Prudence in Giving Unrighteous Mammon (2)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bible Verses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in the least is faithful also in
much; and he who is unrighteous in the least is unrighteous
also in much. (11) If therefore you have not become faithful in
the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you what is true?
(12) And if you have not become faithful in that which belongs
to another, who will give to you that which is your own? (13)
No household servant can serve two masters; for either he will
hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and
despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Words of Ministry~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Part 2 of 3]
"Least" [vs. 10] refers to mammon, the possessions of this age.
"Much" refers to the rich possessions in the next age. The
"true" [vs. 11] refers to the true possessions in the coming
kingdom age. It is not God's intent in His New Testament
economy for the New Testament believers to care for material
possessions. Though the material things in this world were
created by God and belong to Him, they have been corrupted by
man's fall (Rom. 8:20-21) and usurped by Satan the evil one (1
John 5:19). Hence, they belong to fallen man and are
unrighteous (Luke 16:9). While God does supply the believers
with their daily necessities from the material things of this
age (Matt. 6:31-33) and commits to them as His stewards a
portion of these material goods for their exercise and learning
that He may prove them in this age, none of these goods should
be considered theirs until the restitution of all things in the
next age (Acts 3:21). Not till then will the believers inherit
the world (Rom. 4:13) and have an abiding possession (Heb.
10:34) for themselves. In this age they should exercise to be
faithful in the temporary material things God has given them so
that they may learn faithfulness toward their eternal
possession in the coming age.
Here [vs. 13] the Lord indicates that to serve Him requires us
to love Him, giving our hearts to Him, and cleave to Him,
giving our entire being to Him. Thus we are released from the
occupation and usurpation of mammon so that we may serve the
Lord wholly and fully. The Lord emphasizes here that to serve
Him we must overcome the enticing deceitful mammon of
unrighteousness. In verse 13 we see that mammon is in rivalry
with God, competing with Him. On our part, we cannot serve two
lords. We serve either God or mammon. This matter is very
serious.
[Continued tomorrow]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry. Bible verses are taken from
the Recovery Version of the Bible (RcV) and Words of Ministry,
from Witness Lee, Life-study of Luke, pp. 308-309. Both are
published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. (Repeat
2/18/02)
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