The Command for Rich Christians

I Timothy 6:17-19

The Church is filled with people of every station in life. There are those in extreme poverty, others who are poor by western standards, middle class, and even some who are rich. I am talking about genuine believers, and not just people who attend. The reason there are people from every financial tier represented in the church is because the Gospel is for everyone. We have looked at the command to help the poor. Now we will look at God’s will for the rich in the church.

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"Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."

I Timothy 6:17-19

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Paul begins by saying, “Command those who are rich in this present age…” This is for those who are rich in this lifetime. We will all be rich when we get to heaven because we will enjoy the riches of God. Most Americans would fall into the category of rich based on God’s standards. We have far more than we need. We should be grateful to God for His grace and blessings.

The first command is not to be proud. Christians should not trust in their own abilities or finances. The rich are to be just as dependent upon God as the destitute. The riches of this world are fleeting and “uncertain”. Just this year, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has lost 71 billion dollars. This should not be a surprise; Job lost all his wealth in just a couple of hours. We are all to “trust…in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy”.

God gives us more than we need so that we can “do good”. We do good works, give, share, and build a good foundation in eternity (the time to come). Our generosity is to show the love of God to those we help. It is to be a testimony of his grace and mercy. We bless others with that which we have been blessed by God. In so doing, they are blessed by God.

Finally, Paul says that it is for us to “lay hold on eternal life”. The idea here is not that we obtain salvation, rather it is that we are grabbing hold of what we have. We are treasuring our salvation. God allows us to grab hold of Heaven’s glory in this world. We become a part of God’s plan. A plan that we reap benefits from here in this life and rewards for in heaven. That is, if we use that which God has blessed us with for His glory and not for our own selfish desires and personal security.

Father, You give us more than we need. Often You give us more than we deserve. Thank You for sharing Your riches with us. We know that the earth is Yours and all that is in it. Not only do You give us what we claim as ours, but You allow us to use those things to be a part of Your plan to reveal You to others!