What Are Some Ways the Bible Specifically Says Riches Are Deceitful?

Any and every manner of evil might have the love of money at the root of it. Idolatrous pursuit of money is an especially notable way that people oppose the true God. It is not the only way, yet it is one of the most common and especially destructive ones. It is also especially tricky to avoid since making and managing money is necessary.

1 Timothy 6:6-10: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (i.e. eternal damnation). For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

It is right to earn money to support oneself and one’s dependents, to not be a burden to others, to help others in need, and to be ready for emergencies and other unexpected circumstances. It is actually sin to refuse to work to support yourself and any dependents you have. Having a righteous mindset towards money means not placing the burden of providing for yourself and those under your care on others. This means that those who support Socialism and Communism are evil since having an entitlement mentality, or even simply agreeing with others who have it, is to show regard for theft and covetousness.

2 Thessalonians 3:10: “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

1 Timothy 5:8: “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.”

At the same time, if one neglects their duties towards God to make more money they are also sinning. If one hardens their heart to those in need in order to get ahead or to stay ahead then saving money becomes counterproductive to righteousness.

Jesus warned that it is impossible to faithfully serve God and mammon (mammon is a reference to money and material possessions).

Matthew 6:24: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

This makes it clear that the pursuit of mammon and being rightly related to the true God (who is a King and a Master) are rival pursuits. Though there are some who do not pursue either with much diligence at all, there will surely be enmity in pursuing both. People generally think that financial wealth can do things for them which it actually cannot do. This sets them up to serve mammon.

Attempts to get rich quickly are inherently covetous and also inherently foolish.

Proverbs 28:22: “He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.”

Becoming rich often involves sinning. The Bible even speaks of rich people in general as wicked. Though that is not always the case, and there are a handful of people in the Bible who were righteous and rich at the same time, this is an exception to the general rule.

James 5:1: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.”

James is also teaching the Christians he directly wrote to not to overestimate the benefits of riches nor regard rich people too highly. Many now need the same lesson.

Psalm 62:9-10: “Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.”

All money is uncertain. Due to the many circumstances which could bring about an economic collapse, it could very possibly lose most of its value or even become worthless in a short period of time.

Proverbs 23:4-5: “Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”

There really is no such thing as being set for life financially. The idea that one could know for certain that they are is a delusion. Nobody can truthfully say that they are set for life with reality taken into account.

1 Timothy 6:17-19: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

Read Luke 10:25-37 and consider what the Good Samaritan did for the wounded man. It is possible that it cost him a business opportunity. He may have lost out on a lot of money by doing the thing which was required in order to love his neighbor as himself. He could have passed by the man like the first two guys did or he could have complained and cut corners in helping the wounded man. Yet since the Good Samaritan regarded himself as a slave to righteousness instead of to mammon or to anything else, his financial pursuits and other interests were set aside when they came into conflict with doing right in God’s eyes.

James 4:13-17: “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Don’t consider being a slave to money as any better than being a slave to drugs, alcohol, or sex (which always involves sin in relation to how money is spent anyways). Christ died to deliver us from the dominion of the devil in order to make us His servants.

Proverbs 16:8: “Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.”

It is never right to compromise righteousness to obtain money, never right to compromise righteousness to keep money, and it is obviously never right to use money for unrighteous purposes. These are all ways of living in sin. No one can walk before God in truth and righteousness unless they choose to do right in things which greatly affect them. However, less can really be more.

Proverbs 15:16: “Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.”

More can even be frustrating and inconvenient.

Ecclesiastes 5:9-14: “Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes? The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.”

Having more also results in more loss when one goes to the grave.

Ecclesiastes 5:15-16: “As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labor, which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath labored for the wind?”

Luke 12:15: “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.”

No one, rich or poor, even has the power to guarantee that their will be extended another day.

Luke 12:25-26: “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?”

Ecclesiastes 8:8: “There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.”

Yet how one deals with the poor who cry to them will affect them down the road.

Proverbs 19:17: “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”

Proverbs 21:13: “Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”

Proverbs 22:9: “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.”

Since the Lord sees all and keeps a record of all, money cannot actually provide security, even pertaining to this life, like fearing God and continually choosing to do right before Him does.

Psalm 33:13-19: “The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.”

Psalm 34:11-16: “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.”

Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Judgments from God come in this life and the ultimate Day of Judgment will surely happen. Money and all the things highly esteemed by mankind will be worthless then.

Proverbs 11:4: “Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.”

Revelation 6:15-17: “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

Isaiah 2:19-22: “And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”