Be Free From Love of Money

June 11th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

Hebrews 13:5-6 See that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you nor will I ever forsake you,” 6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?

Continuing the list of Christian evidences from Hebrews 13:4, the fifth evidence of a genuine Christian is that he is free from the love of money. The love of money is covetousness, found in many Christians, and yet it is rarely confessed as sin. Plain and simple, the love of money is an affront to God because it reveals a distrust in God. Money, in and of itself, is not a sinful thing; it is the love of money that is the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10). By it Achan lost his family and his life and the lives of at least 36 others (Josh. 7:1, 5, 25). Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, got greedy and so obtained the leprosy that departed from Naaman (2 Kings 5:15-27). But the worst of all was Judas Iscariot who betrayed the Lord Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

Some folks like to hoard money, others like to spend it on themselves and display their wealth, and others just get a rush from acquiring more and more. Yet they never seem to have enough! True Christians, however, must be free from the love of money. This English phrase comes from three Greek words: “a” (not), “phileo” (fondness; love), and “arguros” (silver). Together they mean “without fondness for silver.” Contrary to loving money, the genuine believer in Christ is “content” with what he has (v. 5); he is “satisfied.” But being satisfied demands something with which to be satisfied, and Christians are to be satisfied with the Spirit that seals them with a guarantee of eternal redemption (Eph 1:13-14). The error therefore of putting one’s love and faith in money is that it tends to replace God as the anchor of the soul during times of trial. But a genuine Christian is content simply with knowing Christ.

One of God’s promises to Israel was that He would neither leave them nor forsake them (Deut. 31:6, 8; Josh. 1:5). The writer of Hebrews reminded Christians of the very same thing, for money was not necessary to live abundantly. Those who believed such can never lead properly or effectively since money is their true love. Effective leaders in the church, and all genuine Christians for that matter, know and count on God’s promises that He will never leave them. They thus do not need a hefty bank account to give them security. In fact, they know that the love of money grants no assurance of security and only weakens their faith. Christian leaders who love money prove themselves weak leaders since they cannot trust God.

When the text says that God will never “leave” His people, it means that He will never send them back, relax His relationship with them, or let them sink. It is preceded by two negatives in the Greek text that emphasize that impossibility. Literally, the text says, “I will not, I will not cease to sustain and uphold you.” The word “forsake” refers to some circumstance where a person might find himself helpless or abandoned, and there are three negatives before this word. Literally, “I will not, I will never, I will not let you down.” Now that is emphasis!

The confirmation of faith in v. 6 comes from Psalm 118:6—a messianic psalm fulfilled in Christ and claimed by Christians. So since the Lord helps and has guaranteed His aid, there is no one to fear. This is a “confident” assertion revealing solid, absolute faith in God’s promise.

Food For Thought
Some in the Church today have fallen prey to the love of money, claiming to need it as a security blanket just in case something bad should happen. One family in Eastern Europe told some American missionaries: “We are suffering, but you in America are very comfortable; and it is always harder to be a good Christian when you are comfortable. Be assured that we’re praying for you!” How ironic! We have everything; they have little. Thank God for their prayers!