INTRODUCTION

Some have mistakenly assumed riches suggest godliness. They assume the poor experience poverty because they sinned against God, while the rich live abundantly because they faithfully obeyed the Lord. Though it is true, riches come from God, it is not true that righteousness is always rewarded with riches and that wickedness is always punished with poverty. Some of the most faithful believers in the history of mankind owned nothing more than the clothes they presently adorned. To assume that they were under the judgment of God is unscriptural. Unfortunately, many good people have been led to suppose that gain is godliness, and the Bible says, "from such withdraw thyself."

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For smaller children) The rich young ruler thought he was godly, but Jesus thought otherwise (Luke 18:18-24 [18] And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [19] And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. [20] Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. [21] And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. [22] Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. [23] And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. [24] And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
  See All...). Compare what Jesus thought of the poor widow (Luke 21:1-4 [1] And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. [2] And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. [3] And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: [4] For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
  See All...). Gain doesn't mean godliness (Psalm 37:16A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
  See All...).
• Who were some rich people in the scripture who lived wicked lives? Who were some righteous people who experienced poverty? How do these examples prove that gain is not godliness?
• Why would the supposition that gain is godliness be so dangerous that the Lord would tell His people to withdraw themselves from people who held such beliefs?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask God to remind you that gain is not necessarily godliness.
• Ask the Lord to teach you contentment.

HYMN

I’d Rather Have Jesus

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