“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18. That they may do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19. Laying up store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”
I know that Paul addressed this passage specifically to the wealthy in Timothy’s church, but when I read it this evening, I saw good advice, not just for rich people, but for all people – especially Christians. I think that you will agree when you read this article. Paul reminded them about the source of all blessings, including physical blessings. Those of us who live in affluent America certainly need to be reminded of this. We are not to be haughty (highminded) about what we have or about our position in this world, for we have it all by the blessing of God. Having “things” does not make us superior to anyone else. We are not to trust in “uncertain riches” but we are to trust in “the living God.” There is nothing that we possess that can guarantee our happiness, or, for that matter, ultimate security. We just need to remember that God has given all that we have for us to enjoy. We are not to grasp “things” as though they were the ultimate in success or security. Our real success and security come from trusting in the “living God,” in the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life in order for us to be saved. He alone is worthy of our ultimate glory. Paul reminded them about the way that they should live. Instead of being haughty and self-righteous, they should “do good.” If we want to be like Jesus, we will seek to do good instead of bad. When we take our focus off of Jesus, we are more likely to do things that are wrong in God’s sight. We should be “rich in good works.” I think that Paul meant by this that the good that we do for others should be abundant. Doing good does not just mean to be personally good, but to do good for others. For example, Paul wrote that we are to be “ready to distribute.” In today’s vernacular, this means that we are to be generous towards other people. We are not to hoard the physical gifts that God has given us for our own selfish good, but we are to share them with others. We are not to withhold ourselves from being involved in the lives of other people. Jesus certainly demonstrated this in His earthly life. We are to also be “willing to communicate.” This means that we are to be willing to share. This does not mean that we can have nothing for ourselves, but it does mean that we are to share God’s blessings with others as well. This is not reflected in physical things alone, for it also includes sharing with others the blessings that God has brought into our lives. Paul reminded them about the same thing that Jesus reminded His disciples of when He told them not to lay up treasure on this earth but “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal…” They were to “lay hold on eternal life.” This does not mean that our doing good earns us a place in heaven; rather, it means that when we live this way, we are living in true riches not in the false riches of the world. It means that our lives are based on eternal things not just on temporal things. We are given eternal life when we are saved by faith in Jesus. Our lives should reflect what is eternal to the world, not just what is worldly. This is good advice for living the Christian life, no matter what your earthly riches might be. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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