The god of Materialism
Robert Wurtz II
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience (Colossians 3:5-6).
There is no greater expression of love than when one warns against the very things that threaten to destroy our relationship with God eternally. The enemy of our souls twists truth and beguiles carnal minds into believing that if you love people, you’ll accept them and all their destructive sins without challenge. This is not love: it is hate. One of the most significant pieces of evidence that we are living in the last days is people’s insistence on messages that only tickle their ears.
In an age when materialism drives much of our economy and greed is almost a virtue, we need a fresh Bible-based look at God’s settled attitude towards them. May this article open our hearts once again to the danger of violating the first commandment and the great commandment by giving ourselves to what Jesus personified as mammon.
Mammon is Idolatry
The Bible frequently records the devastating power of covetousness, a damnable sin that relentlessly shatters lives and condemns souls to eternal torment. It’s the root of all kinds of evil, from the treachery of Balaam to the betrayal of Judas. Even those who appear to move in the power of the Holy Spirit have succumbed to the insidious allure of the god of mammon.
John the Baptist’s message waged an unyielding war against mammon, declaring that visible fruits must accompany true repentance, nearly all of which involve a person’s attitude towards wealth and possessions (Luke 11:3-14). To ignore this truth even today is to risk your soul. The message is clear: coveting is courting destruction: master mammon or face damnation.
Given to Mammon
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry (Acts 17:16).
When Paul was at Mars Hill, his spirit was stirred within him, and he was very agitated by the idolatry that the city had given over to. Yet, idolatry extends far more than just idols, false gods, or demon worship as we read about in ancient Israel or among the Greeks and Romans. As we will see in this article, covetousness, or a lust for things, is itself idolatry.
No Mammon in Ministry
The servant of mammon will obey mammon while pretending to obey God (A.T. Robertson). Obviously, that makes them an idolator. Therefore, no person is qualified for ministry who is given to mammon. Paul makes this clear in 1Timothy3:3 (TR), 1Timothy 3:8, Titus 1:7, and Titus 1:11. A bishop, elder, or deacon must not go after gain that would dishonor his character.
Peter exhorted pastors (shepherds) to feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being an example to the flock (1 Peter 5:2-3).
The Greek word for filthy lucre is aischrokerdḗs, meaning eager for sordid gain. For the sake of dishonorable gain, sordidly. It is found only in 1 Peter 5:2 and forbids a person from using his position for personal gain. Paul warned Titus against those who would “teach things they ought not for filthy lucre.” He said, “their mouths must be stopped because they subvert whole houses,” and then quoted a poet who called them liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. Paul charged Timothy to rebuke them sharply (Titus 1:13).
Blinded by Mammon
Jesus revealed the inner condition of a person who is blinded by greed. In Matthew 6:23, He warned people who had an “evil eye,” which meant a stingy, begrudging person. If that’s you, your whole body is filled with darkness, and it is a great darkness. This is another way of saying that mammon blinds people. When the guide is blind to their own sin and leads the blind, they all fall into the ditch.
We can only be loyal to one master at a time said Jesus. The word loyal in Greek means to line up face to face (anti) with one man and so against the other. One cannot face God and mammon at the same time. You must turn your back on the one to face the other. Judas tried to serve Jesus and mammon, and look how it ended. He begrudged the woman pouring the ointment on Jesus and pretended he was concerned for the needy. He was blind to his greed and even stole from the money bag (John 12:6).
Mammon, Covetousness, and Idolatry
Covetousness is considered idolatry in biblical theology, as human desire is often linked to worship. In Acts, Colossians, and Ephesians, the Apostle Paul draws a direct correlation between these two concepts, emphasizing that covetousness is not merely lust for things but is fundamentally an act of idolatry. Covetousness involves placing one’s affections (Colossians 3:1-3) on material aspirations along with, or in place of, God, effectively making anything the person covets the object of their worship.
Therefore, idolatry is spiritual harlotry. In a biblical context, it’s the act of giving our affections that belong to God to something else. Our relationship with God must be exclusive. He does not tolerate competition for His love and affection. In the Old Testament, Israel was frequently charged with Idolatry when they broke the first and second commandments. It manifested in physical forms, such as the Golden Calf or other graven images. Still, more insidiously, in the New Testament, it manifests as the god of mammon, and it extends to internal attitudes and desires towards things, especially money or riches.
Mammon, the god of Materialism
When someone is covetous, they express a deep-seated heart yearning for things. It dominates them and manifests in destructive ways. It destroys people, families, friends, and churches. Jesus said that it is impossible to serve both God and mammon, which is a personification of riches and the god of materialism (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:9-13). But this hasn’t slowed most from doing it. The essence of idolatry is misplaced affections that divert worship away from the Creator to something else. Paul warned the Ephesians:
For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not become partners with them (Ephesians 5:5-7)
The consequences of idolatry, as revealed in Ephesians and Colossians, are striking. It’s the same as a fornicator or a murderer. Paul warns that those who engage in covetousness, like those who practice other forms of immorality, will not inherit the kingdom of God. This underscores the seriousness with which Paul warns against the sin of covetousness; it is not simply a moral failing, but a spiritual condition in which the heart has turned away from the one true God to the satanic mammon.
Wrath and Mammon
The phrase “the wrath of God is coming” serves as a sobering reminder that there are eternal consequences for unrepentant idolatry. When a person serves mammon, they are the enemy of God, no matter what they otherwise profess. It’s worth noting and pondering greatly that God allowed Judas to cast out devils and heal the sick, all the while being the biggest thief anybody ever knew of and the most notorious covetous man in the history of the world. The miracle-working did not compensate or offset the mammon worship when Jesus said, “good for that man had he not been born.” (Matthew 26:24)
Deceived by Empty Talk
The warning against deception in Ephesians suggests a tendency for individuals to rationalize or downplay the seriousness of covetousness. When we say the phrase “covetousness is idolatry,” or “you cannot serve God and mammon,” it should arrest people’s undivided attention. God has spoken, but there is still the potential to be led astray by empty words that minimize the severity of the sin. Paul exhorts the saints not to fellowship with covetous believers. Covetousness, like fornication (sexual immorality) and gluttony (sensuality in food, drink, and sex), is often normalized, downplayed, or rationalized and will corrupt a church and lead to collective disobedience.
Paul writes, “Let no one deceive you with empty words…” The phrase “empty words” speaks of words inspired by Satan and are employed to disguise heathen vices (see Vincent). The enemy knows that most people will not bow down to grotesque idols. He disguises the sin to make it acceptable. Stewardship is often a thin-veiled disguise for mammon. Unjust gain is praised as good stewardship. That’s an empty lie from the pits of hell.
Beguiled by Mammon
In Colossians 2:4, Paul speaks of being beguiled (deceived) by enticing words or persuasive words. From the beginning, the Serpent beguiled Eve with empty words and lies. God has spoken as clearly about covetousness as He did about forbidding the eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Yet Satan, that old Serpent, manages to get multitudes to partake just as he did in the garden.
Even the religious leaders, as vile as they were, rejected the money that Judas brought back. But some people have no shame. Peter warned of false teachers and prophets who will deceive many and make merchandise of you (2 Peter 2:1-5). He likened their end to what happened to Sodom, and those who came out of such exploitation to Lot, as the angels saved him from the destruction headed their way.
An Invitation to the Wrath of God
On account of these the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience (Colossians 3:6). Consider this short list of men who gave themselves to money or possessions to their own destruction.
Balaam—loved wages of unrighteousness (2 Peter 2:15)
Achan—coveted money (Joshua 7:21)
Ahab—coveted a vineyard (1Kings 21:2-16)
Gehazi— coveted gifts from Naaman (2 Kings 5:20-27)
Rich man —builder of bigger barns (Luke 12:17)
Judas—was a thief and coveted silver (Matthew 26:15-16)
Pharisees—coveted riches (Luke 16:14)
Simon Magus—wanted power for profit (Acts 8:18-23)
Festus— coveted Paul’s money (Acts 24:26)
Young ruler— went away sorrowful (Matthew 19:22)
Ananias and Sapphira—lied about their money (Acts 5:1-11)
The rich man and Lazarus—went to hell for his greed (Luke 16:19-31)
The wrath of God should be a sufficient deterrent to stop people from coveting. Why? It is worshipping and serving the god of mammon, no matter how the enemy repackages it. You cannot be covetous without despising God. If men prefer the god of mammon to God Almighty, then they are of the devil (1Jn 3:8). They will be sent to hell with him (Mat 25:41). It’s hard to think of any subject in the New Testament that has been emphasized more and been more warned against. The only solution is to repent and bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.
Further Reading:
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