Rich Christians

Dear Victorious,

It seems that there are many rich people who proclaim to be Christians. Yet Jesus said it would be easier for a camel to get though the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into heaven. Aren't these wealthy Christians really just deceiving themselves?

Arnold M. - Baton Rouge, LA

Dear Arnold,

It may be that some self-professed Christians are deceiving themselves about their identity. But I doubt seriously that it would be all rich people who fall into this category. While the Bible is clear that wealth is not necessarily a sign of God's favor and approval - it is equally clear that the righteous can expect to be blessed. It also gives us many examples of the fact that God's blessings can be in the form of material wealth.

I think there may be a tendency on the part of many Christians to assume that wealth is evil. The Bible says that money is the root of evil - but it in itself is not evil. We cannot equate wealth with evil. Nor can we equate poverty with righteousness.