I’m going to talk about money today and specifically how we can be victorious over money—how we can refuse to be enslaved to it. And if you don’t know this already, let me tell you if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, he’s going to mess with your money. You remember at one point Jesus positioned himself in the temple where the offerings were deposited and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury (Mark 12:41).
Imagine! He intentionally watched people bringing their money into the temple. It was not a private matter with him; he knows where your treasure is, there your heart is also (Matthew 6:21), and he took notice of who was giving money, how much they gave, and how sacrificially they gave.
He’s watching us, too, and our money and what we do with it is not a private matter with Jesus. We are accountable to him for what we take in and how we spend it.
The Seductive Power of Money
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24).
Money is a rival god that seeks to control us by claiming to have the power of deity. It tries to convince us it can do for us what only God can do. It claims to give us security, to give us freedom, to give us power, and to meet all our needs. It clamors for the place in our heart only God can fill.
Jesus made this clear in his dealing with the rich young ruler, who wanted to know what he must do to get eternal life.
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21).
Notice when this young man went away sad, Jesus didn’t run after him and say, “Wait, you don’t really have to sell everything, just change your attitude toward money.” No, Jesus meant what he said to that young man; he had to be converted from loving and serving money to loving and serving Jesus, and he wasn’t willing to do that.
It’s very easy to be in bondage to money—for it to become an idol in our lives. It has far more power over us than simply its purchasing power. We think: It’s mine; I earned it; I depend on it; I need it; I like it! Don’t mess with my money!
How can you tell if money has become your master? Here are some checkpoints:
These are some telltale signs money has become our master, and believe me, it can happen to any of us. The spiritual power of money is very strong; that’s why Jesus said you cannot serve God and money.
We need to be set free from the demonic control money would have over us. It’s not unusual to hear someone give a testimony of how God has set that person free from sexual sin or some addiction. Perhaps we need to make it comfortable and acceptable for Christians to confess that they have been seduced by money, and they want to be set free.
So, here’s the question for you today: Do you serve God or money?
That’s a heavy question, and a disciple of Jesus Christ needs to face it head on—because Jesus is going to mess with your money, one way or the other.
Our challenge is to use the money and possessions God gives to us for good but never let them ha
