Is it a Sin to Buy Premium Products and Live Luxuriously? Beware the Sin of Vanity. (full title)

Greetings and welcome my friends to another journal entry, this time on the subject of luxury.

Is it a sin to live a life of luxury? I don't think the LORD would blame any of us for trying to live comfortably, for starters. But there is a big difference between living comfortably and living luxuriously.

Let's begin by looking at what luxury is defined as.

luxury noun
1: a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort : sumptuous environment
lived in luxury
2a: something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary
one of life's luxuries
b: an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease
had the luxury of rejecting a handful of job offers

So here we see a few words that should catch our eyes as Christian servants. Abundance, pleasure, comfort - but not absolutely necessary. An indulgence. Etc..

For anyone who has been following along with my journals, you have by now hopefully read the journal I posted on why charity is a very important aspect to being a humble and compassionate servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I can certainly say that I was not as compassionate towards others with charity prior to becoming a servant of Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel certainly exclaims that it is important that we as His servants produce "good fruit" - this being a sign of the Holy Spirit being in us and shaping us into a new creation who does the LORD's work. Although we acknowledge that we are saved not by our own works, but by the grace of the LORD and our faith in our savior Christ Jesus, what good is a servant who acknowledges that they are saved but does not produce good fruit? Keep in mind Matthew 21:18-22, which states:

"18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

If we as servants of Christ Jesus know what we are supposed to be doing, but we abstain from doing it, choosing instead the premium material comforts of the world, then we risk a spiritual barrenness that can become addicting and which might cause us to have a reinforcing habit of choosing luxuries over helping others.

This does not mean that the LORD expects us to live in a shed, or drive a vehicle that is rusted all over and constantly breaking down. We do not need to worry and fret whenever we decide to treat ourselves to a piece of furniture for our home or an electronic item that we might desire. We should ask ourselves though - how necessary is this item and what exactly is our reason for buying it? Is the reason for buying that specific model or brand to show off to others? Are we buying that mid-range electronic tv set for our family room in the hopes of giving our family a reason to spend more time together with each other on family movie night(s)? The LORD would probably be okay with this. Are we desiring to turn a few heads when we are out on the road with our new BMW or Mercedes car, when a used, cheaper, but reliable brand such as a Toyota sedan would work just as well? Danger, Will Robinson! We may have fallen victim to the sin of vanity!

Oops! Wrong Vanity...

Lets examine the definition of vanity.

vanity noun
Definition of vanity (Entry 1 of 2)
1: inflated pride in oneself or one's appearance : CONCEIT
2: something that is vain, empty, or valueless

If there is one thing we should try to be careful of as good Christian servants, it is the sin of vanity, which can fall under the deadly sin of pride. One of the most important things that we must remember to do as good Christians is to remember that we came into this world with nothing - and so will we leave this world with none of our belongings. Anything and everything that is given to us in this life is basically "on loan" from the LORD while we act and function as His servant-ambassadors. Although we are allowed and expected to do what we can to live a comfortable life when possible, the sin of vanity and greed can slowly, in a stealthy way, begin to overtake our mind and how we think. Just because you are able to afford an expensive purchase does not necessarily mean you should purchase that item. How much better of a servant will we be if we opt to forego the premium vehicle so we can give a little more to charity? When we realize as His servants we are not here to show off by living in a flashy lifestyle, it is much more easy to remain focused on the fact that we are here to serve others. If we become too focused on serving ourselves, we lose track of one of our main duties as a servant of Jesus Christ.

An example of a luxury sedan. $43,000+ and you can show off your wealth in style.

This Saint Laurent handbag costs over $2,000.

This Men's watch (with a simple cloth band) will set you back about $2,000

These are just a few examples of what can easily become a lifestyle of giving in to the sin of greed and vanity. I chose examples that were actually on the cheaper end. You can, of course, purchase vehicles, watches, handbags and other things that will range on up to the tens of thousands, if that's your thing. High society! All this really does is make you a target for thieves and robbers, which are perhaps the LORD's way of humbling those who are worshipping Mammon rather than showing love to the LORD and their neighbor.

I am not trying to say any of us are a bad person if we have an expensive watch, or a very nice car, or a range of outfits that we buy from high end retailers as opposed to Walmart and Target. The LORD understands that everyone likes to have a little fun and enjoy life a little. We should ask ourselves though - is this a habit, a spiritual stronghold in our lives? Do we ever buy things in a lower-midrange because we realize the dangers of vanity and pride if we choose to always buy higher end, luxury goods? If you can afford and choose to buy higher end luxury goods, do you make a significant effort to also devote a decent amount of your financial resources to charities? Remember, it is the LORD who grants us every dollar, every possession we receive in this life. He can take it all away at will if He chooses.

Here are a few verses that remind us of the state and condition and worth of the belongings we accumulate while living in this world, as opposed to the world we are granted access to when we pass from this world to the next:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. … Matthew 6:19-20

13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners Ecclesiastes 5:13

So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:21

23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:23-24

We are the LORD's hands and legs, working through this fallen creation to try and ease the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters. It can be a very effective tool of the adversary to use our desire for premium comforts against us. We can, if we are not careful - begin to have a taste and a desire for always choosing the more expensive, potentially unnecessary material goods when a much more modestly priced item will do the job just fine. It helps to remember that we gain little to nothing by trying to impress others with material goods while living this life. We should keep ourselves focused on receiving our Lord Jesus Christ's favor by living a modest life that is not ripe with luxury. We are the LORD's laborers. Let us not get too comfortable or pampered by this world so that we forget our most important duty to be servants to all.