The apostle Paul said to Timothy: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money.
Being lovers of money in the last days means there comes a time when people put the value of money at the highest standard. When I look at what’s going on in this world these days, I feel like this is the last day. Teenagers sell their bodies to make money for entertainment. Husbands hurt their wives and children or their parents for receiving the insurance money.
People think they just have to make lots of money regardless of what happens to their community such as home, society, and nation. Such people follow the money. In a word, materialism is dominating our society.
When you love money more than God, it is idolatry. Colossians 3:5 says “greed is idolatry.” Idolatry is to give glory to human beings or creatures not to God who must be glorified. Once you fall into materialism, your emotions will be controlled by money. You are crazy about money so you worship it. Can you say the money will take care of you or you are happy because you love money?
There are many stories about people whose life was ruined because of their love for money in the Bible. Judas Iscariot (John 12:4-6) is typical. The Pharisees loved the money. (Luke 16:14) Ananias and his wife Sapphira died since they lied to the Holy Spirit and kept some part of the money for themselves. (Acts5:1-11)
Money doesn’t take responsibility for our lives or souls. It rather tries to get in the way of God and to leads our souls to eternal suffering which are curses, death, and hell.
We need to let the Word of God make us move. We ought to be obedient to the Word of God not to the money in the last days when people regard money as the highest value.
Pastor Seok-Jeon Yoon
Extracted from Yonsei Newspaper #699
