Money, Wealth, Power, and Eternity
What
really matters
“What
good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” –Jesus
Christ
We strive and yearn for money all day long--but
for what purpose? To acquire the things we want in order to fulfill our needs
and make us happy.
Will
money, and wealth, and power really meet our needs though? Are we even aware of
what our needs really are? And once we have money and wealth and even
power—will it really do us any good?
Perhaps the reason so many rich, powerful and
famous people descend into drugs and alcoholism is that deep down inside they
sense the things they have are really very empty and temporal—a vain chasing
after the wind. They experience disappointment after having acquired these
things and go into denial that they still are not fulfilled and at peace. So
they must put up an act and pretend that having these things is some sort of an
accomplishment and that it really means something. So the game goes on, the act
perpetuates itself and the more money and fame they get, the emptier they feel.
The more empty they feel, the more money and power they seek. It is a vicious circle
that is destined for total collapse. And even if these things did mean
something—they are only here in this life and will be left behind when we die.
As the saying goes, “you can’t take it with you.”
"Naked
I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.”
--Job 1:21
Consider your life compared to all of infinite eternity.
What is the most a human lives? A hundred years? The average is much less. How
much of your own life is already gone that you can never get back?
We will all die one day. The grave is the common destiny of
all mankind-- rich or poor, old or young, famous or infamous, educated or
uneducated, black or white, red or yellow, brown or pink, no matter whether you
are a millionaire or struggle just to put food on the table, no matter what
background, whether you have an easy life or a hard one, no matter what—WE ALL
DIE. Nobody gets out of life alive--And no body escapes having to stand before
Christ. This is all mankind’s destiny.
Just as man
is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, --Hebrews 9:27
After we die, we all face Jesus Christ. There is no avoiding
it. It’s just a question of time. We will all see Him with our own eyes—yes,
even those who pierced him 2000 years ago. You, me, everybody--this is our
destiny. We are all on this same road whether we like it or not. The “train of
time” is moving forward and it
cannot be stopped or even slowed down. The clock has been irreversibly set in
motion.
Consider the words
of king Solomon, who had wealth beyond dreams. In the end he came to only one
conclusion:
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
--Ecclesiastes
12:13-14
Our life here is so short and quickly vanishes—a
mist trapped in a little dust. But there is something that will never perish,
spoil, or fade—the eternal life God gives us in His kingdom through His Son,
Jesus Christ. It is worth far more than all the wealth and power in the world
combined! Imagine all the glory, power and wealth man can create. Eternal life
in Christ makes all other things look like manure!
What is worth striving after? What is worth
seeking for? Consider all the effort we invest in this life—in something that
will not last. Why not invest instead in the eternal world to come?
“Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is
good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.” -
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where
thieves do not break in and steal.”
--Matthew 6:19-20
"The
kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he
hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that
field.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and
bought it.”
--Matthew
13:44-46
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be
arrogant nor to put their hope
in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,
who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
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Then
he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;
a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced
a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store
my crops.'
"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build
bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to
myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life
easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be
demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but
is not rich toward God." –Luke
12:15-21
Do not
love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of
the Father
is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the
lust
of his eyes
and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but
from the
world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of
God lives
forever.
–1John 2:15-17
Consider how many billions of people have
already come and gone before you. One day, you too will join them. What will
you have to show? What will be your hope as you now face eternity with this
world completely behind you? Only one thing will matter then. Only one thing
really matters now—whether or not you are in Christ, “in whom are hidden all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3)
the
mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now
disclosed
to
the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious
riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
–Colossians 1:26-27
Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the
proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery
hidden for long ages past, but now revealed
and made known through the prophetic writings by the
command of the eternal God,
so that all nations might believe and obey him.
—Romans 16:25-26
Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has
given
us
new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead,
and
into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for
you,
who
through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation
that
is
ready to be revealed in the last time.
–1Peter 1:3-5
God has given us a
salvation plan through the Scriptures. If we obey, we will live. How does one
obey this gospel? How does one “get in” on this eternal life, this “new
birth”? How does one enter the
kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ? Another way to ask this question is to ask, “What must I do to be saved?”
To be saved we must:
1.)
Hear the “good
news” of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:14)
2.)
Believe (Hebrews 11:6; Acts 8:37; Mark 16:16; John 8:24)
3.)
Repent of our sins (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Mark
10:15, Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians 3:5-10)
4.)
Confess faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 8:36-37; Romans 10:9)
5.)
Be baptized (in water) for the forgiveness of sins
(Acts 2:37-41; 1Peter 3:21; John
3:3-5; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-8; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:26-27; Mark
16:15-16; Acts 8:34-39; Ephesians 4:5)
6.)
Remain faithful for the rest of our lives and
carry our cross daily (Revelation
2:10; Matthew 24:13; Luke 9:23)
We
become saved (conversion occurs) and we come into contact with the blood
of Christ (or enter into Christ), at baptism, after steps
1-4 have been fulfilled.
If the above
space is blank and you would like to visit the church of
Christ
nearest you find one on the Internet at www.churchzip.com
Questions
about baptism? Go to www.BeBaptized.org
Remember
youth as
you
pass by
As you are now so
once
was I
As
I am now so you
must
be
Prepare
for death
and
follow me
Where you will one day be…