Tag: Desires of the eyes

31.i. “Keep your life free from love of money”

 

Matthew 6:19   “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 Psalms 39:6    Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

 1 John 2:15-16   Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

 Proverbs 11:4   Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

 James 5:1-3   Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.  Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.

 Proverbs 23:5   When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.

 Ecclesiastes 2:26    For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

 Ecclesiastes 5:10-14    He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

 Zephaniah 1:18    Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD

 Hebrews 13:5    Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The idea is that earthly treasure is temporary and fading away (where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal), but heavenly treasure is secure. The issue isn’t that earthly treasures are intrinsically bad, but they are of no ultimate value either. If this is the case, then it is wrong for the disciple of Jesus to dedicate his life to continually expanding his earthly treasures.

“The Master does not say it is wrong to possess earthly treasure. He does say it is wrong to lay it up for self. We are to hold it as stewards.” (Morgan)

 To lay up for yourselves treasure on earth is also to doom yourself to a life of frustration and emptiness. Regarding material things the secret to happiness is not more, it is contentment. How many wealthy people have died at their own hands because they found no pleasure from the wealth of what they accumulated? There is no lasting satisfaction from wealth. It is here today and gone tomorrow, or we are. In contrast, heavenly treasures are everlasting and incorruptible. Treasures in heaven give enjoyment now, in the contentment and sense of well-being that comes from being a giver. But their ultimate enjoyment comes on the other side of eternity. It has been wisely observed that a moving truck full of possessions never follows a hearse. Everything one might take with them to the world beyond is left behind and we can use our material resources right now for eternal good – even though we can’t bring them with us. Our material treasures will not pass from this life to the next, but the good that has been done for the kingdom of God through the use of our treasures lasts for eternity, and the work God does in us through faithful giving will last for eternity. (Guzik)

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

16. “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

John 7:6  Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

James 4:4    You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 John 4:5    They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

Proverbs 15:12     A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise.

Romans 8:7     For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

1 John 2:15-16     Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Acts 7:54   “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

“I testify about it that its works are evil.” “Friendship with the world is enmity with God.” “They are from the world.” “The mindset on the flesh is hostile to God.” “Do not love the world.” “Do not love things of the world.” “You stiff-necked people.”  I am not sure I have ever seen the division, anger, fear, and hatred that is around us today.  Surely it points to the condition of the heart of mankind without Jesus Christ in their lives.  Boasting, looting, rioting, lying, causing fear, anger, and division are clearly coming from the abundance of what is filling their hearts.  The love of God is not there but rather a love of self, self-centered, self-interests, self-reliance, self-power, self-worth, self-love, pride, greed, and arrogance.  They harden their heart into stone and close their ears to His calling.  They shake their mental fist at God, mocking the Creator, Savior, and coming again King of kings.  When they harden their hearts and stiffen their necks against God there is no limit to what sin they can commit.  Think about it.  Abortion is called, “Pro-choice”. Pornography is called, “adult entertainment”.  LGBTQ is called, “alternative lifestyle”.  Breaking a contract for the sole purpose of making money is called, “shrewd businessman”.  Lying in business is called, “manipulating the truth”.  Hate and violence are called, “justified”.  The list can go on and on.  Sin is no longer recognized as sin.  We can look at this list and say these are all sins against a child, person, business, or group of people.  The fact is these are not sins against man but against Jesus Christ himself.  When we sin it is not against man.  We sin against God.  We may harm man but we sin against God.  We may wrong a person but we sin against God.  When God is removed from our hearts and mind, there is no thought of sinning against God.  Even as Christians we fall into a false thought that our sin is against a person rather than the one and only Holy God.

We must have a proper understanding of “Sin”, or our lives will become more and more like the world’s view of it.

Shall we listen to you

Genesis 26:34   When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 36:2    Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,

Genesis 24:3    that I may make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell,

Exodus 34:16    and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.

Nehemiah 13:24-27     And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.  And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.  Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin.  Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”

1 John 2:16    For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

As parents we want what is best for our children.  As christian parents we want is right and honoring God for our children.  We teach them about God.  We try to live in such a way that leads by example.  We make mistakes and these too we try to direct our children down paths away from them.

Yet it is that child that must make their own mind up concerning whether they will follow or not follow God.  As parents we see steps they are taking and we know they are down paths that do not end well.  We have learned from taking them ourselves or seeing others who did the same.  It is not up to us for the choices being made and the consequences that follow.

Being a parent and knowing, through experience, what brings peace to the soul or takes it away and to express it and have it rejected hurts the heart.

I wonder what it must be like for God.  He has given us great promises, many blessings, and wonders showing His power and love.  What is it like to be rejected time and time again.  What is it like to give your only son as a sacrifice for sin and to have it rejected.  What is it like to have your righteousness rejected?  What is it like to have your truth rejected, your knowledge and wisdom rejected, your peace, joy, grace, mercy and love rejected?

Scripture says He is storing up His wrath for all who reject Him.  A day of judgement is coming and it is a very bad thing to fall into the hands of an Angry God.

While there is still breath in our lungs it is never to late to repent and turn  to God.  It is never to late to commit anew to Him.

Chasing after wind

“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

“Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, “

 

Psalms 4:5
Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD. There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!” You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.  In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Malachi 1:13
But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

James 5:1-5
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.  Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.

Ecclesiastes 2:10
And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Malachi 2:2
If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.

Malachi 3:8
Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.

What is it that you are chasing after?  What are you keeping for yourself and not giving to God?  What does it mean to offer right sacrifices?  I was listening to someone on the radio the other day and he was talking about giving.  Giving the first and the best to God.  Think about giving your first calf, or first sheep and it being the best you have. By giving the first and best we are saying “Lord all I have is yours and I TRUST you” – “I am not going to keep this for me but I am trusting you to supply all that comes after what I first give to you.” Scripture is full of how easily we fall away from thinking like this.  Our desires turn away from God and toward the things of this world – chasing after the wind.  Our giving is not from the first but from what is left over.  God calls this robbing from Him.  I like what David said “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound” His joy was found in trusting God and seeing God’s provision.  Our blessings are not ours to hoard but to serve God with.  Giving comes from the heart.  Giving from the first rather than from abundance at the end is a heart trusting God.