Mammon has really infiltrated all the systems that exist on earth, whether through governments, homes, nations, cultures, families, the church and even charitable Christian organisations. This may be baffling to many, but should not really be baffling at all. Mammon is deceptive and the failure to seek first the Kingdom of God, and even the slightest drifting away from God is itself to be under the spirit of mammon.
One need not be greedy, envious, covetous or even anxious for one's needs, or for the needs of those who one cares for, such as one's family and friends. A person can absolutely be content with what one has and be contented for one's loved ones, but still under the spirit of mammon. How? Precisely because one keeps one's eyes on earthly things and as a result, is blinded into thinking that one should seek to care for earthly material needs, whether for those who are close to oneself, or those of others. The spirit of seeking first the earthly needs, under the guise of caring and loving them in the Name of Jesus, is precisely of the spirit of mammon. This is the spirit of many charitable Christian organisations.
For the sake of clarity, what is meant by charitable Christian organisations here means organisations that believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and seek to live by it. This is by no means makes them perfect or confers an expectation that they should be perfect. However, many of these charitable Christian organisations fall into caring for the material, earthly temporal needs of the poor, needy and marginalised. There is absolutely no doubt that Jesus commanded the church to care for the poor, needy and marginalised. However, many of these organisations, by putting earthly needs as a priority, or by centering their work around these needs of others, become under the spirit of mammon.
You may ask, do they not give up all their needs to serve others, and yet still accuse them of being under the spirit of mammon. You may be incensed, offended or angry, especially if you are a modern evangelical. To put first the earthly needs of anyone, or to fail even in the slightest to fervently seek God first is to be under the spirit of mammon. The generosity, benevolence, kindness or good intentions of the person count for nothing and all in vain, as long as one does not do so to seek and serve God first. Still, you may argue that serving God through good works is to love God and serve God.
It is not by doing good works that one is serving God. That is one of the greatest deceptions that has crept into the church. Many people think that by giving generously to their own local church, they are very loving, and have a great love for God and His people by doing that, as one modern evangelical who I have met seems to imply. He said it in the spirit of saying that it is good work, that is of unquestionable goodness and truthfulness, and yet he accuses me of think I believe that everything I say is some "unquestionable truth" in his active aggressive hostility against all my efforts to build the Kingdom of God. He denies his hostility and makes false hypocritical apologies for it. You may still argue that when a true Christian does good works, he is serving God, since he is not an unsaved person. That is precisely where the deception lies. Anyone who does good works is not necessarily serving God. It is not even that good works serve God, not matter how spiritual and unearthly they may be. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 makes this very clear:
If a work, no matter spiritual, unearthly and ungenerous is done without love, it counts for nothing. Love only comes loving God. Without the love of God in one, one has no love. A loveless world, thus, is a godless one that is impatient, unkind, envious, parades oneself, puffed up, rude, self-seeking, evil and tolerates iniquity.
The unbeliever cannot love others, and therefore, all his or her charitable works are out of envy, and his sympathy for the needy and poor is out of envy, covetousness and the fear of lack of material things. That the person has a fear of lack for material earthly things on part of others, is still remains that it is earthly thinking that cares only for the things of the world.
Any sympathy, benevolence or kindness the unsaved feel for the needy and poor is out of lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life (1 John 2:16) because the unsaved, not matter how well-intended can only pursue these things (Ephesians 2:2-3). Therefore, the acts of the unsaved in seeking to help the needy, despite his generosity, benevolence or kindness are themselves all under the spirit of mammon.
The spirit of mammon of can work through self-denial of legitimate desires and pleasures. Such works when done out of fear of lack of oneself or any others to enjoy lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life, under the guise of generosity and kindness are all done in vanity, and out of hypocrisy, for they are not done to serve God, but mammon.
As long as one is acting in the spirit of being anxious for earthly needs and fearing of lack for oneself or others to enjoy lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life, one is under the spirit of mammon. Doing good works, no matter how spiritual the intention may be, is not an excuse to be anxious or have fear of lack whether for oneself, or for others whatsoever.
One need not be greedy, envious, covetous or even anxious for one's needs, or for the needs of those who one cares for, such as one's family and friends. A person can absolutely be content with what one has and be contented for one's loved ones, but still under the spirit of mammon. How? Precisely because one keeps one's eyes on earthly things and as a result, is blinded into thinking that one should seek to care for earthly material needs, whether for those who are close to oneself, or those of others. The spirit of seeking first the earthly needs, under the guise of caring and loving them in the Name of Jesus, is precisely of the spirit of mammon. This is the spirit of many charitable Christian organisations.
For the sake of clarity, what is meant by charitable Christian organisations here means organisations that believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and seek to live by it. This is by no means makes them perfect or confers an expectation that they should be perfect. However, many of these charitable Christian organisations fall into caring for the material, earthly temporal needs of the poor, needy and marginalised. There is absolutely no doubt that Jesus commanded the church to care for the poor, needy and marginalised. However, many of these organisations, by putting earthly needs as a priority, or by centering their work around these needs of others, become under the spirit of mammon.
You may ask, do they not give up all their needs to serve others, and yet still accuse them of being under the spirit of mammon. You may be incensed, offended or angry, especially if you are a modern evangelical. To put first the earthly needs of anyone, or to fail even in the slightest to fervently seek God first is to be under the spirit of mammon. The generosity, benevolence, kindness or good intentions of the person count for nothing and all in vain, as long as one does not do so to seek and serve God first. Still, you may argue that serving God through good works is to love God and serve God.
It is not by doing good works that one is serving God. That is one of the greatest deceptions that has crept into the church. Many people think that by giving generously to their own local church, they are very loving, and have a great love for God and His people by doing that, as one modern evangelical who I have met seems to imply. He said it in the spirit of saying that it is good work, that is of unquestionable goodness and truthfulness, and yet he accuses me of think I believe that everything I say is some "unquestionable truth" in his active aggressive hostility against all my efforts to build the Kingdom of God. He denies his hostility and makes false hypocritical apologies for it. You may still argue that when a true Christian does good works, he is serving God, since he is not an unsaved person. That is precisely where the deception lies. Anyone who does good works is not necessarily serving God. It is not even that good works serve God, not matter how spiritual and unearthly they may be. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 makes this very clear:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
If a work, no matter spiritual, unearthly and ungenerous is done without love, it counts for nothing. Love only comes loving God. Without the love of God in one, one has no love. A loveless world, thus, is a godless one that is impatient, unkind, envious, parades oneself, puffed up, rude, self-seeking, evil and tolerates iniquity.
The unbeliever cannot love others, and therefore, all his or her charitable works are out of envy, and his sympathy for the needy and poor is out of envy, covetousness and the fear of lack of material things. That the person has a fear of lack for material earthly things on part of others, is still remains that it is earthly thinking that cares only for the things of the world.
Any sympathy, benevolence or kindness the unsaved feel for the needy and poor is out of lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life (1 John 2:16) because the unsaved, not matter how well-intended can only pursue these things (Ephesians 2:2-3). Therefore, the acts of the unsaved in seeking to help the needy, despite his generosity, benevolence or kindness are themselves all under the spirit of mammon.
The spirit of mammon of can work through self-denial of legitimate desires and pleasures. Such works when done out of fear of lack of oneself or any others to enjoy lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life, under the guise of generosity and kindness are all done in vanity, and out of hypocrisy, for they are not done to serve God, but mammon.
As long as one is acting in the spirit of being anxious for earthly needs and fearing of lack for oneself or others to enjoy lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life, one is under the spirit of mammon. Doing good works, no matter how spiritual the intention may be, is not an excuse to be anxious or have fear of lack whether for oneself, or for others whatsoever.
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