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This Present World

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 17, 1870

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 35, No. 22.

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This Present World.

By Thirza M. Foster

GOD has given us his word, which is a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path. As we journey Zionward it reveals the dangers to which we are exposed, and shows us how to escape them. It tells us much about this world, representing it as full of dangerous snares. The peculiar danger which lies in the way, we learn from Moses’ address to Israel, given us in the eighth chapter of Deuteronomy: “For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land,” “A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness.” “When thou hast eaten and art full,” “beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments,” “lest when thou hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and gold is multiplied, then thy heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God.”
The necessity of this caution is explained in the fifteenth stanza of his sacred song, “But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked; thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.”
If worldly prosperity made ancient Israel apostatize from God, should it not be a warning to the “remnant” in these last days, when a desire to accumulate and hoard up is predominant. How appropriate for us at this time, is the prayer of Agur, “Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord,” Prov. 30: 8, 9.
David says, “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them;” thus implying that in accumulating property, there is danger of giving it the place in our hearts, which rightfully belongs to God. Our Saviour in his parable of the sower, represents “the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things,” as choking the word to such a degree as to render it utterly fruitless. In his parable of the great supper, speaking of those who were bidden, he says, “They all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it, I pray thee have me excused. Another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them, I pray thee have me excused; and another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”
We see that all these excuses spring from one common root: an undue attachment for the things of this world. Christ, in his sermon on the mount, thus exhorts us: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth. But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven: for where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” He says, “No man 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.” Matt. 6: 24.
The worship of mammon stands as much opposed to the worship of God, as the worship of Juggernaut or any other Pagan idol. Paul says, “The love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Tim. 6: 10. In Col. 3: 5, he says that “covetousness is idolatry,” and in Eph. 5: 5 he says that “no covetous man,” who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” This world exerts a deadly influence over all who place their affections upon it. We have a striking example of this in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. It was the love of money which influenced them to lie to the Holy Ghost, and which brought upon themselves a signal display of God’s vengeance. Demas was one of Paul’s fellow laborers in the ministry, and Paul says of him, “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.” For thirty pieces of silver Judas betrayed his Master and Lord. But money is not the only means by which this world ensnares mankind. Some seek its profits, others its honors, others it allures with costly apparel, sumptuous tables, fleshly lusts and vain mirth. One of these attractions alone often proves strong enough to hold individuals away from the truth. How great then must be the influence of the whole combined.
Dear brethren and sisters, is there not danger of our zeal and interest in the cause of God being chilled by a worldly spirit? We know Satan, our great adversary, wants to lead us down to everlasting ruin. With the perishable things of this vain world, he hopes to effect his purpose. We are only safe from his assaults when in the light of truth. God’s holy word teaches us how to pass the time of our sojourn here. It tells us to be “not slothful in business;” but to be “fervent in spirit; serving the Lord,” Rom. 12: 11. God would not have us drop from our hands all the business of life and have nothing to do with earth.
No, it is our duty to be industrious, provide for ourselves, and do what we can to advance his cause. Then let us not serve mammon, but use it to aid us in the service of him who made this world and all that is therein.
THIRZA M. FOSTER. Vienna, Wis.