Sinful Love of Money

June 12th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

1 Timothy 6:9-10 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Having just explained that false teachers are known by their love of money, Paul follows up by warning those whose goal in life is to be wealthy. Whereas true godliness promises a life of gain when accompanied by contentment (6:6), those who desire a life of wealth are not content with what they have and will thus never attain godliness. Godliness is gain; greed is loss.

Note the downward spiral in v. 9 that ends in “ruin and destruction” for those who desire riches above all else. First, they “fall into temptation,” that is, they enter into trials that test their character. What is the dollar amount for which we will sell out? How many folks must we hurt or bilk to get where we desire to be financially? Second, the temptation will lead him into a “snare” (Gr. pagis), or trap, like that used for capturing animals. We may have acted unethically in some area, and now we are trapped in a world we never intended to enter. Third, this leads to “many foolish and harmful desires.” To act “foolish” is to act unreasonably, to make bad decisions. The “harmful desires” refers to all that one thinks money can gain. All of this leads finally to a “plunge… into ruin and destruction”—the loss of everything. Note the “plunge” which pictures a fall into hell for selling one’s soul to gain wealth. Jesus therefore asked, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul” (Mark 8:36).

In v. 10 Paul explains the warning in v. 9 about riches, saying, “For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil.” Note he does not say that money is the root of all evil; it is the love of money, namely greed, that is a root of “all sorts of evil.” There are other vices, not just the love of money; hence, greed is a root of evil. A greedy person is known for his selfishness, having a reputation as a cheat, a fraud, and a liar. The greedy will envy those who have more than they do, look down upon those who have less than they do, divide with family members who desire their money, and hate everyone who refuses to submit to them. Greed ruins marriages and friendships while fueling senseless murders, sex-trafficking, pornography sales, illegal drugs, and abortion.

No wonder Paul says that “some by longing for [wealth] have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (v. 10), literally “impaled with many griefs.” How grisly! It describes the sorrows that accompany, not the rich per se, but those who desire to be rich and are not content with what they have. They feel as if a stake has been driven through them, for the griefs their ungodly desires bring upon them are painful in every way. They may have huge homes and fast cars, but their hearts are cold, their children despise them, and they are left to enjoy their money all by themselves. The truth is, it is impossible to pursue both God and money at the same time. One will either hate one and love the other, or love one and hate the other. That is, they will either love God and hate money or hate money and love God.

Food For Thought
One can love money like they love pizza. After all, the things money can buy us can indeed bring us some pleasure. From a new car to a new pair of shoes, it’s good to have money. But it’s like a drug, for unless we are content with what God provides for us, we will never have enough. There will always be a newer computer, a bigger house, and more wealth to be had. Remember, it’s not money that is the problem; it is the love of it. To love money therefore is to love death because that is the life we are choosing if we refuse to be content with what we have. Our misplaced love will ruin us in the here and now, and worse, in eternity.