As
believers therefore,
although we are living in the world, we are however not of
the world, not of the system and should not be conformed to it by practicing its
customs and traditions and so we have been duly admonished saying; “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 lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life --- is not of the Father but
is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who
does the will of God abides forever” (1John
2:15-17)
Seeing
what is happening around the world today especially in Ukraine should be a good
testimony for those of us who love this world and placing the physical life and
the material things above the spiritual and ignoring the admonition which the
greatest Teacher of all taught us when He said; “No one can serve two masters;
for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to
the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. "Therefore
I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will
drink; or about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and
the body more than clothing?” (Matthew
6:24-25)
He
further admonished us by saying; “Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall
we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these
things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all
these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own
trouble” (Matthew 6:31-34).
The
apostle Paul also admonished us by saying; “Now godliness with contentment is
great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can
carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content”
(1Timothy 6:6-8).
He
also gave instructions to those who possess the worldly things, he admonished
them by saying; “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be
haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us
richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works,
ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation
for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1Timothy 6:17-19).
Jesus
Christ instructed us on how to handle the physical material things of this life
He said; “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon,
that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is
faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in
what is least is unjust also in much: Therefore if you have not been faithful
in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And
if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what
is your own? (Luke 16:9-12).
Please
note carefully that, regardless of how much of the material things one
possesses it is considered as the least and this should act as a good platform
for us in differentiating a false teacher from the true one, because
covetousness which is an excessive or inordinate desire for wealth, possessions
or power is one of the hallmarks of a false teacher as we have been duly
admonished saying; “But there were also false prophets among the people, even
as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in
destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on
themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways,
because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will
exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been
idle, and their destruction does not slumber” (2Peter
1:1-3).
Today,
the most common teaching one will hear in most of the churches is that of the
prosperity and get rich messages and the wrong perception of the tithe.
To be continued
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With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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