Whose Money Is It Anyway?

John F. MacArthur

• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Year: 2000
• ISBN:
  9781418552350
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Personal Finance

Reading books on money and giving typically makes us feel worse than when we began.

"I don't want you to feel worse; I want you to feel better. And the path to feeling better is understanding what the Bible really says about giving and spending. This book will help you do that."-John MacArthur

John MacArthur has written this no-nonsense book to affirm Christ's teaching that "it is more blessed to give than to receive." In this practical, easy-to-read book Christians can find out:

• How to give, where to give, and how much to give
  

• Scriptural guidelines for acquiring money and investing it
  

• The right and wrong ways to go about giving
  

• The connection between generous giving and prosperity
  

• Why get-rich-quick schemes like gambling are wrong
  

"When you give as God has commanded, you will find it liberating, rewarding, joyous, and profoundly enriching"-John MacArthur

Find out in this book how the blessings that go with giving can be yours.

1 The Morality of Money

HAVING A PROPER VIEW OF MONEY and possessions and managing them scripturally are serious challenges that face all Christians. By God’s providence, people are in varying financial situations, but we all have to deal with the same questions: What do we do with our resources? How should we spend our money? How much should we save and invest? Those questions constantly test the genuineness and integrity of our spiritual walk. How a believer handles the stewardship of his finances and possessions communicates much about his or her spiritual condition.

To underscore how important the subject of money and possessions is to God, sixteen of Christ’s thirty-eight parables speak about how people should handle earthly treasure. In fact, our Lord taught more about such stewardship (one out of every ten verses in the Gospels) than about heaven and hell combined. The entire Bible contains more than two thousand references to wealth and property, twice as many as the total references to faith and prayer. What we do with the things God has given us is very important to Him.

THE NATURE OF MONEY

Money in itself is neither righteous nor evil—it is morally neutral. However, money is an accurate measure of one’s morality. When we refer to money we are referring to our medium of economic exchange, something so vital that it defines how we live from day to day. In a cash-based society it might have been difficult to track one’s use of money, but today a look over your checkbook ledger or credit card statement will easily reveal where your money goes. And where you spend your money determines where your heart is and what your life’s priorities are (Matt. 6:20–21). Someone who sees the pattern of your spending can fairly well discern the moral direction of your life.

Contrary to the fact that money is amoral, conventional wisdom for centuries has believed money necessarily corrupts. But that assessment goes against normal experience and good logic. There are certainly corrupt wealthy people who manifest their corruption through the misuse of their wealth, but there are also the righteous wealthy who demonstrate their righteousness by the godly way they invest their wealth. Similarly, among the ranks of the poor there have always been those who are corrupt and those who are righteous. So, money doesn’t necessarily corrupt. But the use of it does reveal the inherent internal corruption of people. Money is not the essential problem; it is simply an indicator of the real problem, which is a sinful heart.

Even some Christians have accepted the erroneous view that money corrupts and is the underlying cause for all of life’s problems. They claim it is wrong for believers to have any more money than is necessary for life’s essentials. More radical advocates of that position might urge that all Christians band together and place all their money into a common pot from which they can share it equally—in essence, they endorse a Christian form of communism.

Those who propound such an extreme position on money management will invariably cite Acts 2:44–45 for scriptural support: “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.” But what the early church did in Acts 2 does not support any form of Christian communism. Among the early believers, there were some who had money, possessions, and property, and others who did not. When those who owned little or nothing had needs, those with the resources sometimes sold a portion of what they owned and gave the money to their needy fellow believers. The Book of Acts does not say the early church ever pooled its resources and distributed them equally among the members.

Thus from its earliest days, the church saw money as neither good nor bad, but as a gift from God that could daily provide for one’s own needs and regularly meet the needs of others.

ALL RICHES COME FROM GOD

The Old Testament prophets set forth the truth that all wealth comes from God: “‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of hosts” (Hag. 2:8; cf. Job 28; Ps. 104:24). Because God, as creator of the earth, owns everything anyway, He certainly doesn’t forbid mankind from using money. God granted man the wisdom and privilege to turn the earth’s rich resources into valuable commodities and his own talents into marketable services. A natural result was the use of various metals from the earth to make coins, and the use of trees to make paper for currency. He wants us to wisely take advantage of the earth’s natural resources for those and other economic purposes.

In Deuteronomy 8:18, God moves a step further: “But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth. . . .” He has not only created the raw materials for wealth, but has also given us the mental and physical ability to gain wealth and to use it.

The Lord in His providence has made each human being unique, with differing abilities to earn money. As a result, people have written great books and composed outstanding pieces of music, painted memorable pictures, and produced stage and film masterpieces, designed engineering marvels, developed new businesses, and discovered indispensable technical advances, all of which have generated personal income and benefited the world’s social and economic structures. Such efforts are all within the framework of God’s creative purpose and sovereign plan for mankind’s use of the earth’s great wealth (cf. 1 Cor. 4:7).

God wants you to understand that money by itself is morally neutral and that He, as the ultimate source of it and all material goods, has distributed all wealth as a stewardship. We all manage God’s wealth. Money and possessions then become tests of morality and pose these personal questions: What are you going to do with the wealth you have? Will you pass this crucial, ongoing test of your moral and spiritual life? Sadly, as we are about to see, many professed believers— especially in recent decades—have not been able to pass the test and have dishonored God.

FAILING THE TEST: THE LURE OF MATERIALISM

Although it is not sinful to have money and possessions, it is definitely sinful to hoard, worship, and covet them as symbols of prestige, and overindulge by building your life around them. Such attitudes have always been commonplace in the world, but during the past several generations they have also captured the church and become a major issue there. Evangelicalism, instead of being separate from the world and offering a distinct, godly alternative to the world’s view of wealth, has instead become self-indulgent and enamored with materialism. I believe it is a disappointing, fearful thing that many professing Christians no longer seem willing to be the off-scouring of the world (1 Cor. 4:13, KJV).

Twenty years ago John White wrote an influential book titled The Golden Cow, which is still very helpful today. In it he charged the mainstream evangelical church with the sin of worshiping the golden cow of materialism. One major remedy, as stated vividly by White, is for Christ to use His whip of chastening and, as it were, cleanse the temple all over again. The author further presented this satirical and sobering analysis, which is perhaps even more applicable now:

Not a calf, if you please, but a cow. I call her a golden cow because her udders are engorged with liquid gold, especially in the West where she grazes in meadows lush with greenbacks. Her priests placate her by slaughtering godly principles upon whose blood she looks with tranquil satisfaction. Anxious rows of worshipers bow down before their buckets. Although the gold squirts endlessly the worshipers are trembling lest the supply of sacrificial victims should one day fail to appease her. . . .

Fundamentalism is my mother. I was nurtured in her warm bosom. She cared for me with love and taught me all she knew. I owe her (humanly speaking) my life, my spiritual food and many of my early joys. She introduced me to the Savior and taught me to feed on the bread of life. Our relationship wasn’t all honey and roses, but she was the only mother I had. I clung to her then and find it hard not to lean on her now. If she let me down at times I’m old enough to realize that no mother is perfect. But to find out that she was a whore, that she let herself be used by mammon, was another matter. And as the wider evangelical movement gradually took her place in my life it was painful to make the same discovery twice.¹

I believe materialism is an even more serious issue facing contemporary churches today. So many church members are like the rich fool who wanted to build bigger and bigger barns (Luke 12:16–18). However, he was not a role model for believers. We will never present a righteous alternative to unbelievers if we adopt the materialistic thoughts and practices of the world.

We can begin to stem the tide of materialism simply by having biblical motives and balanced practices regarding the pastor’s compensation. John White offers this persuasive insight into what ought to be done:

What would be wrong with giving him [the pastor] fifty percent more than whatever sum seems reasonable? Are you afraid it might make him too money conscious? If so, what business did you have in appointing him? If you are in a position to pick a pastor, you should also know that God expects you to discern whether he has a weakness about money. And if he has a weakness about money, you should never have given him the responsibility of a pastorate (1 Tim. 3:3)!

Some churches like to give high salaries because the pastor’s standard of living will affect the kind of people who will attend. (Posh pastor; fancy congregation.) God is concerned with motives not with amounts. Do you resent the thought of your pastor having too much money? Then double his salary! Why? To show him you love him. But aren’t there better ways of showing love? Of course there are, but why not show him love in these ways too? Do you ask me what happens if the salary is too much for him? I answer, that’s the pastor’s problem. He could give more money away, for instance. Pray that he may have wisdom in handling what he doesn’t need.²

All believers, not just pastors, need to realize it’s not a question of how much money you have; it’s a question of where your heart is and what you do with what you have.

We all need to examine our attitudes toward luxuries and necessities. Proverbs 30:8–9 says, “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God” (NIV). Wealth or the lack of it is a constant test for us. If we have more than we need, we’ll be tempted not to trust God. If we don’t have enough, we’ll be tempted to dishonor His name. The key to passing the test of wealth is simply found in trusting God, who is infinitely greater than all the wealth in the universe.

PASSING THE TEST:
THE TREASURE OF CONTENTMENT

The dictionary defines contented as “feeling or manifesting satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or situation.” For the Christian, however, a definition of contentment goes far beyond the issues of worldly wealth and success. You’ll find real contentment in God as you realize that your heavenly Father owns everything, controls everything, and provides everything. Wholeheartedly embracing these truths will begin to lead to victory over the pervasive snare of materialism.

God Owns Everything

God is the sole proprietor of everything you have—your clothes, your house, your car, your children, your computer, your CD player, your investments, your sports equipment, your lawn and garden—and everything else imaginable. King David affirmed that truth several times: “For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours. . . . Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all” (1 Chron. 29:11, 12, NKJV); “The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it” (Ps. 24:1).

Since God owns everything, you can never really acquire anything new because it is already His. Embracing this fact is crucial in attaining a biblical attitude of contentment.

Either from your own perspective or God’s, you have to deal with your possessions. As long as they belong to Him, you should stop worrying and let Him take care of them. That’s the way John Wesley reacted one day when he received the news that fire had destroyed his house. He simply said, “The Lord’s house burned down. One less responsibility for me.”

Wesley’s approach was the right one, but it is not how the world teaches us to respond. The self-centered accumulation of property is the world’s legacy to us, but we need to change that perspective. We do not own anything. Therefore, if you ever lose something, you don’t really lose it, because you never owned it. If someone needs some of what you have, he may be as entitled to it as you are, because you don’t own it—God does.

God Controls Everything

It follows that if God owns everything, He also controls everything. The Old Testament emphasizes the fact that God sovereignly controls all circumstances for His own ends. Isaiah 46:9–10 says, “Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’ ” (cf. 1 Chron. 29:11–12; Job 23:13; Ps. 33:11; Prov. 16:9; 21:1, 30).

Daniel expressed the same idea when he thanked and blessed God for revealing to him the meaning of the king’s dream: “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him” (Dan. 2:20–22).

That same kind of theology sustained Daniel when he was cast into the lions’ den (Dan. 6). In spite of the perilous circumstances of being surrounded by hungry lions, Daniel apparently had a relatively easy time in the pit. Verse 23 reports, “Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”

Meanwhile, King Darius had spent the night in perfect circumstances in his royal palace, yet he couldn’t eat, sleep, drink, or be entertained. Why such an improbable contrast between Daniel and the king? Because Daniel had a confident faith that God was in sovereign control of everything. Darius was nervous and shaken because he did not know the divine Controller and believed circumstances were spinning out of his own control.

If Daniel could trust in God’s control over a life-threatening situ...