Holy Boldness

Chapter 15 O vercoming M ammon through the fear of the L ord

We are continuing our study of the fear of the Lord as it was taught by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. This next section, Matthew 6:19-24, deals with the issue of where men place their hope and trust. In a series of metaphors, Jesus weaves a theme of the importance of setting one’s priorities on the eternal foundation of the kingdom of God. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mat thew 6:19-21) What do you treasure most? What is most important to you? What you treasure most says a lot about you. Whatever people value the most will guide their everyday decisions. Childishness is short-sighted. It does not think long-term but only temporarily. The fear of the Lord makes pleasing God one’s highest priority. It also causes a person to live for eternal reward as opposed to temporary benefits. Jesus taught that storing one’s treasure in heaven creates eternal benefits that will stabilize a person’s life. Living without a vision for eternity is short-sighted and blinds people from the consequences of living for earthly treasure. People who have no sense of eternity are often superficial and self-centered. They may have big fortunes or a lot of money but they have nothing eternal and end up losing everything because they do not value the things that endure. Spiritual Treasure: the eternal vs. temporary

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