God’s Word – Notes

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This study will seriously transform your life and finances as you learn and apply what the God of the universe says about handling money. No matter where you are on your financial discipleship journey, this study is made for you!

How We Handle Money Influences Our Relationship with the Lord

Now, we may think we can separate our spiritual life and our financial life into two different compartments. Not gonna happen! Over and over, Jesus connects how we handle our money with the quality of our spiritual life. In Luke 16:11, He says, “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true wealth to you?” The true wealth in life grows out of a close relationship with the Lord.

It’s a simple fact: If we handle money according to the principles of Scripture, we will enjoy a closer relationship with Jesus. The parable of the talents shows us this, as the master congratulates the servant who managed his money faithfully: “Well done, good and faithful Servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21, NIV, emphasis added). As we handle money God’s way, we have the opportunity of entering into the happiness of a more intimate relationship with the Lord.

Money and Possessions Compete with God for First Place in Our Lives

Imagine for a moment that you have never read the Bible, and you are asked to fill in this blank space: “You cannot serve God and __.” What word would you choose? Why?

It surprises many to learn that money is a primary competitor with Christ for the lordship of our lives. In fact, Jesus Himself tells us we can serve only one of these two masters. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13, NIV).

In the next verse, we are warned that a lot of people are going to reject this message. “The Pharisees [religious leaders], who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight’” (Luke 16:14-15, NIV).

The Lord knows that it is simply impossible for us to serve money — even in a small way — and still serve Him. When the Crusades were being fought during the twelfth century, the Crusaders purchased an army of mercenaries to fight for them. Because it was a religious war, the Crusaders insisted that the mercenaries be baptized before fighting. As they were being baptized, the mercenaries would take their swords and hold them out of the water to symbolize that Jesus was not in control of their swords. They wanted the freedom to use their swords in any way they wished.

Though many people today may not be as blatant about it as the mercenaries, they often handle their money in a similar way. Some Christians hold a wallet, purse, or paycheck “out of the water.” In effect, these people are saying, “God, You may be the Lord of my entire life, except in the area of money — I am perfectly capable of handling that myself.” Martin Luther recognized this struggle when he said, “There are three conversions: the conversion of the heart, of the mind and of the pocketbook.”

God’s Economy

God’s economy and the way most people view money are totally different. This really shouldn’t surprise us. Isaiah 55:8-9 reads, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” God’s ways are not only different, they are so much better than our ways! The biggest difference is that in God’s economy, God plays the leading role. He runs the show!

You might be surprised to learn just how much the Bible says about money. More than 2,350 verses relate to handling money and possessions, including fifteen percent of everything Jesus said!

Ownership

God is also the Creator of everything. “For by Him [Jesus Christ] all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible . . . all things have been created through Him and for Him . . . and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). God not only created everything, but He also holds everything together. And by the way, He has never handed over the ownership of His creation to us.

And whether you realize it or not, the Lord actually owns all your stuff. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1, NIV, emphasis added). “. . . Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord . . .” (1 Chronicles 29:11, TLB). How much do you own? NOTHING! ZERO! Scripture even tells us specific stuff that He owns.

• God owns all the land. “The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine; for you are only strangers and residents with Me” (Leviticus 25:23).
• God owns all the silver and gold. “‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of armies” (Haggai 2:8).
• God owns all the animals. “Every animal of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills . . . everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and everything it contains” (Psalm 50:10-12).

If we are really going to follow Jesus, we have to hand over ownership of all our stuff to Him. “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions” (Luke 14:33). We need to give up dibs on anything we think we own. Sometimes the Lord will even test us by asking us to give up the thing that is most important to us.

The most vivid example of this in the Bible is when the Lord asked Abraham to “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac . . . and offer him there as a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:2). When Abraham obeyed, demonstrating his willingness to give up his precious son, God responded, “Do not lay a hand on the boy . . . Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son” (Genesis 22:12, NIV).

When we acknowledge God’s ownership, every spending decision becomes a spiritual decision. Instead of asking, “Lord, what do You want me to do with my money?” the question becomes, “Lord, what do You want me to do with Your money?” When we have this perspective and handle His money according to His wishes, all spending, saving, giving and investing decisions turn from financial decisions to spiritual decisions.