If you’re not familiar with the term, a gold digger is someone who forms a relationship with someone else for the purpose of getting their money, or some other asset. Their love is strictly for the thing(s) they can receive, and not for the one giving it.
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You may say, ” I know about gold diggers, but what the heck is a spiritual gold digger?”
That is someone who says they love the Lord and worship God, but really only love what they expect to receive from God.
Before I was saved, I used to think the “I found it” movement was designed to be attractive to losers, people who were unloved, had unrealized dreams and aspirations, and were using the idea of God loves them as a crutch to get them through their problems instead of changing their lives, themselves. Of course, this should not seem an unusual attitude, coming from an unbeliever who didn’t understand what finding Yeshua (Jesus) is really about.
However, after over 25 years as a Believer, a credentialed Minister of Messianic Judaism, having served as Elder on two separate Councils, and even as Rabbi-Pro-Tem for 1-1/2 years at one time, I still believe there are many people who accept Yeshua as their Messiah solely for the purpose of receiving salvation and blessings, although they have no intention of changing who they are or how they live.
Except, maybe, for what they do for an hour or so on Sunday morning.
If you ask me if I love the Lord, God, I’ll say yes, but that love is not like the love I feel for my wife, or family, or friends. It is a love that transcends physical emotion- and I don’t just love God for what he did for me by sending Yeshua, or just for the blessings he gives me, but more so for what he does for the ones I care about, and for the world, in general.
Now, I am no different from everyone else who decided to accept Yeshua as my Messiah and receive forgiveness of sins- we all want to be saved, we all want to avoid hell, and we all want to receive blessings (unless you’re crazy!)
Does that make me a spiritual gold digger, also?
My answer is “No.” The reason I do not consider myself a spiritual gold digger is because I have changed my life for the purpose of being more pleasing to God. I am more Torah observant than I ever was growing up in Reform Judaism: not to earn salvation (that is legalism) but to show my faithful trust in God.
How does obeying the Torah show my trust? Simple- I trust that whatever God said I should do is for my benefit, and since I really believe God knows better than I do what is good for me, I trustingly try to be as faithfully obedient to his instructions in the Torah, which teach me how to worship him and how to treat others.
Traditional Christianity, I am so sad to say, has taught people that salvation is pretty much a Come-As-You-Are party: believe in Jesus, be a good person, love others and that is all you need to do to go to heaven.
Lies, lies, lies- straight from the pit of Sheol!
Does God love you just as you are? Yes, of course he does, but that ain’t gonna get you into heaven. We love our children but if your child asked you to let them do something you know is dangerous, (hopefully) you will say “Not happening!” Why? Because you don’t really love them? Of course, not- it’s because you DO love them and will not let them do what they don’t know will end up hurting themselves.
But given that same sort of situation, i.e., can I be saved without doing what God said I should, many Christian denominations say, “No problem- have fun! God loves you.”
Spiritual gold diggers are like the seed in the parable that is sown on ground that is shallow. It takes root (in the promise of forgiveness and blessings) and doesn’t care about anything else. They want to be blessed, they want to be in heaven, and they really don’t want to change how they live. And what happens when they don’t receive what they were told they would? Or don’t receive as much as they expected?
Time to go to a new religion that promises me what I didn’t get from this one.
If you are thinking of becoming a Believer, accepting Yeshua as the Messiah God promised to send, and looking for the joy and serenity you see in other Believers, let me warn you: if you aren’t willing to change your life to be obedient to God’s instructions in the Torah… forget it.
Look- Christianity has dozens of denominations, all of which profess to worship the one, true God, and all of which have different ceremonies, rites, holidays, and rituals that are not found anywhere in the Bible.
What they do have in common with the Bible is that nearly everything that God said to do, they don’t!
So, if you are saved, or thinking about getting saved, and all you really want is what you can get out of it, without having to make lifestyle changes- some of which may be extremely difficult, costing you friends, family, maybe even your job- then don’t bother.
If you ask me, it’s better to be an honest sinner than a hypocritical Believer.
Thank you for being here. Please share these messages with everyone you know, buy my books, subscribe to my website and YouTube channel (click on the bell), and join my Facebook group called “Just God’s Word” (but make sure you agree to the rules, or I can’t let you in).
And please don’t hesitate to give me some feedback, positive or negative. If you agree, let me know, and if not, tell me why. I am still learning.
That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!
