“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” (Matt. 6:19-20)
Suffering loss can be a traumatic experience. Many have committed suicide because they lost their wealth. Many have given up on life because they lost their health. And others are miserable because by death or separation they have lost a loved one. No one likes to lose what they love. I recently read an article entitled “When all is lost”. The author said a lot of good things, but the title troubled me. The fact is, for the Christian “all” is never lost! We might suffer the loss of many things, but we never lose all. In fact we never lose what matters most.
Romans 8:35-39 gives us blessed assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Our relationship and riches in Christ are eternally secure. We have eternal life and shall never perish. We have “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven” (1Pet. 1:4 and “are kept by the power of God” (1 Pet. 1:5). Indeed, regardless of what is lost, we never lose all. We can be assured of that because God “cannot lie“(Titus 1:2).
Not only are we assured of our relationship and riches in Christ, but also of the rewards for our faithful service. Jim Elliot was right when he said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose”. Let us remember these words from C. T. Studd,“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee
However, on the other hand, those who are unsaved will eventually lose everything–even their soul. They possess nothing of eternal value. They live and die without Christ and are separated from God forever. At this moment you have a wonderful opportunity to be a joint-heir with Christ. If you miss it you will truly lose all. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31)–HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
www.lakewaybaptist.org
