An honest profit is an indication that someone has subdued creation and made it useful (so useful that someone is willing to pay for the product) and has used less of creation in the process than any other alternative (so that the costs are lower than others).
This is fundamentally good and pleasing to God as obedience to the creation mandate of Genesis 1:28. Earning an honest profit feels good because God has given us a deep desire to obey His command. The size of the honest profit is a reliable indication of the measure of obedience, and therefore more is generally better. But this is not the end of the story.
Further revelation in the Bible clarifies and gives greater precision to the creation mandate. Jesus says, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels and the glory of his Father, then he will repay each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:26-27).
Earning a profit is good, but caring for one’s soul is even better. Fulfilling the creation mandate is important, but it does not take precedence over the advance of the gospel, individual sanctification, or the building up of the local church.
Nevertheless, this shows that the gospel is inextricably related to economics and this relationship will be the focus of this blog. We are cautioned that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils (1 Timothy 6:10) and greed can be idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Therefore, earning an honest profit is fundamentally good, but avoiding sinful temptations along the way requires wisdom and dialogue in community.
Gentle reader, I look forward to exploring with you this topic of daily importance.