Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Property (Matt. 5:42)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/23/2020 10:34 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                                Focus: “Property”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                      Reference:  Matthew 5:42

 

            Message of the verse:  42 “Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.”

 

            Today we are looking at the fourth right we are to surrender and that is of our property.  Possessiveness and I know that this will hurt, is another characteristic of fallen human nature.  One of the things that we certainly dislike is giving up, even temporarily, the things that belong to us.  I once heard of a man who came to visit our country and he was with the former Larry Burkett and every time that someone gave this poor man something he would give it away, including suits that were given to him.  I think he understood this section from Matthew 5:42.  As believers we are stewards of the things that God has entrusted us with, and therefore if it is time to give them up then we are to do it.  It is easier to give up things from our wealth, but not from things that we believe we need.  In the end, whether at the Rapture or in Christian death we will give up everything, however we can send things ahead.  “By right it is ours to use or dispose of as we see fit.

 

            “But that right, too, should be placed on the altar of obedience to Christ if required.  When someone asks to ‘borrow’ something from us, we should ‘not turn away from him.’  In other words, we should give him what he wants.  The implication is that the person who asks has a genuine need.  We are not required to respond to every foolish, selfish request made of us.  Sometimes to give a person what he wants but does not need is a disservice, doing him more harm than good.”

 

            Another part of this principle is that we should give to the person as soon as we know that there is a need even if they do not ask.  My wife and I support from time to time a wonderful man from Bangladesh who has several ministries.  He has had to give us some of those ministries because of the Covid 19 problem and there were many of his friend who had not job and therefore had no money to buy food.  We were not asked but gave to him money so that he could help feed those who lost their jobs.  We truly were led by the Spirit of God to do this and were grateful to help out as it is more blessed to give than receive.

 

            MacArthur writes “Jesus does not undercut civil justice, which belongs in the courtroom.  He undercuts personal selfishness (characteristic of the false religionists listening to Him on the mountain), which belongs nowhere and especially not in the hearts of His kingdom people.”

 

            So how does this all work that we are able to give things to people who are in need?  The answer is to die to self.  “To fight for one’s rights is to prove that self is still on the throne of the heart.  The believer who is faithful to Christ lives for Him and, if necessary, dies for Him (Rom. 14:8).  It is impossible to live for self and for Christ at the same time.”

 

            We now have a quote from a very famous person who lived a while back in England, George Mueller wrote:  “There was a day when I died, utterly died to George Mueller and his opinions, his preferences, and his tastes and his will.  I died to the world, to its approval and its censure.  I died to the approval of the blame of even my brethren and friends.  And since then I have studied only to show myself approved to God.”

 

            MacArthur concludes this section and this chapter with the following:  “That is the spirit Jesus teaches in this passage, a spirit all men fail to possess apart from saving grace.  It is the spirit Abraham manifested when he gave the best land to his nephew Lot.  It is the spirit of Joseph when he embraced and kissed the brothers who had so terribly wronged him.  It is the spirit that would not let David take advantage of the opportunity to take the life of Saul, who was then seeking to take David’s life.  It is the spirit that led Elisha to feed the enemy Assyrian army.  It is the spirit that led Stephen to pray for those who were stoning him to death.  It is the spirit of every believer who, by the Holy Spirit’s power, seeks to be perfect even as our heavenly Father is perfect (v. 48).

 

            Lord willing tomorrow we begin the study of our last section in this wonderful 5th chapter of Matthew.  It has been a very long study, as I do not believe that I have ever taken so long in a chapter as this one, but well worth it.  I look forward to finishing this chapter in the next few days and move onto chapter six.

 

9/23/2020 11:03 AM

 

           

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