Litmus Test: Blue Reactions
Money.
This thing we assign value to could reasonably be called the number-one source of trouble within marriages, a driver behind much of crime, and apparently the lifeblood of the corporate world.
Should politics be any different?
Though money itself is not the root of all evil, monetary value has an undeniable relationship with the sinful impulses underneath it. There is a reason the Lord told David:
“You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name...” — 1 Chronicles 22:8
Instead, Solomon—a man who would inherit peace and rest—would build the Temple.
What the Lord was saying, not merely suggesting, was that even righteous acts and just causes can leave residual moral consequences upon the person carrying them out. David was the necessary agent. He fought the wars, consolidated the kingdom, gathered the resources, accumulated the wealth, and created the conditions Solomon needed to build the house of the Lord of Hosts.
But necessity did not absolve David of the invisible stains left by action.
Even justified action.
Even holy action.
Violence has that capacity. And wealth, because of the power it provides mankind, can similarly elevate the sinful nature already present within us.
So, Go Away With Money?
No.
The Lord clearly does not condemn wealth itself. During Moses' instruction to Israel, Scripture says:
“Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth...” — Deuteronomy 8:18
The distinction matters.
Wealth is a tool. Power is a tool. Neither is inherently evil. The question has always been what mankind does with them.
