1.21- There is a tremendous temptation for us to trade away our souls for money

1.21-

There is a tremendous temptation for us to trade away our souls for money and things of this world.  Jesus warned His disciples not to get so much into power of this world that they would forfeit their souls.  This is a great danger in religion and politics.  Arguments develop because we get a religious or political point of view.  We think it is more important than the gospel.  We get a certain position and then some jobs and positions that pay money or status feed our hungry ego and soon we are doing things that are very unloving.

To overcome this problems Jesus recommended rich people give their money to the poor and transfer their wealth to heaven.


Matthew 16.
²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever wishes to save his ^[v]life will lose it; but whoever loses his ^[w]life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then ^[x]repay every man according to his ^[y]deeds.
²⁸ “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

1 Timothy 6.
³ If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not ^[d]agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, ⁴ he is conceited and understands nothing; but he ^[e]has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that ^[f]godliness is a means of gain. ⁶ But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. ⁷ For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. ⁸ If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. ⁹ But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all ^[g]sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
¹¹ But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, ^[h]perseverance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I charge you in the presence of God, who ^[i]gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which He will ^[j]bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of ^[k]kings and Lord of ^[l]lords, ¹⁶ who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good ^[m]works, to be generous and ready to share, ¹⁹ storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.