Many people both in the modern church and in the world use the need to care for the (earthly) needs of their families and loved ones to serve mammon. Whenever a person dies, the world loves to say all kinds of things about them, things that they would not normally say. One particular thing it loves to say is that the person was a caring mother, family man, or devoted mother because the person worked so hard to care for their earthly needs.
Anyone can care for the mere earthly temporal needs of the ones who they love and care for. Anyone can love those who love them, even the most vile abominable sinners (Matthew 5:46; Luke 6:32). Many in the modern church think they are very righteous and holy because they care for the earthly needs of their families on the basis of 1 Timothy 5:8 which says "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel". What this verse means is that even an vile sinner can do that. For example, many "co-habiting" (a term to be disdained, rejected and hated) that is, brazen fornicating "loving" couples, both work so that they can pay off their debts and feed their family, to care for their family.
If you care for the earthly needs of your family or loved ones, good, even sinners can do that! It is precisely that one thinks one is so caring because one serves the earthly needs of one's family or loved ones that is the problem with many people. You may argue, one may be materialistic in doing so, but it does not negate one's need to serve one's earthly needs. That is right. By arguing that others are being materialistic, but yet having anxiety in your mind for these earthly things is exactly what is means to be under the spirit of mammon. Such is the spirit behind fighting for one's rights which is exactly what the person who asked Jesus to tell his brother to give his share of inheritance (Luke 12:13). Before you accuse me of "misinterpreting" or "mishandling" the Bible to, one can suspect, suppress the truth by your own carnality, like the unsaved who suppress the truth by their unrighteous, know this: they typical mammonised Christian of today such as the Australian Christian loves to fight for his rights. Even the belief in one's rights is to serve mammon and be hostile against God.
Luke 12:13-34 tells us what Jesus said about being covetous for merely earthly temporal things:
The spirit behind clinging on one's "rights" is the spirit of covetousness. Covetousness is the desire for one than more already has. None of us even deserve our very breath. Not even one. So, even desiring for a so-called basic living standard itself is covetousness. When one is covetous, one believes in one's so-called "rights" and will cling to them. This explains why those who are always fighting for equality and rights are NOT poor and penniless as they would typically like others to think. Rather, they are proud and arrogant, anxiety in all earthly things, only capable of being earthly-minded, and takes no thought for the things of God.
Anyone who takes no thought for the things of God, that is all the unsaved, will be covetous and envious, regardless of how benevolent their actions in helping others may be. This is because he or she is dominated by mammon.
Even true Christians can become under the spirit of mammon, but not dominated by it because they have the Holy Spirit living in them. However, as long as a Christian in whatever area is not fully submitting to God, for example, by not taking no thought for earthly things and being anxious as Luke 12:13-34 says, he or she will be under the spirit of mammon and quench the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
As long as one is anxious or dissatisfied with what one has, one is under the spirit of mammon. It is absolutely irrelevant that one "needs to serve their family's (earthly) needs".
Anyone can care for the mere earthly temporal needs of the ones who they love and care for. Anyone can love those who love them, even the most vile abominable sinners (Matthew 5:46; Luke 6:32). Many in the modern church think they are very righteous and holy because they care for the earthly needs of their families on the basis of 1 Timothy 5:8 which says "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel". What this verse means is that even an vile sinner can do that. For example, many "co-habiting" (a term to be disdained, rejected and hated) that is, brazen fornicating "loving" couples, both work so that they can pay off their debts and feed their family, to care for their family.
If you care for the earthly needs of your family or loved ones, good, even sinners can do that! It is precisely that one thinks one is so caring because one serves the earthly needs of one's family or loved ones that is the problem with many people. You may argue, one may be materialistic in doing so, but it does not negate one's need to serve one's earthly needs. That is right. By arguing that others are being materialistic, but yet having anxiety in your mind for these earthly things is exactly what is means to be under the spirit of mammon. Such is the spirit behind fighting for one's rights which is exactly what the person who asked Jesus to tell his brother to give his share of inheritance (Luke 12:13). Before you accuse me of "misinterpreting" or "mishandling" the Bible to, one can suspect, suppress the truth by your own carnality, like the unsaved who suppress the truth by their unrighteous, know this: they typical mammonised Christian of today such as the Australian Christian loves to fight for his rights. Even the belief in one's rights is to serve mammon and be hostile against God.
Luke 12:13-34 tells us what Jesus said about being covetous for merely earthly temporal things:
And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The spirit behind clinging on one's "rights" is the spirit of covetousness. Covetousness is the desire for one than more already has. None of us even deserve our very breath. Not even one. So, even desiring for a so-called basic living standard itself is covetousness. When one is covetous, one believes in one's so-called "rights" and will cling to them. This explains why those who are always fighting for equality and rights are NOT poor and penniless as they would typically like others to think. Rather, they are proud and arrogant, anxiety in all earthly things, only capable of being earthly-minded, and takes no thought for the things of God.
Anyone who takes no thought for the things of God, that is all the unsaved, will be covetous and envious, regardless of how benevolent their actions in helping others may be. This is because he or she is dominated by mammon.
Even true Christians can become under the spirit of mammon, but not dominated by it because they have the Holy Spirit living in them. However, as long as a Christian in whatever area is not fully submitting to God, for example, by not taking no thought for earthly things and being anxious as Luke 12:13-34 says, he or she will be under the spirit of mammon and quench the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
As long as one is anxious or dissatisfied with what one has, one is under the spirit of mammon. It is absolutely irrelevant that one "needs to serve their family's (earthly) needs".
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