1 Corinthians 3v22-23 - Radio - July
1 Corinthians 3:22-23
Christians are the wealthiest people in the world. As we look up, down, and around us, everything that we see is ours. In this passage, Paul begins to list out possessions. He refers to messengers that deliver the truth; the world and all its riches and beauty; death, which unlocks the door to our eternal reward; our homes, families, friends; and things to come, blessings and curses. These gifts are piled high in front of our eyes and serve as a subject for Paul’s words.
We have to realize that we do have these treasures. These all come from God. Each person that has had an experience with God through Jesus Christ knows that all spiritual possessions are from Him. They are the marks of love. The ones that receive these should accept the experiences with a spirit of gratitude and not take them for granted.
We have to realize that material possessions come from God. They are not the result of our efforts, but simply God’s blessings being poured out on us.
There are three views of material wealth. Some believe that it is intended for personal comforts and delight. This is what the parable in Luke 12 describes. These gifts, though, need to be used for the divine purpose of honoring God.
Others believe that material wealth is to be hoarded. There is a difference in saving for a holy purpose. Those that hoard violate the principle of having possessions for a holy purpose.
Still others believe that material wealth is a gift from God for a high and holy purpose. In this view, we realize that God controls all things and does all things with a holy goal.
We have to surrender our treasures to God. God is patient. He waits for sinners to come to him for eternal salvation. He waits for us, as Christians, to learn valuable lessons. He waits for wayward Christians to come back home to him.
People suffer when they withhold their treasures from God. They build a false sense of security and retard the progress of God’s kingdom.
What exactly do we have in the treasures that God has given us? We have power, especially to evangelize the world. To use this power, we have to take our stand for righteousness. We have to be busy proclaiming the gospel.
We have influence. We have an influence for good in a world that is plagued with evil. We can particularly influence others to accept Christ as Savior.
We have talents given us by the Lord to accumulated material wealth. They are talents to be used in specific service for the Lord.
That leads us to the use of the talents that God has given us. God has given each of us talents to use. This may be monetary, but I also believe it is physical. It is up to us how we use these talents. God wants us to give our best to him. Far too often we are guilty of only giving God our leftovers, though. He wants us to use our gifts, all of them, out of love, not out of duty. Giving, of any kind, is an act of worship. Worship has been defined as self-giving to God.
Paul tells us that all these things are ours. God has given us much. We now need to give to the world around us. What can we give? We can give our faith. We can give our abilities. We can give our life.