What is life?

The reality of life on earth is that it is finite. We are born and we die. We live, we love and we lose the people we hold dear to us. And the pain of life itself is this, that we love hard, deep and long because we know that any day we could lose all we hold dear to our hearts.

We take precautions, we visit the doctor, we try to eat properly, we exercise … all in an attempt to extend our lives, even if it is by one day. We struggle daily to earn a living, to provide for our loved ones and to manage a lifestyle that offers some creature comforts. But at the end of the day, we must face the thing we cannot change. Life ends.

And when the end comes, no matter what we have achieved in life, the phrase “naked came I into the world and naked will I leave it” becomes absolute….We cannot take it with us. No tangible, earthly thing goes beyond the grave. The portal for man’s spirit after death will not allow any physical thing, including the body. It all stays behind. What goes with us is the intangible things we did in our lives… the impact we had on others.

So if we have spent all our lives gathering things that are physical, the truth is that these things do not matter. Luke 12:13-21 notes the parable of the rich landowner.“Then someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But Jesus said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator between you two?” Then he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” He then told them a parable: “The land of a certain rich man produced an abundant crop, so he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to myself, “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself, but is not rich toward God.”

Matt 6:19-20 says (NET Bible)“Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.“

So the alternative to accumulating physical wealth is to accumulate treasures in heaven. What are these heavenly treasures? The word treasures comes from thēsaurós  which is  “to put, set” and denotes – properly, stored-up treasure (riches); (figuratively) a storehouse of treasure, including (treasured) thoughts stored up in the heart and mind. (www.biblehub.com).

Obviously, these treasures are not physical things which moth and rust corrupt. So then if these heavenly treasures are not physical…then what are they? Spiritual treasures? How do we accumulate this and how do we measure this? To understand scripture, we look to scripture.

1. Give to the poor or those less fortunate. Key word is “Give”.

Matt 19:20-21 “The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack? Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Luke 12:32-34 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out – a treasure in heaven that never decreases, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

2. Faith in Christ.

Hebrews 12 commends the faith of the patriarchs including Moses who forsook the riches of Egypt for the reward in Christ. Heb 12:23-26 (NET Bible) “By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure. He regarded abuse suffered for Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on the reward.”

3. Faith evidenced by works

James 2:14-26 “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear. But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

4. Suffering, Salvation, Hope in the Resurrection and Grace of God.

1 Peter 1:3- 25 (NET Bible)- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. This brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials. Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold – gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away – and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, because you are attaining the goal of your faith – the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who predicted the grace that would come to you searched and investigated carefully. They probed into what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ and his subsequent glory. They were shown that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things now announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things angels long to catch a glimpse of.

Therefore, get your minds ready for action by being fully sober, and set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Like obedient children, do not comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence. You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed – not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for your sake. Through him you now trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

You have purified your souls by obeying the truth in order to show sincere mutual love. So love one another earnestly from a pure heart. You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of the grass; the grass withers and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

5. Do the Will of God

1 John 2:15-17 (NET Bible) “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, because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.”

The conclusion therefore is that we seek first the Kingdom of God- understand what is the Kingdom of God and pursue the things that

1. reflect the nature of Christ
2.  extend and build the faith of others and
3. reject the influences of the world traditions that place emphasis on earthly wealth, appetites and fame.