The Goodness of The World

The material world is inherently good. The fall of man and man's sinful nature do not change the fact that the material world is good.

Of course the material world was subjected to futility in the fall. It is a world under a curse, but it is still fundamentally good and declares the power and glory of God.

Many people wish to suggest that things are inherently bad. Material abundance is inherently good. Of course it is our choices which are good or bad.

With great blessing comes a great responsibility to seek to bless with what we are blessed. Maybe the issue of doubting the goodness of the material world comes from the bible's harsh words against many rich people in the biblical narrative.

Of course you see that it is not their wealth for which they are condemned. Job before and after his suffering had great wealth and he was the most righteous man alive.

Many theologians wish to read the story of Job differently and are foolish to do so. God clearly states there was no one as righteous as Job in his day.

To critique the errors of Job is to critique the errors of the most righteous man in his day and we should do so lightly, you see that is the point of the story how the men who critiqued Job greatly sinned.

The errors of the rich which are condemned are oppression of the poor, refusal to help those in need, reliance on wealth, and turning away from God. There are many people with wealth that are not condemned.

You see it is not wealth that is an issue. "Money is the root of all kinds of evil" is not a biblical principle. Rather it's a very poor paraphrase. Rather it is "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." Many people scoff the difference is small.

It is not small at all. You see money is a tool. If we wish to use it to serve God then it is a tool for good. It is rather our attitude toward money which makes it good or bad.

Of course the fallen heart of man is what made money have a dangerous power. But it is not the money or the material things it offers that are the issue, but rather how the sinful heart sees those possibilities.