Articles
Profit Motive
In economic and business circles, a profit motive is defined as ‘the motivation of firms that operate so as to maximize their profits.’ It is noteworthy that this also means those involved ‘tend to pursue what is in their own best interests.’ Financially speaking, this is what keeps a business in business, so it is no surprise that for-profit companies are motivated by, well, profits. When a business ceases making profits, they tend to go bankrupt, and sometimes very quickly. When for-profit companies cease making profits, or enough profits to keep them in operation, cutbacks are inevitable and, if that is not enough, the business ceases to exist, jobs are lost, former employees have to find new jobs, and the consequences of that business failure has sometimes far-reaching and long-lasting consequences — some that may not have been foreseen.
And what does this have to do with spiritual matters and you?
Let me ask you this: Are you looking out for your own best interests, spiritually speaking? Are you doing those things that will maximize the benefits to your spiritual well-being? How would you know if the things you believe and practice are actually beneficial, rather than unprofitable and, maybe even detrimental to your spiritual well-being? In financial matters, it is not wise to just ‘wing it’ or be uninterested; the consequences of poor financial choices may be devastating and too much to overcome. It will be too late when you retire to start thinking about financial planning, and it will be too late to correct errors and poor choices when you need a financially-stable source of income. We know this when it comes to financial matters, so why do we not think about this in spiritual matters?
I hope none of us would take the word of just anyone when we are making financial or business decisions; on the contrary, I believe most would want to consult an expert in the field, someone who was trustworthy, and one with wisdom and experience to guide us. I only wish we would take spiritual matters just as seriously by not just taking anyone’s word for what is spiritually profitable, what will benefit you most, and what should be avoided at all costs. I would hope that all men would think of their soul as their most valuable asset and start treating it as such. I would plead with everyone to seek out the advice from someone who knows better than anyone about what is good and profitable for your spiritual condition: Your Creator.
The apostle Paul once admonished, Timothy “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:14-17). In those words are where we can find the most profitable advice on our spiritual condition that has ever existed. Let us consider what Paul has told us, as he was inspired of God to write, and which will benefit us far beyond any material measures.
The Source of Spiritual Advice and Guidance. Let us note, first of all, that the source of what will benefit us greatly is “All Scripture.” Let us not be deceived by those who purport to be ‘experts’ in the field, but let us go to the one who knows better than any man about what is best for us, spiritually: God. Whatever advice and guidance men may give in spiritual matters will not benefit us if it does not come from the Scriptures. No scheme of man will bring forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven but, as Paul noted, the Scriptures “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
And don’t take their word for it even if they do claim to be speaking from God’s word. Even the apostle Paul was challenged when he spoke by Divine inspiration; the Bereans listened to what he had to say, but then “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). If you genuinely care for your soul’s condition and want to know what is best and most profitable for your soul, you would do wise to listen and then challenge every supposed speaker of God’s word, too. Your soul is too valuable not to do that!
Profitable for Doctrine. The first thing Paul notes the Scriptures are profitable for is “for doctrine” (2 Tim. 3:16). This simply means the Scriptures have revealed — fully revealed, with nothing further needed — the teachings we need to know and believe regarding everything Jesus demands of His disciples. This is profitable, for we would be lost, ignorant, and without hope if He had not revealed this to us. But Jesus promised the apostles shortly before His crucifixion that the Spirit would “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13); therefore, within the lifetime of the apostles, God’s will was fully revealed. That is why Paul could write that it was done “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2nd Tim. 3:16). Man needs nothing more than the Scriptures to know what God and Jesus Christ have taught.
Profitable for Reproof. No one likes to be told they are wrong, or that they have done something wrong, but the reality is, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23); all of us have done wrong, and we needed to know that! But even disciples still sin (1 John 1:8, 10), and they need to be told that, too. [See the example of Simon in Acts 8:9-24 to see such a case.] But we cannot rely on our own opinions to know what is right or wrong, and to be able to tell someone that what they have done is wrong, we must first agree that there is a standard by which we will be judged. That standard is [hopefully unsurprisingly] the Scriptures. It is within Scripture that we find sin defined and who is guilty, so we must not elevate our opinions to take its place.
Profitable for Correction. It would be of no benefit to be told that what you did was wrong without also then providing the corrective action or corrective information. The Scriptures again are beneficial and profitable for this, for God didn’t just tell us what we did wrong, but has also revealed to us the positive commands of what we must do. For example, Peter did not just tell Simon he was wrong, but then told him what he needed to do (Acts 8:22-24). Today, we must also give positive instruction and information to those who have done wrong [i.e., sinned] that they may know and do what pleases the Lord.
Profitable for Instruction in Righteousness. In simple terms, the Scriptures not only reveal that we all have sinned or what we have done wrong, and then reveal the corrective actions and information, but also give us the instruction we need that we might “live soberly, righteously, and godly” (Titus 2:11, 12). It is one thing to know about God’s plan for our salvation, but once we become disciples of Jesus Christ, we need to then know what kind of life we must live to be pleasing to Him, and to set the example for the world to see that standard of living.
So, do you have a profit motive? That is, do you seek the things that are profitable to you in spiritual matters? Don’t seek advice and guidance from men, for they will unfailingly lead you astray and you will be in a worse state. Seek what is profitable from the Scriptures! That is why God gave it to man, and preserved it for us! — Steven Harper
