Kingdom Wealth

1. Riches have nothing directly to do with entrance into the kingdom of heaven, but love of wealth does.

2. Man may not share his supreme loyalty to a spiritual ideal with a material devotion; spiritual worship cannot be shared with material devotions.

3. It is “easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for [a] self-satisfied rich [heathen] to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

4. All who put their trust in riches shall hardly enter into the spiritual life that leads to eternal progress.

5. Whatever things or person comes between you and the love of the truths of the kingdom, must be surrendered; “if one’s wealth does not invade the precincts of the soul, it is of no consequence in the spiritual life of those who would enter the kingdom.”

6. “Take heed and keep yourselves free from covetousness; a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he may possess; happiness comes not from the power of wealth, and joy springs not from riches.”

7. “Wealth, in itself, is not a curse; but the love of riches many times leads to such devotion to the things of this world that the soul becomes blinded to the beautiful attractions of the spiritual realities of the kingdom of God on earth and to the joys of eternal life in heaven.”

8. It is not a sin to have honorable wealth; but it is a sin if you convert the wealth of material possessions into treasures which may absorb your interests and divert your affections from devotion to the spiritual pursuits of the kingdom.

9. There is no sin in having honest possessions on earth provided your treasure is in heaven, for where your treasure is — there will your heart be also.

10. “No man can serve two masters; either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to one while he despises the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

11. To acquire treasure in heaven; Take lessons from those who make friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, and likewise so conduct your life that you make eternal friendship with the forces of righteousness in order that, when all things earthly fail, you shall be joyfully received into the eternal habitations.

12. “Some of you, before you entered the kingdom, were very shrewd in dealing with your business associates. If you were unjust and often unfair, you were nonetheless prudent and farseeing in that you transacted your business with an eye single to your present profit and future safety.”

13. “Likewise should you now so order your lives in the kingdom as to provide for your present joy while you also make certain of your future enjoyment of treasures laid in heaven.”

14. “If you were so diligent in making gains for yourselves when in the service of self, why should you show less diligence in gaining souls for the kingdom since you are now servants of the brotherhood of man and stewards of God?”

15. He who is faithful in little will also be faithful in much, while he who is unrighteous in little will also be unrighteous in much.

16. If you have not shown foresight and integrity in the affairs of this world, how can you hope to be faithful and prudent when you are trusted with the stewardship of the true riches of the heavenly kingdom.

17. If you are not good stewards and faithful bankers, if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will be foolish enough to give you great treasure in your own name?

18. The wise investment of excess is a legitimate form of insurance against future and unavoidable adversity; condemned is the economic abuse which is the unfair exploitation of the weak, unlearned, and less fortunate of mortals by their strong, keen, and more intelligent fellows; such inhuman treatment of men, women, and children is incompatible with the ideals of the brotherhood of the kingdom of heaven.

19. Administer material wealth as a wise and effective trustee of the resources of one generation for the benefit and ennoblement of the next and succeeding generations.

20. “Bestow material wealth for the enhancement of material life, even as you minister knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual service for the enrichment of the intellectual life, the ennoblement of the social life, and the advancement of the spiritual life.”

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