Saturday, September 29, 2012

Deceived by covetousness

Pam Padgett ... teacher

When Jesus taught that no servant can serve God and mammon, the Pharisees, who were covetous, derided (ridiculed) Jesus. 

Luke 15:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

Instead of examining themselves by what Jesus taught and repenting of their covetousness, the Pharisees ridiculed Jesus, seeking to discredit the teaching and thereby justify themselves as Pharisees, while continuing in their covetousness. 

But Jesus showed God's view of matter ...

Luke 15:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Man may deceive himself and other people with his words.  But God knows what is in the heart of each person and is not deceived by vain words of man.  If covetousness of worldly things, which is abominable to God, is in our hearts, this is not hidden from God.  Nothing is hidden from God ...

Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.


And those things that man holds in high esteem and wants to keep instead of submitting to the word of God, are really not valuable at all, but are abominable in the sight of God.

I was reminded of the following ...

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.