Seven Deadly Sins Series Greed v. Charity

GREED: Excessive desire and pursuit of material wealth and power. Avarice. Hoarding materials. Miserly. Obsessive, selfish, intense accumulation of money. Values things above all else. Greedy people will use deceit to get things.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10) “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31-34)

From the lips of millionaires: “I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness.” —Rockefeller “The care of $200,000,000 is enough to kill anyone.” —Vanderbilt “I am the most miserable man on earth.” —John Jacob Astor

From the lips of millionaires: “What can I say? I only know I am desolate.” —J. Paul Getty “I was happier when doing a mechanic’s job.” —Henry Ford “Millionaires seldom smile.” —Andrew Carnegie

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” (Luke 12:15-19)

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21)

CHARITY: Love of humanity that moves one to generosity. A kindly and lenient attitude. Giving money and service to help people in need. Love first directed toward God, then to others and also to oneself as objects of God’s love. Origin: Related to the“charis” and “charismata.” Grace.

Charity is patient, charity is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Charity does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor. 13:4-7)

Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience... (Romans 2:4) I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints [we’re God’s own children now], 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:18-19)

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) “... God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)