A child was playing with the stones which he had found on the river’s edge. One was different from the others, but to him they were all equal, until his father came and looked at them, and picked up the one that looked different. He realized that it was a valuable diamond, worth thousands of dollars.
The Jewish leaders were looking upon Jesus and Barabbas; they saw value in Barabbas, yet Jesus was worthless to them.
We also can make mistakes in our values. The Laodicean church looks upon themselves and says, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17
Many flatter themselves that they are good, faithful Christians, but Jesus may tell them in the end, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:23
“These poor souls I saw, were deceived by Satan. They flatter themselves that they are all right, that they are in favor with God and are rich in spiritual discernment, when they are poor, blind, and wretched. They are doing the work of Satan, but think they have a zeal for God.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 259
“There are thousands who are traveling the road of darkness and error, the broad road which leads to death, who flatter themselves that they are in the path to happiness and heaven; but they will never find the one nor reach the other.” –Ibid., p. 438
“Oh, how many flatter themselves that they have goodness and righteousness, when the true light of God reveals that all their lives they have only lived to please themselves! Their whole conduct is abhorred of God. How many are alive without the law! In their gross darkness they view themselves with complacency; but let the law of God be revealed to their consciences, as it was to Paul, and they would see that they are sold under sin and must die to the carnal mind. Self must be slain.
“How sad and fearful the mistakes that many are making! They are building on the sand, but flatter themselves that they are riveted to the eternal Rock. Many who profess godliness are rushing on as recklessly, and are as insensible of their danger, as though there were no future judgment. A fearful retribution awaits them, and yet they are controlled by impulse and gross passion; they are filling out a dark life record for the judgment.” –Ibid., p. 475
“If some who profess to believe present truth could understand their true position, they would despair of the mercy of God. They have been exerting all their influence against the truth, against the voice of warning, against the people of God. They have been doing the work of Satan. Many have become so infatuated by his deceptions that they will never recover. Such a state of backsliding cannot exist without causing the loss of many souls.” –Ibid., vol. 5, p. 103
Who is furthest from heaven, who is the greatest enemy of God, and Satan’s most successful agent?
“None are further from the kingdom of heaven than self-righteous formalists, filled with pride at their own attainments, while they are wholly destitute of the spirit of Christ, while envy, jealousy, or love of praise and popularity controls them. They belong to the same class of the wicked one. Such persons are among us, unseen, unsuspected. They serve the cause of Satan more effectively than the vilest profligate; for the latter does not disguise his true character, he appears what he is.” –Ibid., vol. 5, p. 226
How do the holy angels feel when Satan points to the lukewarm careless Christian and tells them, “Are these Christ’s followers? See what they do. Are these the ones that will be taken to heaven to have my place, from where I was cast out?” He is mocking the angels of God for protecting such worthless Christians.
From the quotations we jus read, we learn that it is possible to misjudge ourselves; to value ourselves and others falsely. We can be very much deceived.
We are one human family, and we all have committed sins, yet our real value is vastly different—one is worthy of death, and the other is worthy of eternal life. What is it that makes the difference?
What is the value of the nations on the earth? “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
What is the value of God’s faithful people? “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another; and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name. 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 3:16–17
Among the masses of people, among the billions, there are few precious jewels, whom God will save, while others will be burned up in the end.
“Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all earth is Mine.” Exodus 19:5
The treasures that God has is so valuable that Jesus gave His life for them, and He wants to spend eternity in their company on this earth. Now the question is, are you and I this peculiar treasure that God values so much? What does God see in us that is so valuable to Him, to pay such a price for us? What makes us His precious jewels? How does the rest of the world look upon God’s treasure and how much do they value God’s jewels?
“And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented: (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” Hebrews 11:36–38
Jesus said, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” John 15:18–19
When a prospector scoops sand with his pan from the river bottom, is it all nuggets of gold and precious stones? No, there is only one small piece of gold here, and one there, and they are carefully picked up while the rest of the sand and gravel are thrown back. So, also, God is carefully seeking precious jewels among the nations of the world.
God values His jewels so much that He sent His Son to this world, to suffer and die for us. Now the important thing is, how much do we value our Father in heaven, and Jesus His Son, for all their efforts and sufferings They made for us? Is He the treasure and goodly pearl for us? Are we willing to give up all in order to buy the Pearl?
We read in the Bible, “The Lord saith, Be it far from Me; for them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” 1 Samuel 2:30
God has given us a love letter in the form of a book—the
Bible. Among the millions of books in the world there is one that we can call a jewel; if we read it we honour God. If we love God, we will read His love letter every day. If we read worldly books and magazines, we honour Satan.
Another way to honour God is with our money and substance. “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.” Proverbs 3:9
This does not say to pay tithes only, but to honour Him with all that we have. Every time you spend money ask yourself, “Does this honour God? Am I a faithful steward to Him?
We can also honour God with our time, especially our free time—our holidays and evenings. Missionary work is very precious work in our free time; we honour God by doing it.
Do you honour God by attending all religious services? “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25
“Some have made a serious mistake in neglecting to attend the public worship of God. The privileges of divine service will be as beneficial to them as to others, and are fully as essential.
“Some have failed to see the real importance, not only of attending religious meetings, but also of bearing testimony for Christ and the truth. If these brethren do not obtain spiritual strength by the faithful performance of every Christian duty, thus coming into a closer and more sacred relation to their Redeemer, they will become weak in moral power. They will surely wither spiritually unless they change their course in this respect.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 539–540
Our words which we speak will honour God or dishonour Him. Satan is honoured when Christians speak angry words, or gossip or speak evil of others. When they speak vanity and selfish words, Satan is rejoicing, and God is dishonoured.
Do you honour God by your appearance, your dress, your ornaments and your hairstyle? Can Christ be seen in you as you walk on the street?
God has given us instruction about whom we should love. We must love God, for sure, but others also. Children are to love their parents. Husbands and wives are to love each other. Members of the church are to respect and love one another. This all is a part of our holiness and our value in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Yet, by dwelling on selfish and worldly thoughts we drive the Holy Spirit away.
By going to places of entertainment, reading worldly books and magazines, watching worldly shows, we drive angels away from our company.
In the end, God has very few jewels, very few who honour Him. We sometimes put out an effort to obey God, but without love to Him it is not possible. If we only would learn to know ourselves, how poor and weak and selfish we are, this self-knowledge would lead us to humility and to trust in God only. If we would understand that all our good works depend on a power outside of ourselves, this would lead us to love God more than anything else.
Will God one day say to me, “Well done thou good and faithful servant”? When millions of false Christians are cast into the lake of fire—am I chosen to spend eternity in the company of Christ and His angels?
The struggle is fierce; therefore, many will fail in this testing time. We need to draw closer together, and carry each other’s burdens, and to pray for each other.
Place Christ and Satan side by side, and then decide whom you will obey, to whom you will give your loyalty, affections, and honour. The Lord is worthy of our love, respect, and honour.
Let us make sure that we are the jewels of God. Examine yourselves every day, and surrendering to Christ, put out an earnest effort to overcome sin. If we find something wrong in our characters. Jesus will be an ever present help for us to overcome.
“This is the value God places upon man, and again He says, ‘I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedges of Ophir.’ But God will do nothing without the co-operation of the human agent.” –Temperance, p. 287. Amen.
Timo Martin