We are like containers, made of the dust of the earth, and our value depends on what is placed inside us. When you buy an item from the store, your purchase is normally put into a box or a bag, and you handle it carefully, depending on how valuable your purchase is. After you take out the item you bought, often the container is thrown out as a worthless thing.
We value things differently, what is precious to one person can be worthless to another person. Some value a work of art very highly, others value education, and many value entertainment and parties. Most people value money, and, wanting to get more of it, they are willing to work very hard. There are people who value themselves the most. They want to give themselves all the good things in life, and they always think about themselves. What people value most is their treasure, and we can know what their treasure is by their conversation, because everyone wants to talk about their treasure, what they value the most.
Paul had a treasure which was most precious to him. “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:5–7
This heavenly treasure in us makes us very valuable. Without this treasure, what is our value? “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing. All nations before Him are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity.” Isaiah 40:15, 17
But when the heavenly treasure is placed in us, then what is our value?
“And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth Him.” Malachi 3:17
“In comparison to the number that reject the truth, those that receive it will be very small, but one soul is of more value than worlds beside.” –Evangelism, p. 329
“One soul is of more value than the entire world.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 541
“One soul is of more value to heaven than a whole world of property, houses, lands, money.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 21
What is the value of the Holy Spirit, when He comes to dwell in us?
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 6:19
This is the treasure that puts up our value from nothing to more than the whole world.
But there is a great deception. Satan puts in his unclean spirit and is pretending that it is the Holy Spirit of God. “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” Luke 11:24–26
Millions of Christians are deceived into thinking that they have the Holy Spirit while it is Satan’s spirit that they have. They even do miracles with Satan’s spirit.
“Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22–23
We offer to people a mansion made of gold and of precious stones, in a city where the streets are pure gold, and also eternal life. But very few are interested in our offer to them, because the price is too high. People love sin so much that heaven and eternal life are sacrificed for it. Also, Satan has invented a religion that allows sin and yet offers salvation to its members, which is a great deception.
The few who are willing to put away sin from their lives are valued very highly by God, His promise to them is, “Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.” Isaiah 43:4
But if we, by carelessness, lose the Holy Spirit, then suddenly our value goes down to nothing. Time to time, God brings a shaking upon His church, and only the worthless members will be shaken out, who have lost the Holy Spirit.
The Bible gives many examples of people who committed sin against the Holy Spirit. In the time of Noah the whole world had committed the unpardonable sin, except one family. The Pharisees in the time of Jesus could not be saved. The Pharaoh of Egypt sinned against the Holy Spirit.
“God Gave Pharaoh Into Hands of Self. Every additional evidence of the power of God that the Egyptian monarch resisted, carried him on to a stronger and more persistent defiance of God. Thus the work went on, finite man warring against the expressed will of an infinite God. This case is a clear illustration of the sin against the Holy Ghost. ‘Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ Gradually the Lord withdrew His Spirit. Removing His restraining power, He gave the king into the hands of the worst of all tyrants—self.” –The Review and Herald, July 27, 1897
Instead of losing the Holy Spirit, pray to God like Elisha did, for a double portion. Then your value will remain. “And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy Spirit be upon me.” 2 Kings 2:9
God wants us all to have His Holy Spirit, which will strengthen us, comfort us, and secure us heaven and eternal life.
“The Comforter is called ‘the Spirit of truth.’ His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood. It is through false theories and traditions that Satan gains his power over the mind. By directing men to false standards, he misshapes the character. Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind, and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error, and expels it from the soul. It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the word of God, that Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself.
“In describing to His disciples the office work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus sought to inspire them with the joy and hope that inspired His own heart. He rejoiced because of the abundant help He had provided for His church. The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. The power of evil had been strengthening for centuries, and the submission of men to this satanic captivity was amazing. Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 671
If you have nothing else except the Holy Spirit, you are one of the richest people in the world. Amen.
Timo Martin