Is it a sin to be rich?

Answer

The Bible extensively discusses the plight of the poor and emphasizes that we must not overlook their struggles (Proverbs 22:22;Deuteronomy 15:7;James 2:5-6). When God sent His Son to earth, He did not place Him in a palace or mansion. Jesus was born into a family of modest means (Mark 6:3;John 1:46). The Bible provides examples of wealthy individuals blessed by God, such as Abraham «And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. », (Genesis 13:2), Jacob «And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.», (Genesis 30:43), and Solomon «So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. », (1 Kings 10:23). However, in most cases, when Scripture addresses material wealth, it cautions us about the perils of riches. Being wealthy is not a sin, but wealth can lead to temptation. The sin lies not in possessing wealth but in our attitudes toward it and how we utilize it.

First Timothy 6:9 states, “Those who want to become rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” Verse 10 continues, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” Many have misinterpreted this verse to claim that money is the root of all evil, but that is inaccurate. The verse actually statesThat the love of money is what ensnares us. Our idols define us. When we focus on earthly success, wealth, relationships, or fame, we become idolaters. When our earthly goals become the most important things in our lives, we cannot also please the Lord “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”, (Romans 8:8).

God may grant earthly riches to His people who will distribute those riches the way He wants. Rich Christians who do not treat money as an idol are a blessing to many. They start charities, contribute to help orphans and widows “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”, (James 1:27), and keep their local churches financially stable “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”, (Malachi 3:10). Without wealthy Christians, many missionaries could not serve on the field.

Zacchaeus was a rich man, but his gains were ill-gotten and his life was characterized by greed. But then he met Jesus, and the Lord changed his life. Zacchaeus’s transformation affected every part of his life, including the way he handled money: “Look, Lord,” he said, “I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold” “And Zacchæus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”, (Luke 19:8, NKJV). When Zacchaeus found salvation in Christ, he also discovered a new purpose for his wealth. Being rich was not a sin for him, but it would have been sinful to continue deceiving people or to use his riches selfishly. God entrusts wealth to the affluent so they can benefit others.

God desires us to appreciate all He has bestowed upon us, as long as we do not allow the gift to become our god. We are to view everything we possess as a loan from the Lord and seek His guidance on how He wants us to utilize it (Psalm 50:9-12). When our hearts are not captivated by the allure of wealth, we can demonstrate ourselves as faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us.