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Material Things, Attitude Toward
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Matthew 6:19-20  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) "Rust" represents anything that "eats into" and destroys things more durable than clothing. In this parable, it has a wider application than mere iron oxide. Rusting or oxidation will eventually corrode all metal, including silver and gold; all of our physical treasure will deteriorate in time (Proverbs 23:4-5; James 5:3). Once moths and rust settle on an object, they gradually eat their way from the exterior to the interior. Thus, beyond their ability to destroy physical objects, moths and rust represent the decay of a person's life. Martin G. Collins Parable of the Treasure

Matthew 16:24-25  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) Jesus is actually talking about giving one's life in total obedience and service to God—even giving up all things, including our own lives, if He should ever require that of us—in return for eternal life. But repentance—surrendering to God—is not a matter of "giving up" everything good. Repentance is positive. Not only do we escape the penalties of sin through repentance, it is also the way to innumerable positive benefits in this life! Repentance emphatically does not mean we must give up the use or appreciation of material things. What God is interested in is the attitude we have toward material things—whether we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). God does wish for us to prosper and be in good health (III John 2). He wants us to give up only those things that are bad for us—that hurt us spiritually and physically. Repentance and conversion make possible our intelligent use of God's material creation through the guidance of His laws and His Spirit. What Is Real Repentance?

Luke 12:13-31  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) In Luke 12:13-21, a listener in the crowd surrounding Jesus asks Him to instruct his brother to divide the inheritance due to him equitably. Jesus declines, saying that life should not be based on having many possessions. He uses this occasion to teach His disciples that a godly life is more important than material things. To explain this, He tells a parable about a rich man who builds larger and larger barns to store all his crops and goods. Since he had everything he could possibly want or need, the rich man's focus was on living an easy life. God's response is that the man was foolish because, when he died later that night, his goods would do nothing for him. Someone else would inherit and enjoy them. A person whose life is caught up in what he owns is not rich toward God. The Parable of the Rich Fool illustrates Jesus' teaching to guard against every kind of covetousness. Martin G. Collins Parable of the Rich Fool

Luke 12:15  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) The apostle Paul tells Timothy that "godliness with contentment is great gain" and that, instead of possessions, we should be pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Paul learned to be content in whatever state he was in (Philippians 4:11). Jesus Christ set our primary goal as seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). The inevitable result of doing this will be wonderful blessings and eternal life. Martin G. Collins The Tenth Commandment

Revelation 3:17  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up) This verse reveals an additional problem that magnifies the Laodiceans' dangerous condition due to their indifference. They are ignorant of their real spiritual condition. We are given two opposing evaluations in verses 14-17. One is from the all-wise, all-seeing God, while the other is from material and spiritually weak men. Laodicea means "judgment of the people," which could apply to either the people's judgment of themselves or of God's judgment of them. The Laodicean saw what he amassed materially and saw much. God saw what was amassed spiritually and saw little. Each judge looked for what was most important to him and thus made contrasting judgments. This should tell us a great deal about the Laodicean. His heart is focused on material things, even though he had been given the most precious spiritual knowledge that could be given to a human being. John W. Ritenbaugh Laodiceanism

 

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