If I were to choose one phrase that describes the ambition of people today it would be, "getting rich quick." We want it all, everything, the whole world, and we want it right now! It was the promise of the city of Corinth in Bible times. It is the promise of Vegas today. Call it instant gratification. Call it materialism. Call it narcissism. Whatever you call it, this "getting rich quick" mindset permeates our whole culture and it permeates the church.
A story of greed.
Back in January a Brinks Armored truck with 3.7 million dollars crashed on a Miami highway. As the driver lay in the truck, broken and bleeding from the crash, a festive atmosphere broke out around the crash.
Motorists stopped in rush hour traffic, then scooped up cash before resuming their commutes to the office. Thousands of crisp bills and shiny coins rained down from an overpass onto a Miami neighborhood. Below, mothers with babies grabbed coins and piled them into strollers. An elderly woman filled a box. A young school girl dumped her book bag and loaded it with coins and bills.
Onlookers and participants had plenty of justifications and rationalizations. "Which is more moral," asked one resident of the impoverished neighborhood, "to return the money and leave your children improvised or maybe send them to college and enrich the family for generations?"
"We deserve a little something," said another.
"The Lord was willing for it to happen here," one man commented. "There’s a lot of poverty. It was a miracle."
Police estimated that more than 100 people helped themselves to money. Middle class folks on their way to work made off with thousands.
We want things to be easy and simple with regard to money.
We are all about "getting" these days. Just give it to me! We want things to be as easy, simple, and painless as possible. We’d rather roll the dice, or pick a lucky number, or luck into a windfall rather than earn it.
This week our government approved an 800 billion dollar bailout for the mortgage industry. If that staggering sum shocked you, just wait. It is only a down payment. For decades we have been digging a giant hole under our house.
We get home loans that we cannot afford to pay back. The endless parade of credit card offers allow us to get whatever we want. We elect local, state, and national politicians who promise to give us the sun, moon, and stars. But eventually we all pay. You pay and I pay. We pay for the easy credit, the impulsive consumption, and the out of control spending.
We are also all about being rich. Our guiding assumption is that we are not rich. Our assumption is that we lack something essential to life andthat we are impoverished. We define ourselves not by what we have, but by what we don’t possess. We’re certainly not thankful, grateful, or joyful. We’re hungry, thirsty, in need, and craving even more. To top it all off, advertisers hypnotize us with their ridiculous ads."You need product X to be complete, happy, fulfilled, and truly rich."
We are all aboutquick too. We’re a desperate people. We feel threatened, vulnerable, and insecure. When you feel that your life is in danger, you act on emotion first and think last. Our fears motivate irrational action. We feel compelled to act right now. Buy now, pay later, or don’t pay at all. When you are desperate you will do anything, despite the true cost. Two jobs. Three jobs. Unreasonable hours. No sleep. No Sabbath. No balance. No health. No family. Credit cards. More debt. Payday loans. Title loans. Reckless mortgages and financial decisions. Break laws. Exploit others. Steal. Be unethical. Dishonor Christ. No limits.
I’ll tell you when you know things are getting out of control. Things are out of control when out of greed, desperation, or impulsivity, you willingly destroy others to get ahead. You attempt to win at all costs. You don’t care who loses, so long as you win.
The get rich quick mindset infiltrates the Church also.
This frenzied get rick quick mindset infiltrates the church in unexpected and destructive ways. Greed, self-centeredness, desperation, and impulsivity have a way of escalating conflicts. This was definitely the case with the sad state of affairs in Corinth.
Christian people, desperate to get rich quick, were turning to secular judges and courts to coerce the results they wanted. Imagine thatbrothers in Christ were suing one another in order to win at all costs.
This was just the tip of the ice berg. Of all people, Christians ought to be champions of forgiveness and grace. In Christ, Christians ought to be able to let go of the injustices, fouls, and misdemeanors. Christians ought to have the eternal perspective that enables them to surrender the things of this world. They certainly ought to have the morality to choose what is right from what is wrong.
Not the Christians in Corinth! They had no shame, dragging the name of Christ into secular courts. They were bitter, angry, and vengeful. They were willing to lie and cheat and wrong even Christian brothers in order to get ahead.
Paul's admonishment to the Corinthians.
In 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 (NIV)Paul addresses this issue."If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers."
Here are some things to think about. First, it is a myth that the legal system (court) is the Christian’s first, best, or only option for resolving a dispute. In court, people are often willing to lie and speak mistruths to win the favor of a judge. In court, people pursue selfish gain at the expense of others. They seek awin/lose verdict. In court, the biggest blow is dealt to grace and truth.
A second thing Paul mentions is that the ungodly have a different standard of judgment (a different value system) than saints. Judges don’t do grace and forgiveness. They do law.
A third thing Paul mentions is that Mr. or Mrs. Joe Average Christian is more competent to settle a dispute than secular judges. At the end of the age, Christians will judge the world and angels. Paul says that even Christians of, "little account" are competent in matters of basic fairness.
Last, Paul uses an interesting phrase, ".....the things of this life." The Christian has a bigger perspective in disputes. The Christian has an eternal perspective. The things of this life pass away. They don’t matter for eternity. Paul reminds us that our greatest concern ought to be for our witness before unbelievers. The mere presence of a lawsuit signals spiritual defeat. It signals that we would value a win over a relationship with someone in Christ. Paul indicates that it is better to be wronged and cheated than to drag the name of Christ through mud. And he reminds us that in court, we can become the cheaters and wrongdoers as we build our case.
Paul makes a broader application of the principle.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV) Paul broadens the application beyond lawsuits. "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offendersnor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
The essence of wickedness is destroying others to get ahead. The wicked person takes from others at all costs in order to satisfy herself.
Sexual immorality is one example of this principle.God intended sex to be a gift that a husband and wife give one another exclusively, within the covenant of marriage. The sexually immoral don’t want commitment and responsibility. They want to get all they can at no cost. They are so impoverished thatthey try to make sex satisfy and fulfill in a way that God never intended. And they’ll go to any level to fulfill their desires now. They cannot wait. Sexual immorality. Adulterous relationships. Prostitution. Homosexual offenses.
Another example of this principle is greed.God blesses us financially and materially in order to be a blessing to others. But notice Paul’s list of people who will not inherit the kingdom of God; thieves, the greedy, slanderers, and swindlers. The greedy will not work for honest gain. The greedy don’t want to save money, invest wisely, live debt free, or be good stewards. They will steal, they will lie, they will cheat, and they will litigate. And Paul is talking about professing believers in the church of Corinth!
We're to have no part in this get rich quick mindset. Here is the perspective we need.1 Corinthians 6:11 (NIV) says,"And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
To be washed is to be forgiven of our sins. To be washed is to have received God’s grace andto be an object of God’s generosity. Our purpose is to relate to one another out of generosity, grace, love, and forgiveness. This means we have to let go of "getting" and focus on "giving." Giving is the cure for the selfishness and greed of our age.
To be sanctified is to be set apart and made holy. Sanctification is God’s plan for making our lives whole and complete, so that we lack nothing. As we give ourselves to God, he gives himself to us through his Spirit. The Spirit of the living God makes us rich in every way. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and self-control. Incidentally, these are all the qualities we lack when we are looking to the things of the world to make us rich.
To be justified is to be restored in right relationship with God. It'sto have eternal security in Christ. The things of this world will pass away, but our justification in Christ is for eternity. Knowing our destiny frees us to let go of this life, with all its injustices and wrongs. The empty promise in Vegas andCorinth is "Get rich quick." The eternal promise in Christ is an invitation to be washed, sanctified, and justified.