Finally, 1 Timothy 6:17-18 offers divine instructions for the wealthy among us. The passage reads: “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.
“Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 19:23)
He prays: “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” (Proverbs 30:8-9).
God's blessing of wealth is usually obtained by great wisdom and responsibility and through discipline, hard work, saving, investing, and seeking God's will. Occasional, Biblical wealth is obtained suddenly by a great blessing such as an inheritance, oil and gas discovery or great invention.
Proverbs 23:4-5 – Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. Solomon mocks lazy people and warns them to expect poverty and family shame. But there is a contrary error, working too much to get rich.
Ecclesiastes 5:10
For those who seek after riches and gaining them quickly, their appetite will never be satisfied. The root of these desires is greed and the pursuit for more will never end.
The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all. 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.”
So a man can be rich and love God. One can be a real Christian and be rich. But it is not easy, the Bible says, and experience confirms it. Jesus knew that the rich young ruler would not obey the most important thing he told him – “and come, follow me” – if he kept his wealth.
Matthew 19:21-26: "Jesus said to him, 'If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.
Gain your wealth slowly
Proverbs 13:11 and 21:5 are true in the investment world as well and some of the best Bible verses on saving money. While quick riches are tempting, yet reckless, God intends for us to grow our wealth slowly and patiently.
Wealth creation is a godly gift; and God says that he is the one who gives the ability to create wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Money is easy to trust and easy to worship. In other words, money can take the place of God. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). God cares about money because it can alter our affections and our love for Him.
God is working to display His glory in our financial limitations. This is true not only because it forges our character to become more like Christ, but also because it allows us to be witnesses of Christ to those who do not know Him.
Jesus says: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24). This means it is impossible for a rich man to go to heaven by the same token that it is impossible for a camel to enter the eye of a needle.
The Gospels. Jesus explicitly condemns excessive love of wealth as an intrinsic evil in various passages in the Gospels, especially in Luke (Luke 16:10–15 being an especially clear example).
The Bible does not say God makes you wealthy; it says He will give you the power to produce wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). That means, He will always give you something to put your hands to, anoint your ability, and bring THE BLESSING on the scene when you are obedient to His commands.
In Christian tradition, the love of money is condemned as a sin primarily based on texts such as Ecclesiastes 5:10 and 1 Timothy 6:10. The Christian condemnation relates to avarice and greed rather than money itself.
Isaiah 55:1 reads, "Come everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." (ESV) There's a strong salvation emphasis in this verse.
God can trust a generous heart with wealth. He knows those who freely give can have money without money having them. But a hoarder will not receive a blessing because there is no seed to bless—no crop to reap. If you're not one who gives generously, it's not too late!
No matter the mental or emotional anguish we experience, God is not looking for sin. He's looking to help us know He's there with us … with love and grace! This concept is beautifully expressed in Psalm 37:23-26: "The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way.
Proverbs 10:22 NKJV [22] The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.
Proverbs 13:4 – “The soul of the lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” The lazy man desires what hard working people want: house, food, vacations, money for college and retirement. But the lazy man's desires remain unsatisfied, while the diligent gain wealth.
1 Timothy 6:17 says, “Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.” We all must use money. However, having money or spending money cannot be the end goal.
Such characters of the Bible give insight into different facets and the use of wealth such as: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; Joseph and his brothers; Lot, Job, Boaz, Abigail and Nabal, King David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Zacchaeus and Matthew; Joseph of Arimathea, the Roman Centurions, Lydia, Dorcas, Barnabas and Philemon.