You cannot serve God and Mammon
This maxim is taken from these two passages in the Bible:
First, what is mammon? It is a transliteration of the Greek mamonas. which means (earthly) wealth/riches. Noah Webster defines a mammonist as one who is “devoted to the acquisition of wealth; one whose affections are placed supremely on riches; a ‘worldling.'”
Within the context of where it is in Scripture, (the “gospels”, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, specifically, “the sermon on the mount”) many of my contemporaries would say it is doctrine that applies only to the audience the Lord is addressing in that part of Scripture, viz, his 12 disciples, and within that particular context, to possess anything–including money– other than the clothes on your back, would be considered serving mammon and disqualify you from discipleship. (reference Matt 10:9,10; 19:16-29)
I agree with them in the sense that no believer in the present dispensation of grace (Eph. 3:1-3) is under this very extreme requirement to “sell out” placed on the Lord’s disciples (and later on those desiring discipleship in the early parts of the Acts). This is obvious from passages in Paul’s epistles, written exclusively to the body of Christ, that require us to have earthly possessions (reference 1 Thess 4:11; 1 Tim 5:8) but I would disagree that it has no application now, as this qualifies as a universal, spiritual principle that transcends dispensations.
Anyone denying this on the grounds that there is no “doctrine” in the gospels that applies to the body of Christ fails to make a distinction between principle and precept. Principles apply universally to all dispensations; precepts (doctrine) only to particular dispensations.
This begs the question: how does this particular passage apply to the present dispensation in a principled sense? I’ve heard many a sermon by grace preachers in which they apply it to preachers in denominational systems who pervert or subvert sound doctrine from their audiences because to not do so would threaten the very lucrative livelihoods/benefits they receive from these systems. Paul refers to remuneration derived from doing this as “filthy lucre.”(1 Tim. 3:3,8; Titus 1:7)
But are preachers the only members of the b of C to which this principle applies? Not at all, for the apostle instructs that the “love of money is the root of all evil….and exhorts those of us who are “rich in this world”* not to “seek after uncertain riches” (1 Tim. 6:17)
*compared to believers in the gospels and the early Acts, those of us in the present dispensation who possess anything at all are “rich in this world,” are we not?
To me, it is very clear that when we, as members of the body of Christ, are faced with any situation in which we are told to do something that violates our conscience or any Biblical principle, whether it be in social situations, politics, or work/business, we are to walk away from it, even if it results in the loss of worldly status or riches.
Why? Because you cannot serve God and mammon. You can’t say I’m okay with God as long as I’m preaching the gospel, even though, at the same time, I’m engaging in or saying amen to murder, theft, adultery, or fraudulent activity in pursuit of my living. You can’t say it’s okay for me to do these things because my earthly masters ordered me to do them, or that it was necessary to keep my job or maintain my status in the organization I enjoined myself to.
Some will contend that what we do in this life we now live is of no importance because we’re saved by grace, “not of works” (Eph. 2:8,9), and this is all that matters.
I’m afraid not. Directly following Ephesians 2:8,9 is verse 10, which says “we….:
….are created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Moreover, it says in Colossians,
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” Col. 3:23-25
“Well, in this ‘present evil world,'(Gal. 1:4) in which we’re forced to exist, sometimes one must “go along (with evil) to get along.”
If that is true, God, in his word, wouldn’t admonish us not to do this. He wouldn’t tell us to abstain from “all appearance of evil,” or to “walk circumspectly” (1 Thess 5:22; Eph. 5:15)
No, we are given these commands because there is going to be a judgment of our works before entering the eternal realm, which will determine the reward or loss thereof we receive for eternity. This should override any untoward behavior or saying “amen” to anyone else who is doing it in the seeking of the “uncertain riches” of this life.
No, “fence-straddling” in this life is not an option for the believer because you “cannot serve God and mammon.”
All Scripture is taken from the King James Bible
Post Script
Are you saved? Jesus Christ—“who knew no sin”—and his sacrificial death on the Cross, has made the way for “everyone that believeth…to be reconciled to God. History has shown that whatever peace man has achieved in the world can only be temporary. The Bible says that individual men and women can know, beyond a doubt, that they are saved and bound for heaven, and therefore have absolute and permanent peace, regardless of what is going on in the world, by trusting Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for their eternal salvation. “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures….for our justification….believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Have you done this? If not, why not now?
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