Proverbs 10:22 “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.”
Another subtler path that will lead believers to committing the sin to death is becoming caught up with the things of the world. The reason I say that this path is subtler, is because God does bless His children, for it is His will for us to be blessed. And so a part of God’s blessing in our lives is that He can and does make us rich (rich means having a full supply). But I want you to notice in the above quoted passage of scripture that when our Lord makes us rich, that there is no sorrow that comes with it. Sadly many in the church have been made rich through their own efforts and not through the blessing of the Lord, and as a result, even though they may have wealth, they have pierced themselves through with many sorrows in attaining their wealth (1 Timothy 6:10).
Mark 4:18-19 “Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, (19) and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”
In the parable of the sower that our Lord Jesus taught, there were four categories of people. The first category were the unbelievers (Mark 4:15). The second category, which we have dealt with in the previous section, were believers who fell away because of trials and tribulations (Mark 4:16-17). The third category, which we will discuss in this section are the believers who produce no fruit in the kingdom of God. In the above quoted passage of scripture our Lord Jesus taught us that the category of believers who do not produce fruit in the kingdom are those who get caught up with the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things. In other words the things of the world become more important to them than the things of God. So what is the consequence for those who do not produce fruit in the kingdom of God? Our Lord Jesus taught us that those who do not produce fruit in the kingdom are eventually removed from the kingdom (John 15:2-6). In other words they eventually commit the sin to death.
1 Timothy 6:9-10 “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. (10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
In the above passage of scripture the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul describes believers who have strayed from the faith because of their desire to be rich. The Holy Spirit warns believers in this passage that it is possible for those who desire to be rich, to drown in destruction and perdition. The picture of one being drowned in destruction and perdition is a picture of one who has committed the sin to death, for you will recall that our Lord Jesus taught us that a man has no profit in gaining the whole world and yet looses his own soul (Matthew 16:16). Clearly the Holy Spirit warns the church in this passage not to pursue riches.
Michael E.B. Maher
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