Does Money Buy Salvation
An all-creatures Bible Message

Does Money Buy Salvation
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
5 July 2020
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Genesis 24:34-67
Matthew 11:20-30
 
Does money buy salvation, we ask, because many of the passages in the Bible, and many churches and clergy even to this day seem to live and act as if it does.
 
A pastor is supposed to be a guide to Jesus Christ and salvation, but when we have talked to other pastors about vegan animal rights issues, and the need to have a soft and empathetic heart, the vast majority of them shy away from even mentioning anything about these issues when it comes to animals.
 
They most often come back with some excuse that they don’t want to talk about these issues or that their congregations wouldn’t stand for such things being discussed in their church, and they won’t even acknowledge that these issues are in the heavenly will of God; which to us seems to mean that they are afraid of losing their jobs, and such statements mean that they are putting money ahead of the heavenly will of God.
 
The hardness of heart behind such worldly positions also seems to be leading the people astray, which shows that money doesn’t buy salvation, but actually may be causing people to not get saved, because while they may preach salvation, they are also showing the people that it is permissible to live in the corrupt and violent ways of this world.
 
So when we ask, does money buy salvation, it most often has the opposite outcome; money can actually cause people to lose out on true salvation in heaven, even though the church teaches them that they are saved, for when people are truly saved, they live in the heavenly will of God where there is no violence or pain or suffering or death, which we are charged to bring to earth as it is in heaven.
 
In Genesis 24:34-67, we are told the story about Abraham’s servant going to his relatives to find a wife for his son Isaac; this also means that he is seeking a wife for Isaac among his second cousins.
 
34. So he said, "I am Abraham's servant,
 
He introduces himself to Abraham’s relatives, and then goes on to talk about how wealthy Abraham is.
 
35. And the LORD has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys.
 
We believe that the servant says all this to convince the family that their daughter (sister) would be marrying into a wealthy family.
 
There is another important aspect of this story, and that is that Abraham must have given God the credit for his wealth, because even his servant relays this fact to his relatives, and the fact that his wealth is a blessing, yet at the same time Abraham did live in some of the corrupt ways of this world, just as we all do from time to time.
 
Nevertheless, Abraham still appears to be buying a wife for his son.
 
36. Now Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master in her old age; and he has given him all that he has.
 
And the servant goes on to say that all of Abraham’s wealth has been given to Isaac, so that all of Abraham’s wealth is controlled by Isaac; thus, they are using this wealth to entice a wife for him.
 
Money cannot buy salvation, but it is being used to entice and buy a wife.
 
37. And my master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live;
 
Abraham does not want Isaac to marry some unbelieving woman; He wants a woman who believes in the Lord and comes from a believing family, which his family was when they left Or in the land of Babylon.
 
38. but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.'
 
Abraham knows that his relatives believe, so this is the only place that he desires to search for a wife for his son.
 
39. "And I said to my master, 'Suppose the woman does not follow me.'
 
The servant expresses his doubt and wants to make sure he knows what to do in case this happens, but note the ways Abraham answered.
 
40. "And he said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives, and from my father's house;
 
41. then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.'
 
This shows Abraham’s faith, but in his expression of freeing the servant for his oath, he is likewise expressing some doubt.
 
42. "So I came today to the spring, and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now Thou wilt make my journey on which I go successful;
 
Notice that the servant doesn’t pray to the Lord as being his Lord, too, but only to the God of Abraham, and since there is only one God his prayer is really directed to the same being, but he doesn’t seem to understand or believe that.
 
43. behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar";
 
44. and she will say to me, "You drink, and I will draw for your camels also"; let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' 
 
And the Lord quickly answered his prayer, which hopefully increased his own faith.
 
45. "Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew; and I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'
 
46. "And she quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also'; so I drank, and she watered the camels also.
 
47. Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him'; and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
 
The ring and the bracelets indicate to us that he is showing Rebekah the wealth of Abraham and Isaac.
 
This event also seemed to increase his faith.
 
48. And I bowed low and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.
 
But he is still worshipping the God of Abraham as if there were more than one God.
 
49. So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left."
 
50. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The matter comes from the LORD; so we cannot speak to you bad or good.
 
This shows us that they did believe in God, and not some idol as their father did in Babylon, many years before.
 
51. Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken."
 
52. And it came about when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed himself to the ground before the LORD.
 
Again, we see an increase in his faith.
 
53. And the servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.
 
And again, he appears to be using Abraham’s wealth to entice the family and Rebekah; even though we cannot use our wealth to buy salvation, it sure appears that they are using it to buy a wife.
 
54. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master."
 
55. But her brother and her mother said, "Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go."
 
The family already agreed to have Rebekah go with them, but then they begin to procrastinate.
 
56. And he said to them, "Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."
 
But the servant saw through their attempt at delaying his departure, and politely refuses.
 
57. And they said, "We will call the girl and consult her wishes."
 
And the family still wishing to delay their departure, says to ask Rebekah what she wanted to do.
 
58. Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go."
 
But Rebekah agrees to go despite her Family’s wishes.
 
Rebekah seems to know that this is all from the Lord, and she doesn’t want to challenge any aspect of His desire.
 
59. Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham's servant and his men.
 
Note also that the nurse seems to have no say in the matter, but is sent away with Rebekah.
 
60. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
"May you, our sister,
Become thousands of ten thousands,
And may your descendants possess
The gate of those who hate them."
 
Notice that their blessing only has to do with worldly matters and has nothing to do with God.
 
61. Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.
 
They were on a long journey, and we are told nothing about it.
 
The story resumed when they got to their destination.
 
62. Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Negev.
 
Beer-lahai-roi is the well or the area around the well where God told Abram that he would have a son, and Abram and Sarai didn’t believe the Lord, so then after many years, the son of that promise met his wife to be.
 
63. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming.
 
64. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel.
 
For Abraham to be a father of many nations, his and Sarah’s son had to have children, and this was the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise.
 
65. And she said to the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?" And the servant said, "He is my master." Then she took her veil and covered herself.
 
I would like to believe that their wealth had nothing to do with Rebekah’s  coming to Isaac, and that she came because she heard the Holy Spirit’s promptings to her, but we have no way knowing because we are not told.
 
66. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
 
67. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
NASB
 
Again, we are not told anything about this having anything to do with God, but it did for it is further proof of the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to Abram to be a father of many nations.
 
Furthermore, there is no mention of either Isaac or Rebekah serving the Lord, which seems to answer the question, “does money buy salvation?” and the answer is no it doesn’t; salvation is a free gift from God that comes through each individual’s faith.
 
Let’s now look at Matthew 11:20-30, and see if it answers the question, does money buy salvation?

20. Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.
 
Jesus begins by talking about something more important that our wealth or lack of it, and that is our faith, and He uses some examples from His days upon this earth.
 
21. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
 
We have also noticed that familiarity breeds contempt, and because Jesus was frequently in these places most of the people didn’t believe the He had performed any miracles.
 
Does money buy salvation?
 
No, but if we have a wealth of faith in God, the Lord sees that as deserving of salvation,
 
22. "Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.
 
The miracles were intended to bring about faith in God, and for some reason it didn’t in some locations.
 
23. "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.
 
24. "Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you."
 
We are not told what would be more tolerable in the day of judgement, but from what Jesus is saying, there appears to be degrees of judgement, and perhaps even salvation.
 
25. At that time Jesus answered and said, "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes.
 
Perhaps the wise and intelligent also include the wealthy, but the key here is that those who rely upon their own intelligence don’t usually look to the Lord in faith for answers
 
26. "Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.
 
The Lord looks at the intent of the heart and soul and not personal ability, which is something that Jesus is teaching us.
 
27. "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
 
And we believe that this has to do with our faith in God, which we show, in part, by turning away from the corrupt and violent ways of this world.
 
28. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
 
The ways of this earth wear us out and gives us all kinds of problems, and the ways of God give us peace.
 
29. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
 
The key here is that we truly learn from Jesus, which if we do, we will turn away from the ways of the world.
 
30. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." 
NASB
 
Which, if we do, we will find salvation without using any kind of wealth or other kinds of worldly things.
 
The choice is ours!
 
Amen?
 
Amen.

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