“Some People, Eager for Money, have Wandered from the Faith” (1 Timothy 6:10b)
“The faith” Paul describes here is the Christian faith. He’s referring to doctrinal truth as contained in the Bible.
The phrase “eager for money,” is a Greek word that means to stretch oneself out in other to touch or grasp something. It describes the Christian who is reaching out after material wealth. “Eagerness for money” will cause Christians to wander away from Christianity.
Let’s look at that phrase again. It can also be translated as “materialism.” Here are some symptoms of what materialism can look like:
– Overspending
– Compulsive Buying
– Holding on to more wealth than we need (Hoarding)
– Failing to give God the top portion of our income
– Borrowing money for depreciating items
– Cheating on our income tax
– Using a credit card and not paying off or being able to pay off the balance completely at the end of the month
– Getting nervous or upset when the pastor preaches on money
Take a moment to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any of these symptoms in your life. We all have some! But it’s absolutely critical to realize how damaging they can be to our spiritual lives.
Again, materialism will cause you to wander away from your faith.
Reverse Spiritual Growth (see 1 Timothy 6:10c)
Grasping after wealth sets into motion a reverse spiritual growth process. If the trend continues, our sin natures can produce any brand of sin – and trap – imaginable.
Oh, so you think that I am overstating the case! Look at the last phrase in verse 10.
“Some people, eager for money… pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10c).
“Pierced themselves” is an interesting phrase. Translated from the original Greek, it literally means “to put on a spit.” You know what a spit is. You put a raw piece of meat on a spit and roast it over an open fire.
I want you to get the picture. Instead of putting a piece of chicken or beef on a spit, suppose you put a live human being on the spit and turn him over and over again and roast him on an open fire.
The materials used to start the fire are the things after which he or she was grasping.
I know some people who are being tortured emotionally, mentally, financially, and physically … and if you trace it all back, it may very well lead to an unbiblical philosophy of money.
Do you think that those are strong words? I haven’t been able to find any stronger words in the Bible addressed to Christians than these right here.
Paul is telling us that the Christian who is guilty of this sin will end up with a ruined and defeated life.
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