Category: world (Page 2 of 3)

David’s Digest: Love of the World, Part 5 – Worldliness in Much

December 18, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

1 John 2:15 – “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.“

This regards sermon 9 on love of the world from a set of sermons on Mark 10:17-27 from Puritan Thomas Manton, where the rich young ruler asks Christ what he must do to inherit eternal life. I found it very interesting, beneficial and challenging.

Here is a link to the entire set of sermons on the topic:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A51840.0001.001/1:17?rgn=div1;view=fulltext

And here is a link to this individual sermon 9 on love of the world:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A51840.0001.001/1:17.9?rgn=div2;view=fulltext

And here are the previous parts from our blog:
Part 1 – Cooling Zeal
Part 2 – Truth in Trials
Part 3 – The Evil of Worldliness
Part 4 – Heaven My Way

The below is part 5 of just some of the main snippets from the sermon. I hope you will take the time to go through the entire thing as it has many more rich explanations and many scriptural proofs.

From Thomas Manton:

Mark 10:22 – “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.“

The last point is taken from the reason of his heavy and sorrowful departure, ‘For he had great possessions’. He had them, is that a fault? Here is no note of crime put upon him, as to his getting of them: he is not taxed with an insatiable desire of riches, nor with unconscionable means to get them; only it is said, that he was marvelously rich, and had great possessions, and therefore he went away sorrowful; so that the point will be this,

Doctrine 5: That the disease of worldliness is very incident to great persons, and men of quality.

If we have not a mortified heart, the very having an estate may prove a snare to us. I observe this, because many please themselves in this, that they have not got what they have by extortion, or cousinage [relational favoritism?], or by any fraudulent or unlawful means, that their heritage comes to them lawfully, in the fair way of providence; but if they have it, and they look not to their hearts, it will enchant them. It is not the means of gathering wealth, but the deceitfulness of it however gathered that chokes the Word. The very possession and presence, though it be not greedily sought for, nor unlawfully purchased, may enchant our minds, and render us unapt to obey Christ’s commandments. Take three propositions.

(1.) Proposition: That it is possible, yea very likely that our hearts may be inordinately set upon wealth lawfully gotten;

The mind may be enchanted with a secret delight and desire to retain and increase riches, lawfully gotten. A man may be a slave to his wealth, and loathe to part with it upon religious reasons: it is very likely it will be so when men have any thing in the world.

I do not know how it comes to pass, but so it is, there is more danger in possessing wealth than in getting it; this young man went away sad, for he had great riches: and it is one thing (saith he) to refuse that we have not, another thing to part with what we have;

Covetousness is not to be determined by a greedy thirst only, but also by complacency, delight, and acquiescence of soul in worldly enjoyments. Though we would not desire more, yet if our hearts be glued to that we have already, we are unapt for the kingdom of God,

In short, it is the corruption of our nature, that we are very prone to affect worldly goods too much, and so much the more by how much the more plenty and abundance of them is enjoyed.

They that have much flax and gunpowder in their houses, had need be careful to keep fire from it; so a Christian that enjoys a great store of wealth, had need look to his heart, that corruption do not meet with it; that aversion from God, and conversion to the creature is so natural to us, that when we have great store of the world’s goods, we are ready to set our hearts too much on them.

(2.) Proposition: That the gathering of a spiritual disease is very secret and insensible. Bad humours breed in the body, and are not discovered till a strain; much more distempers breed in the soul ere we are aware, and therefore the more caution is necessary:

Man is afraid of want [lack] and poverty, but who is afraid of riches?

Our greatest learning is to learn how to abound. The worldly-minded judge riches and abundance a happy condition, O blessed is the man, they will say, that is in such a case! It is the sum of every man’s wish; but to be shy of the world, to suspect danger in plenty, it can never enter into their hearts: but alas! as a rank soil is apt to breed weeds, so many snares are incident to this condition, and this sort of life. Alas, they that have great and plentiful estates, how apt are they to pamper the flesh, to grow forgetful of God, slight in holy things, to be wedded to worldly greatness!

As soon as men have any thing in the world, their heads are lifted up above their brethren, and they grow proud, scornful of God’s Word, slighting of holy things, and we are wholly enchanted with pleasures of such an estate, but consider not the snares that secretly are laid for their souls.

(3.) Proposition: There is no means to prevent the danger, but by the continual exercise of good works, and a prudent carefulness to improve our substance for God’s glory, and helpfulness to others…your business should be how you should honour God,

A man’s care should be for contracting and cutting short his desires, and how to make use of it in order to eternal life. Unless there be this constant solicitude upon the heart, it is impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Stay tuned for part 6, if the Lord wills!

May God grant we have a desire and ability to always be on the watch for the snares of the world, especially if we abound!

— David

David’s Digest: Love of the World, Part 4 – Heaven My Way

December 6, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 3 Comments

1 John 2:15 – “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.“

Here is a link to the entire set of sermons on the topic:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A51840.0001.001/1:17?rgn=div1;view=fulltext

And here is a link to this individual sermon 9 on love of the world:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A51840.0001.001/1:17.9?rgn=div2;view=fulltext

And here are the previous parts from our blog:
Part 1 – Cooling Zeal
Part 2 – Truth in Trials
Part 3 – The Evil of Worldliness

The below is part 4 of just some of the main snippets from the sermon. I hope you will take the time to go through the entire thing as it has many more rich explanations and many scriptural proofs.

From Thomas Manton:

Mark 10:22 – “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.“

Doctrine 4: A carnal worldly man may be sorrowful, when he cannot win heaven in his own way.

When he cannot get heaven, and his own will in the world also, as this young man was, when he could not be a Christian at a cheaper rate: he departed from Christ sad, as loathe to miss this felicity, and yet loathe to pay so dear for it. There is a sorrow that worketh repentance to salvation never to be repented of, 2 Cor. 7:10, but this is of another nature, it makes a wound in the conscience, and doth no more.

And this is just the disposition of a man that hath a sense of eternity, and yet is wedded to his lusts [desires of the flesh, senses, world, not necessarily sexual in nature]: fain he would be happy hereafter, but will not leave his lusts now; so they are troubled they cannot have Christ and the world too, Christ for their consciences, and the world for their affections: they love this world, and yet would fain be saved in the world to come, and therefore are grieved when they cannot have both. On the one side they are troubled, with a sense of religion, and on the other side with a fear of losing their worldly interests:

Thus shall we be affected, till we seek God with our whole hearts.

This sorrow of the young man will give us some light as to the difference between those conflicts that are in a gracious and renewed man, and those conflicts that are in the unregenerate. There are conflicts in both, yet they differ much: in the unregenerate, graceless soul, the conflict is between conviction and corruption, conscience wrestles with their lusts, and lusts wrestle with conscience, and so men are sorrowful upon carnal, not godly reasons; whereas the conflict in the regenerate is in the same faculties, carnal reason against spiritual reason, and carnal will against spiritual will, carnal affections against spiritual affections; the battle is fought in every faculty. In the conflict betwixt the flesh and Spirit in the regenerate, the spiritual part prevails.

And here the young man yielded, and went away sorrowful: this conflict and sorrow may have a wound in the conscience, but it doth not prevail to cause them to look after heaven on Christ’s own terms.

Stay tuned for part 5, if the Lord wills!

May we see the evil of the world, renounce it wholly and fully, in favor of cleaving to Christ and His commands!

— David

David’s Digest: Love of the World, Part 3 – The Evil of Worldliness

November 24, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 2 Comments

1 John 2:15 – “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.“

Here is a link to the entire set of sermons on the topic:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A51840.0001.001/1:17?rgn=div1;view=fulltext

And here is a link to this individual sermon 9 on love of the world:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A51840.0001.001/1:17.9?rgn=div2;view=fulltext

And here are the previous parts from our blog:
Part 1 – Cooling Zeal
Part 2 – Truth in Trials

The below is part 3 of just some of the main snippets from the sermon. I hope you will take the time to go through the entire thing as it has many more rich explanations and many scriptural proofs.

From Thomas Manton:

Mark 10:22 – “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.“

Doctrine 3: That a man wedded to the world, will renounce Christ and his commands rather than the world, when it comes to a proof.

When two persons walk together, you cannot tell to whom the servant that follows them belongs, but when they part company then it is seen: so when Christ and the world part, then the servant of the world, and the servant of Christ is seen: for he that is addicted to the world will break all the commands of Christ for the world’s sake. It must needs be so, for the world diverts the heart from Christ, and sets the heart against Christ.

(1.) The love of the world diverts the heart from Christ, that there is no room for holy things.

Just so our souls hang like a pair of balances between God and the world; what you give to the world you take from God, and what you give to heavenly things you take from the world, Col. 3:2, ‘Set your affections on things above, not on things of the world’. Our desires cannot be carried out after heavenly things with any intention, unless they be remitted [set aside] to the world.

(2.) The love of the world sets the heart against Christ, and carries it to contrary things:

1. It disposeth and enclineth the soul to all evil. It makes a man break every command of the law of God: the love of money is the root of all evil, 1 Tim. 6.10. Let it once reign in the heart, and then a man sticks at no sin, and he becomes a ready prey for Satan; when his heart is intoxicated with the love of present things.

So that there is no sin so foul, but the love of the world will make it plausible, and reconcile it to the thoughts of men.

2. It incapacitateth us, and makes us uncapable of doing service to God in our general and particular calling.

(1.) In our general calling,

1. It destroys the principle of obedience, which is the love of God: 1 John 2.15, ‘If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him’. The great principle which sways and inclines the heart to do the will of God, is love; now the love of the world, and the love of God are contrary, and inconsistent: love any thing besides Christ, and you will soon love it above Christ: Why? Because the love of God is a stranger and foreigner, the love of the world is a native [to the internal carnal man].

2. It is contrary to the matter of our obedience. The commands of God, and the commands of mammon are contrary,

Though his tongue dare not say earth is better than heaven, and that the things of this life are better than everlasting blessedness, and therefore they shall have more of his heart and care, yet his life says it,

In short, it unfits us not only for one duty, but for all duties required of us. God’s laws are for respects to God, neighbour and self: this inordinate love of the world denies what is due to God, what is necessary for our neighbour, and what is comfortable for ourselves. A man that loves the world, is unthankful to God, unmerciful to his neighbour, and cruel to himself.

3. It slights the encouragements of obedience, which are the rewards of God: as it weakeneth all our future hopes, and depresseth our heart from looking after spiritual and heavenly things.

(2.) He that loves the world, will break with God in the duties of his particular calling for the world’s sake

In example, for a minister, if his heart be set upon that, it makes him sordid, low-spirited, flattering and daubing to curry favour with men, more intent upon his gain and profit, than the saving of souls.

So if a man be a master of a family, Prov. 15:27, ‘He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house’: what a burden and trouble will he be to his servants, and all about him!

In short, it’s love of the world that makes one an oppressing landlord, another a false tradesman, and an ill neighbour, that makes him study iniquity of traffick [trade, commerce].

3. It hinders the receiving of good, and those means of reformation that should make us better. A man that is under the power of worldly lusts [desires], is prejudiced against whatever shall be spoken for God, and for the concernments of another world:

If the word stir us a little, and men begin to have some anxious thoughts about eternal life, these thorns, which are the cares of this world, will choke the good seed, and stifle our convictions, so as they come to nothing;

If a man begins to do some outward thing, it will make us soon weary of religion, and attendance on holy duties, as if all time laid out upon God were lost; and they cry out, ‘When will the Sabbath be over, that we may set forth wheat’, Amos 8:5.

It interlines our prayers, and holy services with worldly projects and thoughts: nay it turns religion into a trade and market: men live by it, it makes religion to serve their worldly ends, they make a market of their devotion

USE. To inform us of the evil of worldliness.

If our children are loose, and drunkards, and riotous, we are offended, but if we see them worldly, we are not troubled. O it is a foul sin, but the men of the world will not believe it; surely we have too mild thoughts of it, and therefore we do not watch and strive against the love of the world:

Sins that are more gross and sensual [of the senses] are easier discovered, and such a sinner is sooner reclaimed, but this is a secret sin that turns away the heart from God: and to make you more careful to avoid it, in scripture a covetous man is called an idolater, Eph. 5:3, and covetousness is called idolatry, Col. 3:5, and is that a small crime? What, to set up another God? Who are you that dare to harbour such an evil in your bosoms, and make no great matter of it? Will you dethrone that God which made you, and set up the world in his stead? It is called adultery, James 4:4. It is a breach of your conjugal vow. You did promise in your baptism to renounce the world, and give up yourselves unto Christ’s service, and will you cherish such whorish and disloyal affections as will carry you to the creature instead of God? O we cannot think bad enough of such a sin.

Stay tuned for part 4, if the Lord wills!

May we see the evil of the world, renounce it wholly and fully, in favor of cleaving to Christ and His commands!

— David

David’s Digest: Love of the World, Part 2 – Truth in Trials

November 14, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 0 Comments

1 John 2:15 – “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.“

Here is a link to the entire set of sermons on the topic:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A51840.0001.001/1:17?rgn=div1;view=fulltext

And here is a link to this individual sermon 9 on love of the world:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A51840.0001.001/1:17.9?rgn=div2;view=fulltext

And here are the previous parts from our blog:
Part 1 – Cooling Zeal

The below is part 2 of just some of the main snippets from the sermon. I hope you will take the time to go through the entire thing as it has many more rich explanations and many scriptural proofs.

One note: The word “sensuality” has come to pertain to sexuality, but I believe most often with the Puritans it basically means “operating by the senses” (vs. spiritually).

From Thomas Manton:

Mark 10:22 – “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.“

Doctrine 2: That trials bring men forth to the light, and make them manifest what they are.

Here upon the trial the young man is discovered. Who would but have thought this young man good till now? But when he heard Christ’s terms, he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved.

They are offended, when it toucheth upon a bosom sin, pride, sensuality, or covetousness, or unlawful pleasure, they are tried by it.

Again, trial is either for the discovery of grace or corruption, to discover the corruption of their hearts, or the weakness of their graces:

REASONS:

1. It is for good, that men should be discovered; the graces of his people to their comfort, and their weakness that it may be repaired;

It is a great part of God’s providence to uncase hypocrites. It is for the Church’s good, lest men get a name to do religion a mischief:

2. It is for the glory of God, that men may appear what they are, and for the reclaiming of offenders. Many were likely to have grace, if they were discovered to themselves, and knew they had no grace.

USE. Well then, expect trials, and see to it, how you behave yourselves under them.

1. Expect trials.

Whosoever buildeth a confidence for heaven, must look to have his building tried: count it not strange, we are loth to forecast, and to think of trials. We take a carnal pillow, and lie down upon it, and count it strange when it comes.

2. Be careful how you acquit your selves in trials. When the hour of temptation is come upon the earth, then we should be cautious: Whatever a man doth, he will [if cautious] behave himself well when he is upon his trial.

Stay tuned for part 3, if the Lord wills!

May God show us who we are truly, in our hearts; may we pray for His graces in our lack; and we pray by His mercies He grow us in His graces!

— David

David’s Digest: Love of the World, Part 1 – Cooling Zeal

November 10, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 2 Comments

1 John 2:15 – “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.“

If you have been following along our blog, I have been reading through quite a few, and sometimes commenting on, the writings of Puritan Thomas Manton, and fairly recently, I went through a sermon that I thought had some very interesting, beneficial and challenging remarks about what it means to love the world. This is sermon 9 of a set of sermons on Mark 10:17-27, where the rich young ruler asks Christ what he must do to inherit eternal life.

Here is a link to the entire set of sermons on the topic:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A51840.0001.001/1:17?rgn=div1;view=fulltext

And here is a link to this individual sermon 9 on love of the world:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A51840.0001.001/1:17.9?rgn=div2;view=fulltext

The below is part 1 of just some of the main snippets from the sermon. I hope you will take the time to go through the entire thing as it has many more rich explanations and many scriptural proofs.

One note: The word “lust” has come to pertain mostly to impure sexual desire, but most often with the Puritans it basically means “desire” or “improper desire,” and so it helps me to just substitute those for “lust” when I’m reading.

From Thomas Manton:

Mark 10:22 – “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.“

We have hitherto seen the young man at his best: now we shall find him discovered and laid open in his own colours. It was well that he came to Christ with such reverence and seriousness about such a weighty question, as, What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? It was well if he could say truly, All these have I kept from my youth: but now here is the event and issue of this interlocutory discourse between him and Christ, when Christ bid him sell all, and take up his cross, and follow him; then he went away sad, etc.

Here observe,

1. How he was affected with Christ’s advice, he was sad at the saying, and went away grieved.
2. The reason of his sorrow, or why he was thus affected, for he had great possessions.

And observe, that the bare having is rendered as the reason, he had great possessions, and therefore he went away sad: it is hard to have them without lustful affections to them.

Doctrine 1: That a man may go far, and be zealous and forward at first, and yet cool and fall away at last.

Witness this young man, who comes to Christ to learn of him the way of life, and that in such an humble and reverent manner, and makes profession that he had kept the commandments from his youth; and yet when Christ tells him what he must do more, he was troubled, and falls off.

Reasons of this are,

(1.) They take up religion upon foreign and extrinsic reasons, and when those reasons fail, their religion saileth also: as puppets moved by the wires to which they are fastened; so they are moved by credit and esteem, and countenance in the world: they court religion while it hath a portion for them.

Therefore the difference between false and sincere professors is not altogether taken from their zeal and outward diligence; they may be exceeding zealous and forward upon the impulsion of false principles, who have a base heart lurking under it; because the motions of lusts disguised with religion are rapid and earnest, and by-ends have a powerful influence. Though lust be served, yet because it is in the way of religion, men’s affections are much aloft, and they may seem to have great fits and zealous pangs in the service of God, and yet all this comes to nothing.

(2.) Because they many times rest in externals without internal grace. This young man for outward conformity went very far: there is nothing for external duties that a child of God doth, but a hypocrite may do also; he may pray, preach, confer, hear the word, though not in a holy and gracious manner.

(3.) Because that internal affection which they seem to have to the ways of God, is not rooted and fixed, only a slight tincture, that may easily be worn off;

(4.) Their corrupt lusts were only restrained, not mollified and weakened, and so it is but like a sore that is skinned over, and festers inwardly, and will at length break out again.

Many an unsound professor seems to cast the world, and their old fashions behind their back, yet their hearts are not wholly weaned from them, nor are they wholly cast out; some prevalent lust remains that will make them turn back to their old vomit again:

USE. It doth press unto two things; to search for a sound work, and to watch against declinings.

(1.) To search for a true sound work.

Whilst any one sin remains unbroken, all that we do in conformity to God will be lost:

And what is prized besides Christ, will be soon prized above Christ; therefore unless the sweetness of his grace makes all the baits of the flesh unsavoury to us, we cannot be sound.

(2.) To watch against declinings; for we lose ground every day, as a thing running down the hill falls lower and lower, if we do not keep up a constant relish and savour of good things. When you lose your first love, you will leave your first works

Stay tuned for part 2, if the Lord wills!

May God grant us His graces and true zeal, full of His graces, in the heart, for Him!

— David

David’s Digest: It’s Not Salvific!

September 30, 2016 / David & Susan Sifford / 10 Comments

I’ve heard this before, in the context of how one lives their life. For example, “Oh, you don’t have to live such and such way…it’s not salvific!”

I agree it does not merit anything for salvation. However, salvation is a process. It starts with God’s sovereign act of changing the dead heart to a living one, a passive act on man’s part, and it continues throughout the life of the person, ending in glory. That time in the middle is the sanctification process, something the Holy Spirit does in the life of the individual by making them more holy, or Christ-like, which is by giving the person Christ’s graces, the fruit of the Spirit:

Gal 5:22-23 – “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Faith and love are the main drivers of the Christian, and with those comes obedience to God in His direction in the Bible, and the Bible would have Christians not love the world and not be conformed to it:

1 John 2:15 – “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.”

Rom 12:2 – “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Using the example of how one dresses, the Bible would have Christians dress modestly. And in that modesty, given the world in its view on life and how to live it is one of a Christian’s main enemies (along with Satan and a person’s own carnal man), why would a Christian want to be as close to the way the world dresses, without supposedly stepping over the line, and not be as far away from the way the world does things, like Lot and his family escaping Sodom, not looking back desiring to be closer to it…like Lot’s wife?

So, Christianity requires OBEDIENCE to these commands, which (obedience) stems from love for Christ, which is a fruit of the Spirit, which brings sanctification, in the process of SALVATION!

Further, as I mentioned, a Christian’s enemy is his carnal man, which I believe is a person’s greatest enemy:

1 Pet 2:11 – “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts [desires], which war against the soul;”

Our carnal man is at war with the soul. Part of our duty in our Christian walk is to war against our spiritual enemies.

As graces grow, the carnal man is brought lower and lower in the mortification (death-bringing) process of that carnal man. The means of denying the carnal man we have been talking about can help in that process. Again with dress, dressing modestly can help curb pride and vanity, things contrary to God, His nature and holiness. Mortification is a duty of ourselves, and as with graces, it is a work of the Spirit in the sanctification process, for which He uses means. And then, why wouldn’t a Christian want to dress in a way that brings the most mortification of pride and vanity, coming against sin in the strongest way possible?

Why would a Christian feed its enemy? A Christian should not, and ignoring this can be eternally dangerous:

Gal 6:8 – “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

And so, while nothing we do in our lives merits salvation, there are means of sanctification in the salvation process, and it is important for a professing Christian to consider how he/she live their life in light of the Bible’s directions and how Christ lived His.

— David

David’s Digest: God OR Mammon

May 19, 2012 / David & Susan Sifford / 4 Comments

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines the word “serve” as follows:

SERVE, v.t. serv. [L. servio. This verb is supposed to be from the noun servus, a servant or slave, and this from servo, to keep.]

1. To work for; to bestow the labor of body and mind in the employment of another.

Jacob loved Rachel and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy youngest daughter. Gen. 29.

No man can serve two masters. Matt. 6.

2. To act as the minister of; to perform official duties to; as, a minister serves his prince.

Had I served God as diligently as I have served the king, he would not have given me over in my gray hairs. Cardinal Woolsey.

3. To attend at command; to wait on.

A goddess among gods, ador’d and serv’d

By angels numberless, thy daily train. Milton.

4. To obey servilely or meanly. be not to wealth a servant.

5. To supply with food; as, to be served in plate.

6. To be subservient or subordinate to.

Bodies bright and greater should not serve

The less not bright. Milton.

7. To perform the duties required in; as, the curate served two churches.

8. To obey; to perform duties in the employment of; as, to serve the king or the country in the army or navy.

9. To be sufficient, or to promote; as, to serve one’s turn, end or purpose.

10. To help by good offices; as, to serve one’s country.

11. To comply with; to submit to.

They think herein we serve the time, because thereby we either hold or seek preferment. Hooker.

12. To be sufficient for; to satisfy; to content.

One half pint bottle serves them both to dine,

And is at once their vinegar and wine. Pope.

13. To be in the place of any thing to one. A sofa serves the Turks for a seat and a couch.

14. To treat; to requite; as, he served me ungratefully; he served me very ill; We say also, he served me a trick, that is he deceived me, or practiced an artifice on me.

15. In Scripture and theology, to obey and worship; to act in conformity to the law of a superior, and treat him with due reverence.

Fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth. As for me and my house, we will serve the lord. Josh. 24.

16. In a bad sense, to obey; to yield compliance or act according to.

For the most part, each of the above definitions is related, in that 1) each involves how time is spent of the servant, regardless of what or who is being served, and 2) there is a commitment and submission of the servant to that which is being served.

Matt 6:24 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.”

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines mammon as the following:

MAM’MON, n. Riches; wealth; or the god or riches.

or a mammonist as:

MAM’MONIST, n. A person devoted to the acquisition of wealth; one whose affections are placed supremely on riches; a worldling.

As I stated, and as is demonstrated in the dictionary definitions above, servanthood by nature involves spending time doing the serving. I would say further that this implies the reverse to be true: what you spend your time doing, you serve.

Now, the context of the Bible verse above is the Lord Christ discussing the spiritual condition of one’s heart, as evidenced by where his “treasure” is, and that the treasures of the world should not be sought, because if the Lord is lord of your life, you should not be concerned about the temporal necessities of life:

Matt 6:19-34 – “19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 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. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

So, spending one’s time seeking riches, even under the guise of them being for the necessities of life, is, according to these verses, not godly living, because if you are spending your time doing that, you are thus serving those riches.

This is further evidenced by dependence. Why do people spend so much time in the service of obtaining money? It’s because they NEED the money to survive — they are dependent on it. Don’t believe me? What would happen to people’s ability to eat and drink if they lost their jobs and couldn’t find other ones, or if money became worthless? Unless they are growing their own food and have their own source of water, they would die. Dependency requires servitude.

Sound familiar? Does not a person spending all day at a corporate job, in a career, earning a paycheck so he can buy food and water, fit these descriptions?

Now, once again, verse 24 says one “cannot serve God and mammon,” which means the service of these are mutually exclusive: if you are serving one, you cannot be serving the other. So, if one’s time is spent in pursuit of money, that makes that person a servant of money; and if that person depends on that money for survival, that person is further a servant of money. And therefore, in that, that person cannot be serving God.

What is it you’re spending most of your day doing, and on what do you depend for your life necessities; and thus, what do you serve? And so then, Whom are you not serving?

— David

Category: world (Page 2 of 3)

David’s Digest: Love of the World, Part 5 – Worldliness in Much

David’s Digest: Love of the World, Part 4 – Heaven My Way

David’s Digest: Love of the World, Part 3 – The Evil of Worldliness

David’s Digest: Love of the World, Part 2 – Truth in Trials

David’s Digest: Love of the World, Part 1 – Cooling Zeal

David’s Digest: It’s Not Salvific!

David’s Digest: God OR Mammon

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