Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Jewelry or souls?

 Jewelry is dead; it has no life, no eternal soul, no needs: It is never hungry, thirsty, lonely, sick, or lost in sin and needing to hear the Gospel and yet hundreds of thousands of men and women invest their time and money in jewelry! Which do you prefer: A gold necklace or helping the poor and reaching the lost? Jesus would never do both. Both would mean that part of His heart, soul, mind and strength is invested in lifeless ornaments and not in the living God! Both would mean five souls would be ministered to while others suffer on account of Him preferring a gold necklace or other articles of jewelry. Jesus didn't die for gold necklaces, diamond rings or jewelry. The value of a gold necklace is but dung when compared to the priceless value of the living souls of men for whom Christ shed His precious blood. It is impossible to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength when part of it is placed around your neck, fingers, toes, wrists, ears, noses, hair, and other various places. 

What is more valuable to God: jewels and precious metals or the souls of men? Sadly, many here on earth vainly covet after those materials which will in heaven be trodden under the feet of men, "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass" (Revelation 21:21). 

There, love will be the currency, not money. There, every tear will be wiped away and there will be no more suffering. Here is where we can sell things we do not need, such as jewelry, and use those resources to drill wells, fund adoptions, promote good causes, fund missionary work, print Christian literature, help financially struggling brothers and sisters, care for widows and orphans in there distress, or show some kindness to strangers.

If you are a Christian, filled with the Spirit of the living God, you know what makes more sense, what is more like Christ, what is more needful and are willing to abandon jewelry and other needless collectibles and pursuits to put your time and money where your heart is, even in heaven, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21).

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“Reason dictates that persons who are truly noble and who love wisdom will honor and love only what is true. They will refuse to follow traditional viewpoints if those viewpoints are worthless...Instead, a person who genuinely loves truth must choose to do and speak what is true, even if he is threatened with death...I have not come to flatter you by this written petition, nor to impress you by my words. I have come to simply beg that you do not pass judgment until you have made an accurate and thorough investigation. Your investigation must be free of prejudice, hearsay, and any desire to please the superstitious crowds. As for us, we are convinced that you can inflict no lasting evil on us. We can only do it to ourselves by proving to be wicked people. You can kill us—but you cannot harm us.” From Justin Martyr's first apology 150 A.D. Martyred A.D. 160