All Evil
The Truth about All Evil
Yes, all evil; not some evil only.
The verse:
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
“love” —> “money” —> “erred” —> “faith” —> “pierced” —> “many sorrows”
P/S:
How?
You cannot always see the root from the surface because it’s “hidden” from ground level. All evil has its roots eventually from “love of money”.
If I may say, during a time when there was no money, “love of money” probably could be likened to “love of prosperity & wealth”.
Why?
Anyone who loves money or prosperity or wealth always aims for one ‘selfish’ agenda regardless –> “to attain a level of complacency & security” in order to “fulfill their pleasures” (they call it “dreams”).
Hence, they’ll do ‘anything’ (where some do evil-legally while others do evil-illegally) to achieve that “pleasurable life” which is their “life-focus” entirely. That’s why they’re contrasted as “lovers of pleasure” instead of God in the verse below:
“traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;” (2 Timothy 3:4)
The “opposite” is to “carry your cross” and “follow Him” as the Lord Himself pointed out this “difference” in a ‘more selfless’ life-goal for every believer. Here’s that verse (note that ‘deny themselves’ means ‘become selfless’):
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.” – Lord Jesus Christ in (Matthew 16:24)
It is “not” out of context to quote the verse above like that but perfectly accurate since after saying the above, our Blessed Saviour continues to reveal the “leaving of selfish pursuits of life” (i.e. NOT seeking after to ‘save one’s life here on earth’ say by getting very wealthy to guarantee a ‘secured life’ … or ‘to gain the whole world’, e.g. to be the richest man on earth —> these ‘cannot’ be part of the “selfless-pursuits” of a ‘true believer’ who wishes to be “His disciple”). Here are the verses which say that ‘literally’ again:
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it.
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
for the Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what they have done.” (Matthew 16:25 – 27)
I know the common ‘false’ teaching and accusation which sounds something like this:
“Where got the Bible teach that one has to ‘leave all his possessions’ (not some of it) in order to be ‘His disciple’?”
Answer:
In fact, the Bible does teach us (in truth) that in order to become “His disciples”, one must “leave all his possessions”. Here’s that verse:
“In the same way, none of you can be My disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.” – Lord Jesus Christ again in (Luke 14:33)
To please themselves, some money loving pastors will try to deceive you by saying that being a ‘disciple’ and a ‘believer’ are two ‘different’ things to falsely create a context that the above is ‘not’ aimed at ‘all believers’. But, “no” verses say that.
Truth is, the “verse” (not the opinions of men) below proves irrefutably that “all believers” are “His disciples” hence the exhortation in these verses is applied to ‘all believers’ (the Great Commission verse):
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” – Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19)
Thus, the question haunts us:
What does the Lord mean by ‘leave all his possessions’?
The Lord Himself explained a few verses prior ‘what He meant’:
1) Able to leave ‘anyone’ or even give up one’s life if the need arises to do that (note the phrase ‘cannot be My disciple’ yet again in this verse too):
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26)
2) Next, one has to ‘carry your cross’ and ‘follow Him’ (without which He repeats that one ‘cannot be My disciple’):
“And whoever does not carry their cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27)
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If you still don’t understand, here’s another set of explanations detailing thus from an earlier post (in full):
“Cannot be My Disciples”, He said.
(Hence, there’s no alternative to this)
Oh really?
Which is it?
The “un-preachable message” from the pulpit of the church (try preaching it!).
But it’s still the “truth”.
Our Blessed Lord never said (with respect to this world):
“get everything”,… but He has said or meant, “leave everything and follow Me” (Luke 5:28; Luke 18:22)
Here’s a highlight of a “literal” verse to this which is almost “never preached” by your pastor in “truth”:
“In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be My disciples.” – Lord Jesus Christ in (Luke 14:33)
P/S:
Truth is determined by “verses” and not by what you ‘think’.
What is ‘leave everything’ (explanation)?
Basically, “leaving everything” for “His sake” (the Gospel) means now you work “not to make yourself rich” but to “fulfill the commands of His Gospel to share” etc (i.e. ‘in everything’ just like apostle Paul; family needs etc comes secondary to ‘His sake’).
Where does it say/mean/imply this (explanation) in the Bible?
The verses below:
“Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit age-during life.
But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matthew 19:27 – 30)
There’s no other way; the command is to ‘leave’ not ‘hoard’.
Lastly for those believers who aim at ‘hoarding riches/wealth’ instead in these ‘last days’, this is what the Bible warns:
“Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.” (James 5:3)
Hence, we must change our “love of money” to “love of God” in the Biblical manner described above.
P/S 2:
Often the rich & wealthy (when confronted with this truth) would reply:
“that’s what the poor will teach because they’re jealous of our wealth”.
Truth is, the above is NOT the “opinions of the poor” but the Verses (Words) originating from the Richest One, God Himself.
The Day will testify it.
Be prepared.
As usual, don’t be deceived (In fact, I think that the easiest deception to fall into is the ‘love of money’).
Indeed, there are “few” who are “saved”.
An important practical possibility:
Here’s a way to ‘leave all our possessions’ = put it in common use for others to share in it.
For example, allow others to share your food, clothing, money, computers etc… or even your house and car but with “wisdom” (i.e. To those really needing it and not toward opportunists or exploiters).
It’s not my opinion or anything like that since the verse below proves that this is how the earliest (‘first church’) of “all believers” (not ‘some believers’) was:
“All the believers were together and had everything in common.” (Acts 2:44)
Any true gathering/group/church of believers in Christ are thus required to do ‘likewise’.