WLC 141: Moderation Concerning Worldly Goods
September 28, 2025
Moderation Concerning Worldly Goods
This morning we are continuing our study of Q141 of the WLC which asks, “What are the duties required in the Eighth Commandment?” The eighth commandment, as you recall, is “Thou shall not steal” and the duty associated with it that we will be looking at this morning is “the moderation of our judgments, wills, and affections concerning worldly goods.”
The text provided by the Westminster divines with respect to this duty is
1 Timothy 6:6-9. These are the Words of God: “Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
As we have continued to see in our study of the eighth commandment, stealing includes much more than merely taking things that are not yours. It does, of course, include that, but it is certainly not limited to it. This morning, we are considering our duty to moderate our judgments, wills, and affections as they pertain to worldly goods. But what, pray tell you might ask, does that have to do with not stealing? Simply put: content people do not plunder their neighbors. If you are happy with what you have, you are not motivated to take something that is not yours. On the other hand, malcontents are often motivated to cut corners. If you are not happy with what you have, you are more likely to take advantage of opportunities to take things from others. We have been called to be content with what we have and to work hard for what we want. A lack of moderation leads to being discontent with what we have and working hard to take from others that for which they worked hard.
GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN
Our text this morning reminds us that, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” It is not a booby prize for losers. “Godliness with contentment is gain” is not just something people say to make themselves feel better about losing the big game. No, godliness with contentment is how the game is won. Godliness with contentment is gain. And not just any gain, GREAT gain. Augustine of Hippo put it this way, “He who has God has everything; he who has everything but God has nothing.” C.S. Lewis, undoubtedly inspired by Augustine, articulated the same sentiment in The Weight of Glory when he said, “He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only.”
Now, here’s the question: do you believe that? That is easy to write in a tweet or to have on the side of a coffee mug, but it’s much harder to write on your heart. Do you believe that God is enough? Can you be content with Him and whatever He provides? Godly contentment is being okay with the problems you have instead of envying the problems you don’t have. It is trusting God to meet today’s needs because you know that He has already given His Son to meet your eternal needs. “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) Beyond giving us His Son, God has given us enough. He meets our needs. We may not have as much as we want, but we always have as much as we need. And enough is as good as a feast. If you have enough, having more is no better. There is no such thing as enougher or enoughest. Enough is enough and Jesus is always enough.
MODERATION IS KNOWING WHAT TIME IT IS
So, what does it mean then to moderate our judgments, wills and affections to that reality? Let’s begin by defining our term. Moderation is not a middle way. It is not the center point of two extremes. Moderation is not a compromise. It is not the Goldilocks zone of “not too little, not too much, but just right.” So that is what moderation is not… so, what is it? Moderation is knowing what time it is and being obedient to the moment you’re in. Moderation does not mean never being extreme, it means not being a lopsided monster who sets up shop in one ditch instead of the other.
Consider the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”
God has made a moment for all these things. Moderation is not avoiding religious extremism. If that were the case, it would refuse to feast or fast. It would only ever eat the government recommended portion sizes of whatever it was served. It would never get seconds of something good and it would never refuse firsts of something it was fasting from. Moderation is knowing how to match the moment you’re in. Most of the time, that means normal life. You wake up, go to work, eat dinner, take out the trash, take a shower, and do it all over again. Thank God for normal, uninteresting days. If you cannot do that, you are robbing those around you of a sense of stability. You cannot insist on making everyday a holiday without ruining holidays. If everything is special, nothing is special. Most days should look like most days. Some of the time, however, special things happen. If you only feast, you won’t know how to fast and you will struggle to settle for regular fair. If you only fast, you won’t know how to feast and you will look down your nose at those who are enjoying their meal.
Moderation is also making your mood match the moment. It is not a stoicism that strives to be indifferent to its surroundings, but neither is it an emotionalism that gets caught up in the excitement of the age. Moderation is not an eastern ohmism that seeks to empty its head and heart of all worldly attachments in order to find meaning, but neither is it a western consumerism that seeks to fill its head and heart with meaning through its worldly attachments.
MODERATION IN THE MEANTIME
Moderation means knowing how to love things well by loving them less. Anything that is loved more than God, regardless of how good it is, is not being loved well. The best way to ruin anything is to treat it like a god, which is to say, to turn it into an idol. Expect from it deity and expect to be disappointed. And here we discover another way in which moderation keeps us from stealing. Husbands, if you love and listen to your wife more than you listen to God, you are not just robbing God of His glory, you are robbing your wife. You are not loving her well. She deserves better than to be worshipped by you. Mothers, if you love and listen to your kids more than you listen to God, you are not just robbing God, you are robbing your kids. They deserve better than to be worshipped by you. Children, if you love and listen to your friends more than you listen to God, you are not just robbing God, you are stealing from your friends. They deserve better than to be idolized by you.
Moderation is a willingness to live in the chapter of the story God has you in. We are called by Christ to be content in whatever circumstances He sends to us. This, of course, is easier said than done, but the point is that in Christ it CAN be done. Consider Philippians 4:11-13 where Paul says, “I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” The temptation is to forget God. We are often anxious when things are bad and proud when things are good, but faith in Christ can endure either scenario without sin. As Paul went on to say in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
CALL TO CONFESSION
Well, since we are so often tempted to be discontent with what we have, or tempted to take from others that which we think God should have given to us; we are reminded of our need to regularly confess our sins, whether they be related to this duty or others. So, if you are able, please kneel with me and confess your sins, first privately and then corporately using the prayer found in your bulletin.
CORPORATE CONFESSION
Most holy and merciful Father, we acknowledge before You our sinful nature and our many offenses. We are prone to do evil and slow to do good. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from Your way, in wasting Your gifts, in forgetting Your love. Lord, we are ashamed and sorry for all the ways that we have displeased You. Father, teach us to hate our rebellious acts, cleanse us from our secret faults, and forgive our sins for the sake of Your Son. Help us to love You with all our heart and mind and strength. And give us the power of Your Holy Spirit so that we may walk in Your ways and serve You all of our days. Amen.
DECLARATION OF PARDON
Arise and hear the Good News! The assurance of pardon today comes from Galatians 2:16 which says,“We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
If you are happy with what you have, thank God for the gift of contentment. If you are dissatisfied with what you have or discontent with your level of contentment, repent. Repent of your discontent and thank God for the gift of forgiveness. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not die in discontentment but live with eternal satisfaction. Christian, be content, for in Christ, all your sins are forgiven… THANKS BE TO GOD!
Now let us ascend to the presence of God in all worship and praise.
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