The Believer in Business

The vast majority of believers today are in business of one type or another, either from the standpoint of management or labor. Where you work is part of your full time Christian service. In the business world, the believer may face such adversity that you are not as successful as you expected, so you may feel defeated and a failure that results in a guilt complex. You may be too proud to admit it!

But there is an answer. There is a way back. There is recovery, but you’ve got to believe. It never depends on you. It depends upon who and what God is. Phil. 2:12-14.

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing;” (Philippians 2:12-14, NASB)

Probably no one today is more a realist than the Christian with Bible doctrine and the grace-given ability to apply the Word of God to experience. A man or woman, a young person who knows they are born-again and who has grown in grace will be a stalwart in the crisis and will have been alerted to historical tragedies that are applicable to the times in which we live. They will have biblical principles and live by them until they are called home to be with the Lord.

The Economy of a Nation

We know from the Word of God that the economy of a nation is based on the perceived or real confidence in the economy of the country and its associated money and exchange rates with other nations’ currencies. The economy of a nation is also based on the mental attitude of its people.

The stock market ebbs and flows based on the mental attitude of the traders involved each day. If the traders’ mental attitudes are controlled more by emotions than facts, the markets can fluctuate more wildly. If the stock traders are not careful to check what they see and hear to corroborate what is fact versus fiction, the markets will trend accordingly.

In addition, the economy of a nation is based on the population’s respect for authority. To the extent that the population does not respect authority, they will choose to not adhere to the Divine Institutions (Volition, Marriage, Family, and Nationalism) and to the written laws of that country. To the extent that a country’s populace does not respect and adhere to the Divine Institutions, they turn away from God. To the extent that a populace turns away from God, divine discipline of the nation will be administered by the justice of God accordingly. The ultimate extension of this increasing divine discipline can end with the Fifth Cycle of Discipline. Romans 1:18-25. See the category on the Five Cycles of Divine Discipline.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:18-25, NASB)

The economy of a nation is also based on the hard work of its population. A society can carry only so many lazy and irresponsible people who have no initiative. The stability of a nation is based upon the four divine institutions and a police and judicial system to enforce those divine institutions. A military establishment is designed to protect the nation from external enemies and to protect the nation’s property and territories.

The nation also depends on unbelievers having the freedoms to freely chose for or against the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Believers must also have the freedom to learn Bible doctrine, to learn the Word of God so they can apply it to experience.

The Carnal Christian

Romans 7 talks about the carnal Christian which is a believer out of fellowship. This is any believer whether missionary, pastor, evangelist, businessman, officer, coach, or teacher. In Romans 7:6, “newness of the Spirit” is the Holy Spirit teaching the human spirit of the believer. “Oldness of the letter” is the Mosaic Law, which should not be a way of life for the believer in the Church Age. The Church Age believer’s spiritual life is based on the filling of the Holy Spirit and application of Bible doctrine.

“But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:6, NASB)

In Romans 7:11, “killed me” refers to spiritual defeat and discouragement.

“for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.” (Romans 7:11, NASB)

In Romans 7:14, “I am of flesh” refers to being dominated by the old sin nature resulting in mental attitude sins such as temper, irritability, and chip on the shoulder resulting in overt sins such as foul language and nasty behavior toward others.

“For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.” (Romans 7:14, NASB)

The carnal Christian is unable to do what they want to do. They are unable to control their life, sin dominates them, so they are defeated. The carnal Christian is failure by their own measurements. They develop an inferiority complex and can vary between nice and nasty toward others. They become unstable with successive ups and downs. They can be too proud to acknowledge that the Lord is the answer. They will be unable to perform. Rom. 7:15; Rom. 7:18; Rom. 7:24.

“For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15, NASB)

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.” (Romans 7:18, NASB)

“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24, NASB)

The Answer For the Carnal Christian

We are commanded to stop being in a state of carnality. How do you accomplish that? First, by confession of sin using 1 John 1:9. This puts you into fellowship and filled with the Holy Spirit. You will remain in fellowship by repeating confession of sin, as necessary. You should go on a crash program of daily Bible doctrine intake to get the scar tissue out of your soul. Eph. 4.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, NASB)

Get to a local church where the Word is communicated by a pastor-teacher. Comprehend the facts of God’s Word in the human spirit by means of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Your positive faith belief in that gnosis Bible doctrine results in the Holy Spirit transferring the gnosis Bible doctrine into the right lobe of the soul as epignosis. There, you can apply that Bible doctrine to the situations you encounter every day. Eph. 3:18-19; Eph. 4:23.

“may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:18-19, NASB)

“and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,” (Ephesians 4:23, NASB)

Learning Bible doctrine through the grace apparatus for perception results in the building of the edification complex of the soul. Eph. 4:12; Eph. 4:15-16.

“for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;” (Ephesians 4:12, NASB)

“but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16, NASB)

Principles for the Christian in Business

Although the Bible is filled with principles for the Christian businessman, very little public teaching is done from pertinent passages on the subject. 1 Timothy 6 presents biblical principles for the Christian in business. If you are all fouled up and not taking in the Word categorically, you’ll have good times and bad times, but you will gradually hit lower and lower points. The workaday world is divided into two categories, labor and management. In business, the chain of command must be recognized. 1 Tim. 6:1-2.

“All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.” (1 Timothy 6:1-2, NASB)

Hard work (mentally and physically) is the oil of success in the business world. For the believer, they must remain in fellowship. Long hours at work can be defeating if they cut you out of Bible study. Gen. 3:19.

“By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”“ (Genesis 3:19, NASB)

The boss should not exploit their employees. Nor should their employees disrespect them. 1 Tim. 6:2.

“Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.” (1 Timothy 6:2, NASB)

The believer is to represent God in their business or where they work. You represent God in your area of work full time just as the pastor-teacher does for his local church. 1 Tim. 6:3.

“If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,” (1 Timothy 6:3, NASB)

Dishonesty in business destroys your testimony as a believer. This doesn’t mean just stealing material or money. It means stealing through a rotten mental attitude. It means stealing through lack of a full day’s work. It means stealing by knifing your employer in the back. 1 Tim. 6:4-5.

“he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.” (1 Timothy 6:4-5, NASB)

In Ephesians 4:28, “He who steals” is a present active participle. The believer with scar tissue operates under mental attitude sins and is a slave to the details of life. A believer with scar tissue will have materialism lust. In the darkness of their soul, they seek to gain money to gratify their lust pattern. Removal of scar tissue changes the pattern of dishonesty in business. As the scar tissue is removed, the edification complex is erected.

“He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.” (Ephesians 4:28, NASB)

Erecting an edification complex changes the behavior pattern of business procedure. Since the believer in business is in full time Christian service, they must conduct that business as unto the Lord. The full time Christian service demands honesty in business practice, otherwise, there is a loss of testimony. The edification complex stabilizes the believer in business. It reflects the glory of God.

The oil that makes business run as smoothly as possible is godliness, linked with contentment! What is Godliness? Godliness is the fruit of the Spirit. 1 Tim. 6:6; Gal. 5:22-23.

“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.” (1 Timothy 6:6, NASB)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB)

Godliness is the character of Christ formed within you. Godliness is reflecting the glory of God. What is contentment? It is a relaxed mental attitude, a spiritual peace, stability and poise. It is the result of true biblical godliness. Gal. 4:19; 1 Cor. 6:20.

“My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—” (Galatians 4:19, NASB)

“For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:20, NASB)

The mental attitude of employees and employers should be that food and clothing purchased from wages of hard work is enough for contentment. 1 Tim. 6:7-8.

“For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” (1 Timothy 6:7-8, NASB)

If a believer in business (employee or employer) has inner spiritual stability, their outward needs will be very simple. 1 Tim. 6:9-10.

“But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10, NASB)

Your mental attitude toward money is an indicator of spiritual stability or the lack of it. In what do you find your security? Your mental attitude toward money should be that it is only a detail of life. Only spiritual growth and ultimately an edification complex in the right lobe of your soul can give you the stability to master money. Money must not be the passion of your life. 1 Tim. 6:9-10.

Money in the Bible, as nearly anything, can be used in a good sense and in a bad sense. How many of you really believe that money is the root is all evil? I hope no one. 1 Timothy 6:10 says the “love of money is the root of all sorts of evil.” It can become the basis for different categories of evil like lying, cheating, and lusting. The pursuit of money in believers can drown out Bible doctrine as the criterion for success.

"For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:10, NASB)

“Some by longing for it” means a habitual lust for money, to grasp after, to live for money, to make money be the center of all motivation. There are times when all of us wish we had more money. We’re talking about believers here. “Wandered away from the faith” means they depart from the faith, the whole counsel of God. They bypass Bible doctrine not intentionally at first, but they get too busy for the Word of God.

“Pierced themselves” means they literally stick pins in themselves. It is possible to love money so much that you stick yourself with the pins of “many griefs.” What is the solution to this? Throw all your money away and give it to Christian charities? No. The solution is to get oriented with regard to money. The problem is the mental attitude toward money as the highest criterion for success. It should be Bible doctrine and a soul filled with epignosis Bible doctrine. Money does many wonderful things and can be a real blessing if properly obtained. This is a mental attitude toward money in a good sense.

A believer in business will ultimately need a crash program of daily intake of Bible doctrine to hold their own in the business world. Do you need a crash program of Bible doctrine to correct your thinking and behavior at work? It’s the ultimate answer. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 is your answer. How about You? How is your full time Christian work going? 2 Tim. 2:15.

“But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:11-12, NASB)

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, NASB)

1 Timothy 6:11-12, “flee” is the present imperative of φεύγω (pheugō) and means to flee the lust of love for money, flee dishonest business practices, exploiting employees, and loafing on the job. How? “Pursue righteousness” refers to divine good production through the filling of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22-23.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB)

Divine good production in only through the application of the Word of God to experience. Divine good production relies on the epignosis Bible doctrine residing in the edification complex of the soul. Titus 3; Eph. 4.

In 1 Timothy 6:11-12, “fight” means to be properly oriented with regard to money. We know that “the battle is the Lord’s,” so let Him fight so money won’t overpower you, whether you do or don’t have it. “Fight the good fight of faith” means to know the whole counsel of God. It means to understand your salvation in its relationship to the old sin nature, how the Word is learned, what scar tissue is, and understand the Angelic Conflict and your role in it.

“Take hold” means to utilize the spiritual grace resources of the Word of God. It means to grab ahold of the edification complex that is produced by the learning of Bible doctrine like the world clutches after their money. It is saying, “Don’t grab hold of inanimate objects such as money, but grab hold of spiritual things with eternal consequences. Whether you have money or don’t have it, if you carry your happiness with you, you won’t be disturbed.

The Christian in business is in full time Christian service. They are just as much servants of the Lord as any minister or missionary.