The believer’s stewardship of treasure will also be evaluated by the Lord at the Bema Seat.
The believer also must be a good steward with money.
Scripture has a tremendous amount to say about money or material possessions.
Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables of Jesus deal with money.
It is interesting that one out of every ten verses in the New Testament deal with this subject.
Scripture has 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but over 2,000 verses on the subject of money.
Money is an extremely important issue because a person’s attitude toward it is so determinative of his relationship with God, on fulfilling his purpose in this life, and on his character.
Financial planning is biblical and is a means to good stewardship, to freedom from the god of materialism, and a means of protection against the waste of the resources God has entrusted to our care (Proverbs 27:23-24; Luke 14:28; 1 Corinthians 14:40).
Financial planning should be done in dependence on God’s direction and in faith while we rest in Him for security and happiness rather than in our own strategies (Proverbs 16:1-4, 9; Psalm 37:1-10; 1 Timothy 6:17; Philippians 4:19).
Financial faithfulness ultimately flows out of the recognition that everything we are and have belongs to the Lord (1 Chronicles 29:11-16; Romans 14:7-9; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Life is a temporary sojourn in which Christians are to see themselves as aliens, temporary residents, who are here as stewards of God’s manifold grace.
Our spiritual gift, time and finances are all trusts given to us by God which we are to invest for God’s kingdom and glory (1 Peter 1:17; 2:11; 4:10-11; Luke 19:11-26).
One of God’s basic ways to provide for our needs is through work meaning an occupation through which we earn a living so we can provide for ourselves and our families (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12; Proverbs 25:27).
The money we earn is also to be used as a means of supporting God’s work and helping those in need, first in God’s family and then for those outside the household of faith (Galatians 6:6-10; Ephesians 4:28; 3 John 5-8).
Believers must have discipline with regards to saving money.
The first principle with regards to this is that the believer must maintain a proper view of ownership.
Remember, all his wealth ultimately belongs to God.
We are managers, not owners (1 Chronicles 29:11-16; Luke 16:12).
Also believer must maintain a proper view of our security.
We are to put our trust in the Lord and not in our investments (1 Timothy 6:17).
The Christian must beware of impure and unbiblical motives, priorities, and reasons for saving such as anxiety and hoarding as a result of insecurity or covetousness (Matthew 6:25-33; Luke 12:13-31).
He or she must make decisions concerning future investments by going to the Father in prayer in order seek His will (James 4:13-15).
They must never use money in saving/investment programs that God desires be used for giving.
This occurs when savings or investments become extreme and for the wrong reasons as seen above (Luke 12:16-21; 1 Timothy 6:18-19; 1 John 3:17).
The Christian must avoid high-risk investments or get-rich-quick schemes (Proverbs 21:5; 28:20, 22; 1 Timothy 6:9).
Lastly, the believer must watch his priorities in the sense that they are to make the kingdom of God his number one investment (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31; 1 Timothy 6:18-19).
The Christian is required by the Word of God to evaluate purchases according to Biblical principles.
They must ask themselves, “Can I pay cash or will the purchase put me in debt?”
They ask, “Do I have complete peace about this purchase with no doubt?” (Romans 14:23; Colossians 3:15)
We must be careful and understand that our sin nature can make us rationalize a purchase that we shouldn’t make.
The believer must ask “Is it a real need or a matter of greed?” (1 Timothy 6:9; 1 John 2:15)
They must ask “Will it be profitable to my family, our spiritual growth, our health, our ministry, the Lord’s reputation, and will it increase our love for the Lord or could it hinder it?” (1 Timothy 3:4: 5:8; 1 Corinthians 6:12).
They should also ask “Is my lifestyle adequate or more than adequate?” or “Do I need to reduce my spending by lowering our expected standard of comfort?” (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:15, 23; Proverbs 15:16-17; 16:8; Ecclesiastes 5:10-11).
God favors lending (investing) over borrowing because it promotes freedom and wise stewardship (Deuteronomy 15:5-6).
The Bible teaches that unwise borrowing can put us in a position of servitude (Proverbs 22:7).
It also teaches us to use credit wisely and avoid it whenever possible.
Though not prohibited by Scripture, credit is generally mentioned in a negative sense.
Romans 13:8 is often used as an absolute prohibition against borrowing, but it does not necessarily forbid the use of credit and it simply teaches the necessity to pay one’s obligations whether physical or spiritual as they come due.
Concerning credit there are two basic alternatives: (a) Buy now on credit and pay the installments with interest. (b) Save now and buy later with cash and save the interest.
Remember that interest adds to the cost of living and consequently reduces our capacity for wise stewardship.
If we must borrow, we should seek low interest for short terms.
We must be aware of the fact that credit can be risky because it can place people in bondage to creditors and to their own desires rather than to God’s will and it makes impulsive buying too easy.
Satan’s cosmic world system depends heavily on impulsive buying to cover over a bored, frustrated life.
Credit can be used as a substitute for trusting God or to get what we want in place of waiting on Him.
Sometimes people use credit to prevent themselves getting into a situation where they have to depend on God.
They do this because they are afraid He won’t give us what we want when we want it (Ps. 37:7-9, 34; 147:11; Matt. 6:30-34; Phil. 4:19).
Another important principle to remember is that credit reduces our ability to give to God and to those in need.
The use of credit is often nothing more that a failure to be content with what we have (Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:6-8; Heb. 13:5).
A materialistic person is never content with what he or she has but the spiritual person learns to be content with what he has or doesn’t have.
When it comes to borrowing, we must not purchase something on credit if it will jeopardize our financial freedom.
We must never go into debt today based upon a future event like a raise or a potential sale and this is nothing more than presuming upon the Lord and His sovereignty.
Another principle is that we are never to go into debt for a house before we have secured a source of income (Prov. 24:27).
We are never to finance daily needs, living expenses, or pleasure items.
A Christian should never finance items that depreciate quickly, except on very short terms (i.e., 30-90 days).
On appreciating items, such as a house or for business investments, the Christian should never borrow beyond their ability to cash out of the obligation through sufficient collateral plus the value of the item, should it be necessary to sell.
A believer must never allow debts (excluding mortgage) to exceed 20 percent of their take-home pay and they must seek after ten percent or less.
They must never allow a mortgage payment (including insurance and taxes) to exceed 25 or 30 percent of their take-home pay.
In regards to borrowing the believer must always ask himself or herself the question, “Do I really need this?” or “Have I asked the Father for it in prayer and waited long enough for Him to supply it?” or “Am I impatient and seeking immediate gratification?” or “Is God testing my faith, values, or my motives?”
The believer should ask himself or herself, “Did I wrongly spend the money God provided for this item or have I violated God’s financial principles?” or “Am I guilty of being stingy?”
In Romans 13:8, Paul prohibits the Roman Christians to owe nothing to anyone meaning that they are to fulfill their financial obligations to everyone, thus he is teaching by way of implication that they are to be good stewards with their finances.
Stewardship Series: Stewardship of Treasure
Doctrinal Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday May 27, 2026
Stewardship Series: Stewardship of Treasure
Lesson # 4
The believer’s stewardship of treasure will also be evaluated by the Lord at the Bema Seat.
The believer also must be a good steward with money.
Scripture has a tremendous amount to say about money or material possessions.
Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables of Jesus deal with money.
It is interesting that one out of every ten verses in the New Testament deal with this subject.
Scripture has 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but over 2,000 verses on the subject of money.
Money is an extremely important issue because a person’s attitude toward it is so determinative of his relationship with God, on fulfilling his purpose in this life, and on his character.
Financial planning is biblical and is a means to good stewardship, to freedom from the god of materialism, and a means of protection against the waste of the resources God has entrusted to our care (Proverbs 27:23-24; Luke 14:28; 1 Corinthians 14:40).
Financial planning should be done in dependence on God’s direction and in faith while we rest in Him for security and happiness rather than in our own strategies (Proverbs 16:1-4, 9; Psalm 37:1-10; 1 Timothy 6:17; Philippians 4:19).
Financial faithfulness ultimately flows out of the recognition that everything we are and have belongs to the Lord (1 Chronicles 29:11-16; Romans 14:7-9; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Life is a temporary sojourn in which Christians are to see themselves as aliens, temporary residents, who are here as stewards of God’s manifold grace.
Our spiritual gift, time and finances are all trusts given to us by God which we are to invest for God’s kingdom and glory (1 Peter 1:17; 2:11; 4:10-11; Luke 19:11-26).
One of God’s basic ways to provide for our needs is through work meaning an occupation through which we earn a living so we can provide for ourselves and our families (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12; Proverbs 25:27).
The money we earn is also to be used as a means of supporting God’s work and helping those in need, first in God’s family and then for those outside the household of faith (Galatians 6:6-10; Ephesians 4:28; 3 John 5-8).
Believers must have discipline with regards to saving money.
The first principle with regards to this is that the believer must maintain a proper view of ownership.
Remember, all his wealth ultimately belongs to God.
We are managers, not owners (1 Chronicles 29:11-16; Luke 16:12).
Also believer must maintain a proper view of our security.
We are to put our trust in the Lord and not in our investments (1 Timothy 6:17).
The Christian must beware of impure and unbiblical motives, priorities, and reasons for saving such as anxiety and hoarding as a result of insecurity or covetousness (Matthew 6:25-33; Luke 12:13-31).
He or she must make decisions concerning future investments by going to the Father in prayer in order seek His will (James 4:13-15).
They must never use money in saving/investment programs that God desires be used for giving.
This occurs when savings or investments become extreme and for the wrong reasons as seen above (Luke 12:16-21; 1 Timothy 6:18-19; 1 John 3:17).
The Christian must avoid high-risk investments or get-rich-quick schemes (Proverbs 21:5; 28:20, 22; 1 Timothy 6:9).
Lastly, the believer must watch his priorities in the sense that they are to make the kingdom of God his number one investment (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31; 1 Timothy 6:18-19).
The Christian is required by the Word of God to evaluate purchases according to Biblical principles.
They must ask themselves, “Can I pay cash or will the purchase put me in debt?”
They ask, “Do I have complete peace about this purchase with no doubt?” (Romans 14:23; Colossians 3:15)
We must be careful and understand that our sin nature can make us rationalize a purchase that we shouldn’t make.
The believer must ask “Is it a real need or a matter of greed?” (1 Timothy 6:9; 1 John 2:15)
They must ask “Will it be profitable to my family, our spiritual growth, our health, our ministry, the Lord’s reputation, and will it increase our love for the Lord or could it hinder it?” (1 Timothy 3:4: 5:8; 1 Corinthians 6:12).
They should also ask “Is my lifestyle adequate or more than adequate?” or “Do I need to reduce my spending by lowering our expected standard of comfort?” (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:15, 23; Proverbs 15:16-17; 16:8; Ecclesiastes 5:10-11).
God favors lending (investing) over borrowing because it promotes freedom and wise stewardship (Deuteronomy 15:5-6).
The Bible teaches that unwise borrowing can put us in a position of servitude (Proverbs 22:7).
It also teaches us to use credit wisely and avoid it whenever possible.
Though not prohibited by Scripture, credit is generally mentioned in a negative sense.
Romans 13:8 is often used as an absolute prohibition against borrowing, but it does not necessarily forbid the use of credit and it simply teaches the necessity to pay one’s obligations whether physical or spiritual as they come due.
Concerning credit there are two basic alternatives: (a) Buy now on credit and pay the installments with interest. (b) Save now and buy later with cash and save the interest.
Remember that interest adds to the cost of living and consequently reduces our capacity for wise stewardship.
If we must borrow, we should seek low interest for short terms.
We must be aware of the fact that credit can be risky because it can place people in bondage to creditors and to their own desires rather than to God’s will and it makes impulsive buying too easy.
Satan’s cosmic world system depends heavily on impulsive buying to cover over a bored, frustrated life.
Credit can be used as a substitute for trusting God or to get what we want in place of waiting on Him.
Sometimes people use credit to prevent themselves getting into a situation where they have to depend on God.
They do this because they are afraid He won’t give us what we want when we want it (Ps. 37:7-9, 34; 147:11; Matt. 6:30-34; Phil. 4:19).
Another important principle to remember is that credit reduces our ability to give to God and to those in need.
The use of credit is often nothing more that a failure to be content with what we have (Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:6-8; Heb. 13:5).
A materialistic person is never content with what he or she has but the spiritual person learns to be content with what he has or doesn’t have.
When it comes to borrowing, we must not purchase something on credit if it will jeopardize our financial freedom.
We must never go into debt today based upon a future event like a raise or a potential sale and this is nothing more than presuming upon the Lord and His sovereignty.
Another principle is that we are never to go into debt for a house before we have secured a source of income (Prov. 24:27).
We are never to finance daily needs, living expenses, or pleasure items.
A Christian should never finance items that depreciate quickly, except on very short terms (i.e., 30-90 days).
On appreciating items, such as a house or for business investments, the Christian should never borrow beyond their ability to cash out of the obligation through sufficient collateral plus the value of the item, should it be necessary to sell.
A believer must never allow debts (excluding mortgage) to exceed 20 percent of their take-home pay and they must seek after ten percent or less.
They must never allow a mortgage payment (including insurance and taxes) to exceed 25 or 30 percent of their take-home pay.
In regards to borrowing the believer must always ask himself or herself the question, “Do I really need this?” or “Have I asked the Father for it in prayer and waited long enough for Him to supply it?” or “Am I impatient and seeking immediate gratification?” or “Is God testing my faith, values, or my motives?”
The believer should ask himself or herself, “Did I wrongly spend the money God provided for this item or have I violated God’s financial principles?” or “Am I guilty of being stingy?”
In Romans 13:8, Paul prohibits the Roman Christians to owe nothing to anyone meaning that they are to fulfill their financial obligations to everyone, thus he is teaching by way of implication that they are to be good stewards with their finances.