“What profit is there if you gain the whole world and lose eternal life? What can be compared with value of eternal life? For I, the Son of mankind, shall come with my angels in the glory of my Father and judge each person according to his deeds” (Matt. 16:26-27, TLB) What do you value most? Is there anything you can compare to life? Can you exchange your life for money? Political position? Is there anything more valuable to your life? Let the above Bible truth speak to your heart.
I am writing on Sunday morning after our usual family prayers as I got the leading to write on this subject, Psalm 49 reveal the futility of seeking for wealth, position, honour at the expense one’s soul. It reads “Listen, everyone! High and low, rich and poor, all around the world-listen to my words, for they are wise and filled with insight. I will tell in song accompanied by harps the answer to one of life’s most perplexing problems: There is no need to fear when times of trouble come, even though surrounded by enemies! They trust in their wealth and boast about how rich they are, yet not one of them, though rich as kings, can ransom his own brother from the penalty of sin! For God’s forgiveness does not come that way”.
“For a soul is far too precious to be ransomed by mere earthly wealth. There is not enough of it in all the earth to buy eternal life for just one soul, to keep it out of hell. Rich man! Proud man! Wise man! You must die like all the rest! You have no greater lease on life than foolish, stupid men. You must leave your wealth to others. You name your estates after yourselves as though your lands could be forever yours, and you could live on them eternally. But man with all his pomp must die like any animal. Such is the folly of these men, though after they die they will be quoted as having great wisdom”.
“Death is the shepherd of all mankind. And in the morning” those who are evil will be the slaves of those who are good. For the power of their wealth is gone when they die, they cannot take it with them. But as for me, God will redeem my soul from the power of death, for he will receive me. So do not be dismayed when evil men grow rich and build their lovely homes. For when they die they carry nothing with them! Their honours will not follow them. Though a man calls himself happy all through his life and the world loudly applauds success – yet in the end he dies like everyone else, and enters eternal darkness. For man with all his pomp must die like any animal” (Ps.49:1-20 TLB).
Today world of the rich and wealth, their wealth dictates and the hope of many lies in their wealth hence they forget God. They forget as the Bible puts it: “Beware! Don’t always be wishing for what you don’t have. For real life and real living are not related to how rich we are” (Lk 12:15, TLB). In the King James Version of the Bible it says, the life of man does not consist of the abundance you have. To keep your life to yourself by making wealth, riches the centre focus of your life excluding God is to be foolish (see Psalm 14 and Luke 12:16-21). To be rich is not evil but to live for riches and keep God out of your life is.
What profit is it to you if you get the world riches and lost your soul to hell. In judgment cast to outer darkness in a place of eternal torment? The Bible say, “every man is a fool who gets rich on earth but not in heaven” (Lk 12:21). Wealth cannot ransom a person. The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Life eternal is by giving your life to Jesus Christ’s control. What controls you? Is it your wealth, position in life or what do you value more than your life? It is being foolish and proud to live as if God does not exist. Also to live thinking your wealth and status in life will bail you out of trouble or before God’s judgment. Estates you named after yourselves, position of influence you have secured, titles and honour from communities and institutions will not deliver you from being judged by God. It is futile to live for riches and depend on them. “For a soul is far too precious to be ransomed by mere earthly wealth. There is not enough of it in all the earth to buy eternal life for just one soul, to keep it out of hell”.
Look at this: Did your fenced houses with modern security gadget stop the assassins from getting to kill? The rich like our sickly president, has wealth cured their sicknesses? Death is coming. “Death is the shepherd of all mankind”. Everyone shall give account how you live your life (Rom. 14:10-12). God’s judgment is certain (Heb. 9:27). The only way of escape is to live for God (2Cor. 5:15-17). A day is coming when “Those who are evil will be the slaves of those who are good”. God will save those who live for God and save them from death (Jn. 5:24). So do not be dismayed when evil men grow rich and build their lovely homes. For when they die they carry nothing with them. Though a man calls himself happy all through his life and the world loudly applauds success yet in the end he dies like everyone else, and enters eternal darkness”.
Getting rich and using the riches to help the needy and advance the kingdom of God is good. But serving money or living for riches is bad. “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. If your profits are in heaven your heart will be here too… you cannot serve two masters: God and money. For you will hate one and love the other, or else the other way around” (Mtt. 6:19-24). “Tell those who are rich not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone, but their pride and trust should be in the living God who always richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in needs; always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven – it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down here as well” (Tim. 6:17-19, TLB).
“So we should be well satisfied without money if we have enough food and clothing. But people who long to be rich soon begin to do all kinds of wrong things to get money, things that hurt them and make them evil minded and finally send them to hell itself. For the love or money is the first step toward all kinds of sin. Some people have even turned away from God because of their love for it, and as a result have pierced themselves with many sorrows” (1Tim. 6:8-10, TLB). You are reading this; know the futility of living for wealth at the expense of the salvation of your soul. Whatever you have cannot save or stop death or God’s judgment, it pays to live for God and to serve God not wealth. What shall it profit you if you gain the whole world and lose your soul?
Dr. Lewis Akpogena
08055059656
E-mail: akpogena@yahoo.com
