THINGS WE SHOULD TREASURE Jesus said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 7:20,21). In this Jesus was showing us the futility of hoarding up money or goods while failing to serve God or obey Christ or give properly to be used for the advancement of the gospel. We should place greater value on spiritual matters than on material matters. In doing this there are a number of things we should treasure. 1. We Should Treasure Our Lives. Our lives are a valuable commodity and God wants us to redeem the time we live here. (Ephesians 5:16). Job 14:1 states, "Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble." The Psalmist stated, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." (Psalms 90:10). James shows the brevity of life stating, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." (James 4:14). That question of "What is your life?" is a good one. Life is something for which every person is responsible. "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12). (A) Life is too precious to pollute our bodies with tobacco in any form. Everybody in the world knows that the use of tobacco ruins the health which ruins the use of life. You cannot fully use the God given commodity of life to its fullest if you are sick or diseased because of tobacco. What a waste this would be! (B) Life is too precious to be a glutton and suffer from the health problems of obesity. "For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags." (Proverbs 23:21). Gluttony and drunkenness were grounds of stoning a man to death under the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 21:20, 21). Eating too much is like drinking too much alcohol. ( C) Life is too precious to fog up the mind and destroy physical health with alcohol and drugs. "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). For men drinking alcohol disqualifies them from serving as a Deacon or as an Elder in the church (I Timothy 3:3, 8). Also drinking alcoholic beverages should not be done because they cause us to be stumbling blocks (Romans 14:21). Proverbs 23:29-35 shows us the folly of drinking. It shows that drinking brings woe, sorrow, contentions, babbling, and wounds without cause. Also that it is as poisonous to us as being bit by a serpent or adder. It points out that it is addictive so that no matter how bad it does a person he will seek it again when he awakes from his drunken stupor. Health authorities tell us that hallucinogenic drugs are worse than alcohol as they will destroy the ability to think clearly and the will power. People will do things they don't even remember doing. They are all highly addictive but cocaine and heroin are almost impossible to break the habit once the person is on them. If it were not for the power of the gospel and good Christian counseling they could not be broken. Millions of people in the world need the help of the gospel and knowledgeable, sympathetic Christians to help they out of their drug dilemma. Many of the incarcerated people of our country just need to be converted from the drug problems that have engulfed their lives. They want to be saved but they either just don't understand the meaning of repentance or just don't understand how bad it would be to burn in the fires of hell forever because they destroyed their relationship with God, disobeyed God, and failed to give their lives to God. (D) Life is too precious for us to leave God out of it. God wants us to glorify him with our lives by obeying Christ (John 14:23), letting our lights shine (Matthew 5:16), and bearing fruit for them (John 15:8). Not only life here is affected by the way we live but also our everlasting life is dependent on what we do with our lives. Handle with care this precious commodity. 2. We Should Treasure Our Homes. The home should be so treasured that the Husband will take the headship of his household and do his best to see to the needs of his family, protect and respect his wife, and teach his children the way of the Lord (Ephesians 5:23; I Timothy 5:8; Ephesians 6:4). Wives should submit themselves to their husbands as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:21). They should guide their houses, be good home keepers, live a pure life, love their children, and use all the wisdom God gave them to make happy, loving homes. (Titus 3:4,5; I Timothy 5:14). Children should love their parents; obey their parents, honor their parents, and appreciate their homes. (Ephesians 6: 1-3). Ethical, honest, upright homes are the backbone of the church, the schools, and the country. Elders, Deacons, Preachers, Teachers, and ethical business men all are made in good homes. Heaven will be a reality to many people because of coming from good homes because they took the advice of Godly parents, obeyed the Lord, and lived the Christian life. 3. We Should Treasure the Truth. Jesus made it plain that it is the truth that makes us free (John 8:32). People purify their souls in obeying the truth (I Peter 1 :22). People are sanctified by the truth (John 17: 17). Solomon's advice is "Buy the truth and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding." (Proverbs 23:23). Truth is a precious commodity because it will always guide us right. We need to understand that God's word is truth. Jesus said, "For this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness of the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18:37). Jesus had told his disciples, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me." (John 14:6). In accepting Him we are accepting the truth with all the wonderful promises coming to those who obey him. 4. We Should Treasure The Lord's Church. It is the pillar and ground of the truth (I Timothy 3:15); where we are reconciled to God (Ephesians 2:16); and, He is coming to take it to heaven I Thessalonians 4:16). Let's be in it, faithful to it, and looking forward to His coming for it. C.D. |
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