p. 70 | Treasure in Heaven by Ellen G. White

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jan 27, 1876

Treasure in Heaven.

By Ellen G. White

In Christ's sermon on the mount he says, “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.” If you lay up treasures in Heaven, you do it for yourself, you are working for your own interest.

The great leading temptations that would assail man, Christ met in the wilderness of temptation. There he encountered, single-handed, the wily, subtile foe, and overcame him. The first great temptation was appetite; second, presumption; third, the love of the world. Satan has overcome his millions by tempting them to the indulgence of appetite. Through the gratification of the taste the nervous system becomes excited, the brain power enfeebled, making it impossible to think calmly or rationally. The mind is unbalanced. Its higher, nobler properties are perverted to serve animal lust; and the sacred and eternal interests are not regarded. When this object is gained then Satan can come with his two other leading temptations and find ready access. His manifold besetments of sin grow out of these three great leading points.

Presumption is a common temptation, and as Satan assails men with this, he obtains the victory nine times out of ten. Those who profess to be followers of Christ, and claim by their faith to be enlisted in the warfare against all evil in their nature, frequently plunge without thought, into temptations that would require a miracle to bring them forth unscathed. Meditation and prayer would have preserved them and led them to have shunned the critical, dangerous position in which they have placed themselves where they have given Satan the advantage over them. The promises of God are not for us rashly to claim while we rush on recklessly into danger, violating the laws of nature, and disregarding prudence, and the judgment with which God has endowed us. This is the most flagrant presumption.

The thrones and kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, were offered to Christ, if he would only bow down to Satan. Never will man be tried with temptations as powerful as those which assailed Christ. Satan came with worldly honor, wealth, and the pleasures of life, and presented them in the most attractive light to allure and deceive. “All this,” said he to Christ, “will I give thee, if thou wilt worship me.” Christ repelled the wily foe, and came off victor.

Satan has better success in approaching man. All this money, all this gain, this land, this power, honor and riches will I give thee. For what? His conditions generally are, that integrity shall be yielded, conscientiousness blunted, and selfishness indulged. Through devotion to worldly interests Satan receives all the homage he asks. The door is left open for him to enter as he pleases, with his evil train of impatience, love of self, pride, avarice, over-reaching, and his whole catalogue of evil spirits. Man is charmed, and treacherously allured on to ruin. If we yield ourselves to worldliness of heart and life, Satan is satisfied.

Christ's example is before us. He overcame Satan, showing us how we may also overcome. Christ resisted Satan with scripture. He might have had recourse to his own divine power, and used his own words; but he said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” With the second temptation he says, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” Christ's example is before us. If the Sacred Scriptures were studied and followed, the Christian would be fortified to meet the wily foe; but the word of God is neglected, and disaster and defeat follow.

Those with but small capacities, sanctified by the love of God, can do good for the Master; but they who have quick, discerning minds may employ them for him in his high, exalted work, with grand results. To wrap them in a napkin, and hide them in the earth, and deprive God of the increase of the talents he has intrusted to them, is a great wrong. We are probationers. The Master is coming to investigate our course, and he will inquire what use has been made of the talents lent us.

Brethren, what use are you making of the talents God has placed in your care? Have you done what you could to enlighten the minds of men in regard to truth, or have you found no time from your business cares and perplexities, to devote to this work? It is a crime to use the bounties of God as many have done to diminish their physical strength, and separate their affections from God. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” You cannot love this world and love the truths of God. “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” “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.” Very many who are seeking for happiness in this life will not obtain the object of their search for they seek not aright. When the religion of Christ rules in the heart, conscience approves, peace and happiness reign; perplexity and trouble may surround, yet there is light in the soul.

A young man came to Christ and said, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” Jesus bade him keep the commandments. He returned answer, Lord, “all these have I kept from my youth up, what lack I yet?” Jesus looked with love upon the young man, and faithfully pointed out to him his deficiency in keeping the commandments. He did not love his neighbor as himself. Christ showed him his true character. His selfish love of riches was his defect which if not removed would debar him from Heaven. “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come, and follow me.” Christ would have him understand that he required nothing of him more than he himself had experienced. All he asked was that he should follow his example.

Christ left his riches and glory, and became poor, that man through his poverty might be made rich. He now requires him for the sake of these riches to yield earthly things, and secure Heaven. Christ knew that while the affections were upon worldly treasure, they would be withdrawn from God; therefore he said to the lawyer “Go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come and follow me.” How did he receive the words of Christ? Was he rejoiced that he could secure the heavenly treasure? He was very sorrowful for he had great possessions. Riches to him were honor and power. The great amount of his treasure made such a disposal of it seem like an impossibility.

Here is the danger of riches to the avaricious man. The more he gains the harder it is for him to be generous. To diminish his wealth is like parting with life. Rather than do this he turns from the attraction of the immortal reward in order to retain and increase his earthly possessions. He accumulates and hoards. Had he kept the commandments his worldly possessions would not have been so great. How could he, plotting and striving for self, love God with all his heart, and with all his mind, and with all his strength, and his neighbor as himself? Had he distributed to the necessities of the poor, and blessed his fellow-men with a portion of his means, as their wants demanded, he would

have been far happier, and would have had greater heavenly treasure, and less of earth to place his affections upon.

Christ assured the young man who came to him, that if he would obey his requirements he should have treasure in Heaven. This world-loving man was very sorrowful. He wanted Heaven but desired to retain his wealth. He renounced immortal life for the love of money and power. Oh, what a miserable exchange! Yet many are doing this who profess to keep all the commandments of God. E. G. W.