TRUST NOT IN RICHES, BUT IN THE LIVING GOD
By James White
TRUST NOT IN RICHES, BUT IN THE LIVING GOD.
In a former article we have shown that Christ, in his sermon addressed to his disciples in the presence of a multitude of people, as recorded in the twelfth chapter of Luke, held up before his chosen ones in widest contrast the confidence of willing faith and the fear of unbelief. In this article we call attention to the solemn charge to the rich that the great apostle charges his son Timothy to give to them. Paul says:— “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” 1 Tim. 6: 17-19. In briefly commenting upon the foregoing words of the apostle, we will notice the following points:— 1. The rich are charged not to be highminded. The apostle does not here by any means warn against that elevation of soul which raises the mind and heart above a life of sin to obedience, holiness, and heaven. But he strikes at that shallow pride and cruel power of money which frequently exalts its possessors to an imaginary height they are not qualified to maintain in society. There is power in wealth. Money will give some men influence and position, who are destitute of nearly every qualification that makes the real gentleman. Wealth leads some men to despise the poor. And while poverty tends to humbleness of mind, riches will fill the most shallow minds, and these unfortunate persons become puffed up by the devil. Hence the rich are charged first to guard against becoming high-minded. 2. They are also warned not to trust in riches. No rich man ever thought of trusting in his riches for eternal life, hence the men of this world trust in their riches to sustain them in this life. They pile up wealth, and then lean upon it as their only support. 3. Earthly riches are uncertain. The apostle warns against trusting in uncertain riches. Here the uncertainty of this world’s wealth is held in contrast with the certainty of immortal wealth. Those who trust in this are liable to be taken from it by death, or that may be swept away from them. But those who have their treasure laid up on high, have the double assurance that it will be secure for them, and that they will be secure to enjoy it in the life to come. 4. The rich are charged to trust in the living God for life, health, food, and clothing as verily as the poor. The apostle would set before us the uncertainty of earthly supports, and that all, rich and poor, must trust in God for this life as well as the life to come. Men and things fail us here, but God fails the obedient, trusting soul never. 5. God is willing that his children should enjoy the good things of even this life. And only he who makes a sanctified use of them really enjoys them. And our kind Father does not give us these earthly blessings grudgingly and stintedly, but in the language of the apostle, it is he “who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” 6. The true child of God and heir of eternal life will not covetously and selfishly hoard the good things of this life, but will, in the words of the apostle, “do good” with them. God makes his people his stewards of those things with which he blesses them, and it is their duty to faithfully use of their abundance to bless the needy and to advance his cause. 7. It is their privilege to be rich here, not, however, in the uncertain wealth of this world, but in faith that works by love to the purification of the heart. The true Christian’s works are the measure of his faith. And he who fills up his life with good works has as the mainspring of his actions the riches of saving faith. 8. He is charged to be ready and to keep himself ready to distribute of that with which the Lord has blessed him. This readiness means more than willingness. The stewards of the Lord should not suffer their Lord’s money to be invested where they cannot command it when his work and cause demand a portion of it. The several branches of our growing cause demand the investment of a large amount of means, and calls have been made to those who had means at their command to loan it without interest to our Publishing Houses, or College, or our Sanitarium. These institutions have been truly represented to be safer for the principal than the best banks on the continent. As proof of this statement, we cite the fact that for the period of a quarter of a century we have received deposits and given the incorporation’s notes, and no person has lost a single dollar. Those persons who have had their means thus deposited have been “ready to distribute.” All they had to do when duty was presented before them to give of their means for the support of some branch of the work was to order the appropriation made and the amount charged to their account where deposited. But others have thirsted for interest, or the profits that might arise from good investments, and have placed their means where changes in the times have made it impossible to collect a portion when wanted. These are not only unready to distribute, but many have lost by failures of banks and in business generally, so that they have brought perplexity upon themselves and sustained losses of principal and interest, besides the loss of a blessing here and a reward hereafter in consequence of not being ready. 9. The children of faith are charged to be willing to communicate. A certain brother understood this injunction to mean letter-writing, so felt a burden to address long letters of little importance to his brethren; but this was one of the mistakes of his life, which was marked with covetousness. Paul is not speaking of epistolary correspondence in this chapter, but is speaking of the duty of communicating worldly treasures to feed the poor and to advance the cause of God. And this duty should not be done grudgingly nor with a stingy hand, but willingly and liberally. 10. The result of a life of faith sustained by good works is expressed in these important words, “Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” In putting up a building a good foundation is of the first importance. The foundation which the obedient, trusting soul lays up in store is for himself against the time to come. During the period of probation he is laying this foundation upon which he may safely stand in the time of trouble, the pouring out of the last plagues, and in the Judgment of the great day. Upon this foundation which raises him above the perishable things of this world he may reach up and lay hold on the gift of eternal life. But those who live for this life only, and neglect to build the sure foundation of faith and works for the trying scenes of the close of this world’s history, will then sink in the mire of the unbelief they have been cherishing during the time of their probation. These have deprived themselves of many of those things which the Lord has given to be enjoyed. Their minds have been pressed with cares and anxieties in their eager graspings for the things of this life, without the grace of God to comfort and sustain, while their physical strength has been exhausted, bringing them prematurely to the feebleness of age, and they have no foundation for the time to come. What a mistake to thus lose both worlds! May God have mercy, and save his people from this terrible mistake, and help them to build sure and fast during the remaining hours of probation. J. W.