The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Nelly Kaye of Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, from the tape, GC 1301-H, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 10."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1978. All Rights Reserved.

Question

What does the Bible say about Christians investing their money in things over and above their needs in order to get out of paying taxes?

Answer

Now, we don’t have time to cover this in detail, but in my little book that I wrote, called Giving God’s Way, we cover a little bit about God telling us to invest our money and to give our money. The Christian and His Finances tape covers that also, but let me just say this, God expects you to be wise about your investments . The government gives you the right and the opportunity to wisely do that. Since God has told you to invest wisely and since God has ordained government (Romans thirteen says that) you have every right to take every opportunity to invest everything you can as a tax shelter, that’s only wise stewardship. God expects you to use your head about those kinds of things. Whatever the government provides for you, you should take advantage of.

Now in Matthew chapter twenty five, I’m just going to refer to this one passage for time’s sake tonight, we find our Lord Jesus’ own words that it is wise to invest your money. In Matthew chapter twenty five and verse twenty seven, he says in talking here of the Parable of the Talents, and of course the lord in the parable is the Lord of reality, the Lord Christ, he says, “Thou oughtest therefore”, Matthew 25:27 “to have put my money to the exchangers,” and literally it means in the bank, “and then at my coming I should have received mine own with interest.” In other words if you’d have been a faithful servant and you’d have been a wise servant, you’d have wisely invested this and you’d have gained interest. There is nothing wrong with that. That is a godly act, to wisely invest.

You go back to the godly woman of Proverbs 31 and she was wise enough to purchase a field and make a profit. There is nothing wrong with that. God has designed that we do that. God wants you to save money, He even sets up in the Proverbs an ant; take heed to the ant who has enough sense to store up his food for the winter. We should be saving, we should be hedging against the future somewhat. There is no lack of trust in that. If God provides beyond your needs now, then the money beyond your needs now, may be money that He expects you to wisely invest now, so that when the future comes he doesn’t have to give you more. People say, well, I don’t want to save any money because that wouldn’t be living by faith. Oh yes it would. If you have all your needs met and you have something left then that is to be set aside wisely to provide for the future when God may have a different design rather that wastefully spent. So it is important to invest, and our own Lord Jesus lets us know about that.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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