criticising children of God who are wealthy. This made me to go back to the Bible again to check if it is indeed a sin for believers to have material wealth. Well, I have my conclusions, but what are yours? Do you think God created silver and Gold and the world's wealth for the Devil and his crowd, but banned his own children from Touching them? Let's talk.
NOTE: this discussion is for the Christian community, if you are not a Christain you will hardly have scriptures to back your claims. Don't bring in your own or worldly opinions of what you think. NO. Pls bring up scriptures that says believers shd or shd not be wealthy.

I, like every Christian I know, wouldn't mind being wealthy, but, to be honest, Christ variously condemed wealth.

BTW,
There is this raging thread where they r saying that Muhammad (PBUH) slept with a six year old. How true is that? Add your two cents.

Here is the link:

https://www.nairaland.com/2439827/age-consent-sex-what-want

architez:


I, like every Christian I know, wouldn't mind being wealthy, but, to be honest, Christ variously condemed wealth.

BTW,
There is this raging thread where they r saying that Muhammad (PBUH) slept with a six year old. How true is that? Add your two cents.

Here is the link:

https://www.nairaland.com/2439827/age-consent-sex-what-want

what christ condemned was love of money and rich oppressing the poor, that's the story of the rich man and the Lazarus. Deut8 vs 18 says ................. Am the God that give power to make wealth" can you see that. Do you think jesus christ was poor? But most of the he fasted, if jesus was a poor man he would not chose judas iscariot as treasurer . And remember that jesus was celebrity during his time to the extent they nicknamed him king of the jew. Keep in mind that john aramathea was a rich man and one of his disciples. Poverty is an agent of darkness to torment the children of God, then devil makes you to believe that as a child of God you have to be poor that's a lie !!!!!!!!!!.

Which wealth did God create pls. Humans create wealth... Or is God an entrepreneur?

Jesus didn't even do on business while on earth