Treasured Vignettes
"Don't store up treasures here on earth where they can erode away or may be stolen. Store them in heaven where they will never lose their value, and are safe from thieves." Matthew 6:19-20
Of what value to you, personally, is the forgiveness of your sins? How important to you is reconciliation to God who created you and loves you?
Historically, for many, many people, who believed in Jesus Christ, the value was far greater than home or family or wealth or pleasure; far more valuable, even, than their lives. For others, the gifts of forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God, were something new to try but not valuable enough for them to keep. Still others valued them until the world showed them the cost of total acceptance. Then, they chose to keep an outward appearance of receiving those gifts, yet sought and valued worldly things more. And there are still others, who received these gifts, yet when they were persecuted and mistreated on account of them, they abandoned them.
The temptations are all around us to abandoned these gifts. The pressure is great to deny our reconciled relationship with God. It is not a popular way, to follow Jesus Christ. There is an old saying, If you were the only person on earth, Christ would come to die for you." A good question to ask yourself is, "If I were the only person in the whole world to be offered forgiveness of my sins and reconciliation to God, would I value that above all else? Think about it.
Historically, for many, many people, who believed in Jesus Christ, the value was far greater than home or family or wealth or pleasure; far more valuable, even, than their lives. For others, the gifts of forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God, were something new to try but not valuable enough for them to keep. Still others valued them until the world showed them the cost of total acceptance. Then, they chose to keep an outward appearance of receiving those gifts, yet sought and valued worldly things more. And there are still others, who received these gifts, yet when they were persecuted and mistreated on account of them, they abandoned them.
The temptations are all around us to abandoned these gifts. The pressure is great to deny our reconciled relationship with God. It is not a popular way, to follow Jesus Christ. There is an old saying, If you were the only person on earth, Christ would come to die for you." A good question to ask yourself is, "If I were the only person in the whole world to be offered forgiveness of my sins and reconciliation to God, would I value that above all else? Think about it.
© S.M. Hudson, Hidden Treasure Ministries, December 2003. All rights reserved.
Categories: forgiveness
