37 Bible Verses about Materialism, As An Aspect Of Sin

While they professed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the majesty of the imperishable God for an idol, graven in the likeness of perishable man, or of birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things.

While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred within him, when he noticed that the city was full of idols.

For men will be selfish, mercenary, boastful, haughty, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, irreligious,

So then, my beloved, continually flee from idolatry.

Those who desire to be rich fall into the snares of temptation and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil; and in their eager desire to be rich some have been led astray form the faith, and have pierced themselves with many sorrows.

"If you want to be perfect," said Jesus, "go, sell your property, give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when the young man heard this teaching, he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had much property.

And receiving this reply, Jesus said to him. "One thing you are still lacking. Sell all that you have and give it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." But when he heard these words he became deeply grieved, for he was exceedingly rich.

It was then that one of the Twelve, he who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you ready to give me for betraying him to you?" So they weighed him thirty pieces of silver; and from that time he kept looking for a chance to betray him.

But whoever has this world's goods, and beholds his brother in need, and shuts up his heart against him, how can the love of God continue to abide in him?

So Jesus said to his disciples. "In solemn truth I tell you that a rich man will find it difficult to enter the kingdom of heaven. "I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

The disciples were amazed at his words. Jesus looked around and said again to them. "My sons, how hard it is for those who trust in money to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus looked at him and said: "How hard it is for those who have money to enter into the kingdom of God! Why, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

"And the seed sown among thorns is he who hears the word, but the anxieties of the age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

There are others who are 'sown among thorns.' When they have heard the Word, the anxieties of life and the snares of wealth, and all sorts of other ambitions, come in to choke the Word, so that it proves unfruitful.

"And that which fell upon thorns is those who have heard, but as they go on their way of word is choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of life; so they bring no fruit of perfection.

Charge the rich of this world not to be supercilious, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in God, who provides all things richly for our use. Charge them to practise benevolence, to be rich in good works, to be open-handed and generous, laying up right good treasure for themselves in the world to come, in order that they may obtain the Life which is life indeed.

Suppose a man comes into your synagogue with a gold ring and dazzling clothes, and suppose a poor man comes in, also, in shabby clothes, and you look up to him who wears the fine clothing, and say to him, "Sit here in this fine place!" and to the poor man you say, "Stand there!" or "Sit on the floor at my feet!" are you not drawing distinctions among yourselves, and have you not become judges with evil thoughts?read more.
Listen, my dear brothers, has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith, and to inherit the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?

Go to now, you rich men! Weep aloud, howl for the miseries which are about to come upon you! For your riches lie rotting, and your clothing has become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are rusted. and their rust will be for a testimony against you, and it will eat your flesh. For you have been storing up fire in these last days!read more.
Look! the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have been keeping back by fraud, are crying aloud! And the cries of the reapers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth! You have lived luxuriously on earth, you have taken your pleasure, you have fattened your hearts for a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous man unresisting!

"But God said to him. 'Foolish man! This very night your soul is wanted! And these things you have prepared, whose shall they be? "So is he that lays up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God."

for we have brought nothing into the world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out!

"Store up for yourselves no treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;

What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own life? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?

"For whoever wills to save his life shall lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it. "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose or forfeit himself?

He said to them. "You are those that justify themselves in the eyes of men; but God knows you hearts; for that which is lofty in the eyes of men is abomination in the eyes of God.

Let a brother in humble circumstances glory in his exaltation; but a rich brother, in his humiliation; because like the flower of the grass the rich man will pass away. For as the sun comes up with a burning heat, it withers the grass, and its flowers fall, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes; so also shall the rich man fade away amid his pursuits.

For you keep saying, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and do not know that you are the wretched one, and pitiable and beggared and blind and naked.

"Foxes have their holes," answered Jesus, "and wild birds their roosting-places, but the Son of man has not where to lay his head."

"The foxes have their holes," Jesus answered, "and the wild birds have their nest, but the Son of man has not where to lay his head."

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, though from the beginning he had the nature of God, did not reckon equality with God something to be forcibly retained,

And to the people he said, "Take heed and guard yourselves from all covetousness, for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses."

"For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious about your life, inquiring what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body, inquiring what you shall wear. Is not your life more than its food, and your body than its clothing? "Behold! the birds in the sky! They neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them; and are not you worth more than they? "Which one of you by being anxious is able to add even one cubit to his stature?read more.
"Why be anxious then about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin. "But I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was robed like one of these. "If God then so clothes the grass of the field, which blooms today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith? "Then do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'" "For all these are things that the Gentiles are eagerly seeking; for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of them all.

Let your life be untainted by love of money; be content with such things as you have; for God himself has said, I will never leave thee; I will never forsake thee.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the proud glory of life, is not from the Father, but from the world; and the world and its lusts are passing away, but he who ever does the will of God abides forever.

"I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have, this I am going to give to you; in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, walk!"

Now the multitude of the believers was of one heart and one soul, nor did any one of them say that any of his possessions was his own; but they had all things common. And the apostles continued with great power to give their witness concerning the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. Nor was there any one of them in want, for all who owned houses or lands would sell them and bring the price of the things that were sold, and lay it at the apostles' feet;read more.
and distribution would be made to each according to his need. In this way Joseph, whom the apostles called Barnabas ("Son of Encouragement" is what it means), who was a native Cyprus, sold a farm which he had, and brought the price, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Not that I speak as if I were in want, for at least have learned how to be content, whatever happens. I know how to live humbly, and I also know how to bear prosperity. In every place and under all circumstances I have been initiated into the secret of fulness and of hunger, of prosperity and of want.