One of the motives of any business for operating as it does is to produce a profit. Profit enables a business to expand and to enjoy the fruits of the business venture. And profits keep the door open so the business can continue to offer products, services, and stable employment. In this day and age profit is under assault by special interest groups and the government. The most recent is the outrage by many over the high prices of gasoline after hurricane Katrina. To keep profit in perspective, the Bible must be studied since it is a principle that God includes in his values.

James addresses believers about going to get gain in James 4:13-17: Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16  But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. The teaching here isn’t that gain (deriving profit) is wrong, but rather include God in the plans of business with a reminder that plans can and do change unexpectedly. Thus we can conclude that the activity of business is honorable and the profit a business garners has God’s blessing.

There are responsibilities when one makes profit or gets gain that pertains to any business activity that is honorable. One is to treat customers properly with respect and another is to have competitive prices (such prices will be determined by the law of supply and demand and other market factors, not by some arbitrary limit imposed by the government in the name of fairness). A properly run business can and does create riches for the owner or owners. Again there isn’t anything wrong with having riches (wealth) as such. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; (next) 1 Timothy 6:18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;  A study of the five words rich, good works, distribute, and communicate reveals a wealth of scriptural teaching that is in harmony with the verses of James above and Colossians, which will be brought into the study. 

Rich means wealth or abundance (note that there isn’t any teaching in the scriptures that determines what amount of possessions make one rich); good works are those that benefit others, so it can be said that rich in good works means doing a wealth of things to the benefit of others; distribute means to share the material riches by means of good works; and communicate means to tell those whom you are helping why it is being done. To sum up the principles, those who have means are instructed to share their means with others and tell them why they are sharing. (It should be noted here that without profit, sharing is impossible.)

Paul wrote in Colossians about life in Christ: Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. When one shares and tells others why it is being done, it is for the glory of God through Jesus Christ. Give thanks to God for your wealth and being able to share the material goods and the gospel. 

The verses cited above are in harmony with each other, with each teaching the responsibility that is to be practiced by those who are Christians (gain or wealth should be used responsibly by those who aren’t Christians too). When God and Christ are included in the plans for gain, it is good; when they aren’t, it is sin.

© 10-29-2005 DEC

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