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This episode will be particularly challenging. It will be challenging because the love of money and possessions is a natural inclination that most if not all people lean toward.  Yet, the Word of God clearly has words of concern and caution as Believers gravitate towards the category of luxuries. 

The Scriptures speak speak quite a lot about the topic of luxuries, and today we would like to cover:

  • Christian viewpoints of luxuries.
  • Biblical understanding of luxuries.
  • Biblical application of luxuries.
  • And finally, we will answer some common questions that Believers have about luxuries.

So, let’s begin by looking at the two of the key Christian viewpoints of luxuries.

 

EXTREME CHRISTIAN VIEWPOINTS ON LUXURIES

  • Prosperity Gospel – 
    • The prosperity gospel (also known as the “health and wealth gospel” or by its most popular brand, the “Word of Faith” movement). It claims that God rewards increases in faith with increases in health and/or wealth.  
      • This is a perversion of the Gospel.
      • In short, this means that “health and wealth” are the automatic divine right of all Bible-believing Christians and may be procreated by faith as part of the package of salvation, since the Atonement of Christ includes not just the removal of sin, but also the removal of sickness and poverty.
      • https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-you-should-know-about-the-prosperity-gospel/
  • Poverty Gospel – 
    • Poverty gospel defined – Gospel poverty is the selling of all one’s possessions and giving the proceeds to the poor. It is to live with nothing of one’s own and to refuse regular gifts or endowments that could be relied on.
      • https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/innerresources/vol1iss2/johnson_discipline.pdf
    • Truth is… – luxuries are good…but dangerous!
    • We need to have balance between these two extremes.
    • Proverbs 30:7-9 – “Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; 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.”

 

BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF LUXURIES

  • Wealth and blessings flow from God!
    • Josh 1:8 – “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
      • Basis of “prosperity/success” is knowing and living out the Word of God in your life!  This verse begins with “this Book of the Law.”  Prosperity and success stems from here.
    • Ps. 1:1-4 – “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers…”
      • Fruit, vitality and prosperity flows from and out of a person’s “roots” being in the Word. 
    • 2 Chron. 26:4-5 – “He (Uzziah) sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.” 
      • Seeking the Lord, in the truest form that a person can, is known and blessed by God, specifically blessed with success!
  • Wealth can be destructive
    • 1 Tim. 6:9-10 – “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
      • The DESIRE for wealth can create temptation, ruin, destruction,  wandering from the faith, pain, and grief.
  • Wealth longevity is uncertain
    • 1 Tim. 6:17a – “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain…”
      • The honest truth about wealth is that it can be here today, and gone tomorrow!  As this verse states, it is uncertain pertaining to it’s longevity.
  • Wealth is to be enjoyed
    • 1 Tim. 6:17b – “…but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
      • God desires those who put their hope and trust in the Lord to enjoy that which He provides for us, even those things that would be labeled “luxuries”… 
  • Wealth is to be shared
    • 1 Tim. 6:18 – “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”
      • The wealth that the Lord allows us to steward is not just for our personal purposes, but to be a blessing to others.
  • Wealth can yield eternal rewards
    • 1 Tim. 6:19 – “In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
      • Wealth stewarded by the believer is also to be used for the purpose of Kingdom building by using it to bring people to the Lord and help them grow in the Lord (“the coming age”).

 

BIBLICAL APPLICATION OF LUXURIES:

  • Definition of luxuries
    • When we think of luxuries, we might think of the nice car, nice house, designer clothing or the over-the-top vacation. But luxuries can also be things like eating out, cable TV, sports and entertainment tickets, travel, various TV subscriptions, pets and impulse purchases. A luxury is anything that is non-essential for life.
    • We need to understand the difference between needs and wants, and understand that our WANTS are, for the most part, luxuries!
  • Priorities and Balance are they Keys to Having a Biblical Approach to Luxuries.
    • It is okay and good to have and enjoy luxuries and abundance of blessings from the Lord. Balance is the key! Remember 1 Tim. 6:17, “but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” God is the one that provides for and encourages us to enjoy what he has put before us that is above what we need to live!
    • God is NOT a cosmic Kill-Joy!  He wants us to enjoy the fruit of our Labors. But our enjoyment of luxuries are to be in the right order of priority:
      • Giving to the Lord
      • Saving to provide for and protect our family
      • Spending…specifically paying for our essential needs for us and our family
      • Offerings…giving something to be a blessing to those less fortunate and/or in need…
      • AND it is NOW in the priority order that we can spend on ourselves and enjoy.
  • Warnings for Luxuries
    • PARABLE OF THE SOWER – Matt 13:22 “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.”
    • Mark 4:19 – “but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
    • PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL – Luke 12:16-21 “‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’  “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
  • Perspective is Important.
    • Ecclesiastes 5:19–20 – “Moreover (for the one that WORKS, v 18), when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.” (Ecclesiastes 5:19–20, NIV84)  
    • It is important to note the perspective of the one that has been blessed by God with wealth/possessions and luxuries to enjoy. Verse 20 makes it clear that this person does not place intense focus on his life, and I will go as far as saying his possessions also. But God is the one that occupies his heart and mind.

 

STEWARDSHIP APPLICATION

  • Don’t judge others based on their luxuries or lack thereof. 
    • We tend to measure the success of others based on the quality of their possessions. This is dangerous and should be avoided.  Neither poverty nor wealth is a sign of holiness.
  • As believers in Christ, we must understand that wealth and possessions can destroy our desire for God and our ability to serve others. 
  • We must not seek our value and meaning in life in our possessions. 
    • Matthew 6:33 (ESV) – But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
  • Having luxuries is not bad in and of themselves for God has richly provided us with everything to enjoy…and we are to do so when it is in the right sequential order within your personal finances!  
    • Don’t lose sight of seeking first His Kingdom…and as you do so, watch Him bring “addition” to the work of your hands! 
  • Everything is an act of worship, even the enjoyment of Luxuries. We can either worship pleasure and possessions or we can worship the God who gives glimpses of the Glories and pleasures that are to come.

Next Steps

 

 

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