Which other scriptures emphasize the temporary nature of worldly wealth? Our Baseline Truth — 1 Timothy 6:7 “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” Old-Testament Echoes of the Same Reality • Job 1:21 — “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD has given and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” • Psalm 39:6 — “Surely every man walks like a mere phantom; surely they bustle in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will carry it off.” • Psalm 49:16-17 — “Do not be afraid when a man enriches himself, when the splendor of his house increases. For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.” • Proverbs 11:28 — “He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.” • Proverbs 23:4-5 — “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. When you gaze upon wealth, it is gone, for it sprouts wings for itself and flies away like an eagle toward the sky.” • Ecclesiastes 5:15 — “As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived; he takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hand.” Jesus Drives the Point Home • Matthew 6:19-21 — “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” • Luke 12:15 — “Watch out and guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” • Luke 12:20-21 — “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ … So is the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” • Luke 16:9 — “Make friends for yourselves using worldly wealth, so that when it runs out you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Apostolic Warnings and Reminders • James 1:10-11 — “The rich man should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field… So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.” • James 5:2-3 — “Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded; their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire.” • 1 Peter 1:24 — “For, ‘All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall.’” Key Takeaways to Hold onto More Tightly than Money • Earthly wealth is momentary; eternal riches are permanent. • Possessions can vanish or decay, but what is invested in God’s kingdom outlasts mortality. • Trusting in riches invites disappointment; trusting in the Lord brings flourishing. • The consistent scriptural chorus—from Job to James—reminds us that everything material is on loan, never owned forever. |
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