#1664 0422 12A

            Knowing the spiritual value of God’s eternal Truth can be verified in His Word, and this must be our main concern—it is to take priority over every other interest in this life, and over any other information we could seek.  God’s Truth is of the highest value—due to the eternal nature of it—and it must take first priority over everything else.  People in the world seek many things, but the believer is to Matthew 6:33 “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.”

            Jesus said John 8:31-32 “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”—free from the sins; wrong attitudes; Satan’s influence; addictions, and the wrong values we had placed on wrong things.  We can be delivered from them when we confess and forsake them by the power of His Spirit.  The spiritual value of being free of an unbelieving sin nature—and having it replaced with a believing divine nature is of greater value than anything else.

            The value we place on things reveals who controls our heart; it is an indicator of our spiritual condition.  The world’s values are opposite to God’s values, because the sin nature is opposite to the divine nature.  Satan controls the unbelieving world, but God controls the believing Christian.  Their value systems are opposite.  What the world thinks is of great worth God says is of no value.

            The Pharisees were controlled by the sin nature so they rejected divine Truth.  Luke 16:13-15 "No servant can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money.  The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.  He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts.  What is highly valued among men is detestable [an abomination] in God’s sight.’”

            Pharisees were outwardly decent, but inwardly corrupt.  Jesus taught on financial trust but they did not accept that Truth.  Satan has deceived millions to profess faith in God, but not act in faith on God.  Most people will not practice the Word, nor live by His Truth, because they do not want to trust God in faith for healing, for finances, for protection, for justice, forgiveness, or anything else.  Millions of professing Christians today are just like the Pharisees of that day—putting no value on the Truth and no trust in the Lord.

            1 Peter 2:6 "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts [is believing] in him [rests on Him] will never be put to shame."  God chose His Son to bear our sins, and if we keep a believing faith in His Atonement Blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins—we will have God’s promises fulfilled.

            Jesus came to take away the sins of the world, but He met with rejection and ridicule.  Their bitterness and resentment led to hatred and murder.  Pilate wanted to release Jesus by freeing a prisoner, but the people valued a murderer more than the Messiah.  They asked for the criminal to be released, and demanded that the Lord be crucified—opposite, wicked, and totally wrong valuations.

            Before being converted, the apostle Paul had a wicked heart that tried to destroy believers in Christ—just like the Pharisees wanted to destroy Jesus.  After the apostle repented of his sins, he said Philippians 3:8-9 “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but [refuse], that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”  His values were now reversed so the world’s way was worthless, and the Lord’s Truth was priceless.

            The righteousness of God comes only by trusting on the Blood of His Son through believing faith—for divine healing, protection, daily provisions, justice, forgiveness toward everyone, and any other trust issue.  Valuing and living God’s Truth every day, leads out of troubles in this life, and into victory for the next—but advice from the world takes us away from God, and into the pitfalls of Satan.  If there is no repentance, and no returning to trust on God, we could land in the flames.

            God’s Word teaches us to trust Him for healing—not on drugs or prescriptions.  The carnal mind values medicine, and pays huge sums in medical bills, but places no value on trusting in God’s power that would forgive them, and heal them for free.

            Every human plan of the world includes no faith on the power of God.  The ways of the world are conceived and inspired by Satan, who hates humanity so intensely that he wants to destroy them forever.  Satan’s lie leads to spiritual harm and eternal destruction, but God’s Truth leads to divine protection, health, healing, and eternal life—that is the huge and eternal difference!

            Jesus gave His life on the cross, and was raised to life by the power of God, so that every promise of God would be possible for the believer.  2 Corinthians 1:20 ”For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

            The value of knowing God’s Truth is beyond anything of value on earth.  1 Peter 1:22-23 ”Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.”

            God’s Truth comes from His Word—and we are to follow that path of faith by keeping our trust on the Atonement sacrifice of Christ.  Jesus said Matthew 24:35 ”Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away;” and John 14:23, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”  That information is of greatest value, but the suggestions of Satan are worthless.

            When we make a final decision to depend in faith on God, we can expect answers to prayer by that same faith.  We are to accept God’s Word, as we would accept His advice in Person.  His Word of Truth has not changed because it cannot change—Malachi 3:6; James 1:17.

            We will always be tempted to value Satan’s suggestions ahead of God’s Word, but it is only a temptation and not a sin unless we act on the lie of the devil.  The apostle said Romans 14:23 “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.“  If we will continue to trust God in faith, He will teach us how to value His Word more than anything else.

            If we value God’s Word, we will trust God’s power—to deliver us from illness, to supply daily needs, to correct injustices, and to protect our loved ones—because that is what the Bible teaches.  Since God is powerful enough to create the universe with a Word, then it should be easy for Him to heal our body by that same Word.  Matthew 8:8 “Speak the word only, and my servant will be healed.”

            The apostle prayed for Ephesians 1:18 ”The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead.”

            Abraham acted in faith on the Word, and was made righteous by God as He promised.  Abraham is already in Heaven because he valued God’s Truth enough to obey God’s Word in faith.  The rich man Luke 16 did not value the Word, so he did not trust God in this life.  Being one of six brothers and the first to pass away, he found himself in Hell and tormented by the flames forever.

            He could see Abraham in Paradise and to ask him for water.  Abraham told him that he had had his opportunity to value God’s Word, and to trust Him in faith when he lived on earth—which is the only place anyone can live by faith.  Abraham had to say that an impassible barrier was permanently in place, so it was impossible for either side to have access to the other.

            The man wanted someone to warn his brothers about coming to that horrible place of never-ending torture.  He thought that if someone went from the dead and told these brothers that Hell was real, they would heed the warning, and repent of their sin of not trusting God in faith.

            Abraham said that if his brothers would not value God’s Word through the writings of Moses and the prophets, they would not value His Word of Truth even if someone came from the grave.  It would scare them; not convert them.  Hebrews 12:25 ”See that you do not refuse Him who speaks.  For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven.”

            The spiritual mind values things as Abraham valued them; believes the Word as Abraham did; values God’s Truth as he did, and acts in faith on God’s promises like he did.  A spiritually-minded person places the highest value on God’s Truth.  If we are willing to learn, God is ready to teach us how to trust Him for everything in this life.

            Any test of faith is an opportunity to learn what God can do—if we are willing to trust Him in faith.  1 Peter 1:6-7 ”Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness [grieved] through manifold temptations: That the trial [genuineness] of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried [tested] with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

            The world prefers gold on earth, but the believer prefers faith in Christ, because faith enables us to receive God’s promises—of protection, peace, provisions, health, healing, justice, and guidance here in this life; and the final reward of eternal life.  There is a direction to go, and there is a place to enter 1 Peter 1:9 “You are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”  The highest value must be placed on knowing and living God’s Truth—eternity is at stake!