What are you investing in?
II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.”
Investment: the act of putting money/effort/time into something to make a profit or obtain a benefit.
Let’s find out what believers invest in.
- Fitness. Great emphasis on personal fitness in our culture
- Sports. T.V. apps to watch 4 games at a time.
- Things. Mecum auto auctions where people buy cars from 6 figures to several million dollars.
- Money. Gold, silver, platinum, palladium. Gold $2,948/oz. Palladium $1007.30/oz.
- Etc.
We invest our money, time, and effort into many things this side of heaven.
II Cor. 5:17 “…old things are passed away…” What we have been investing in…”and all things are become new…” What a believer should be investing in. We need to make a solid commitment to an investment that will change our lives to become more like Jesus Christ. We need to invest ourselves in the Word of God.
God’s Word testifies of itself.
- Prov. 3:13-18. The Word is more precious than silver, gold or rubies. Nothing that we can desire can be compared to it.
- Prov. 4:7-13. Wisdom is the principal thing. With all you have get wisdom and understanding. Matthew Henry said no matter the rate, whatever it might be, pay it for what you will receive is greater than life itself. Its benefit is greater than anything else we could obtain.
So what will be the benefits in our lives if we commit to investing in God’s Word?
There are 7 benefits I would like to share with you.
- Psalm 119.11 God’s Word will keep you from sin. “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Hid has the idea of laying up knowledge or wisdom as a treasure. This treasure was the secret power by which David governed his life. We need to have God’s Word dwell in us richly. Col. 3:16
- Acts 20:32 God’s Word will build us up. It is the idea of building a house. It is completed by slow degrees and toil following putting in a firm foundation. Building us up Spiritually will take a lifetime. But it is how God prepares us to live with Him in eternity.
- Psalm 119:116. We can live in Christ and not be ashamed. To uphold means to be steadfast, resting in God’s Word. That I may live and not. e ashamed has the assurance that I can have completed expectation of what God has promised me as a believer. God has my back, He will never leave us or forsake us!
- Psalm 119:160. That we might know the truth. God’s Word is true from the beginning: It’s origin is truth/It’s foundation is truth/It’s essential nature is truth/It is Absolute truth. Today they say there is no absolute truth. But there is. God’s Word. Man is afraid of God’s absolute truth because it makes hime accountable to Him.
- Psalm 119:105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It lights our immediate path. Our everyday decisions we make in our Christian walk. And then it lights our path for future decisions in our lives. Our education, mate for life, service for Christ. It is like putting on our brights and being able to see clearly up ahead to avoid danger and store a straight Biblical course in life.
- Psalm 119:99. To gain understanding. Wisdom, looking at things from God’s point of view. Phil. 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. David was growing up spiritually.
- Heb. 5:14 Be able to discern right from wrong. The strong meat of God’s Word will mature us with consistent use and be able to guide our path in a dark world. By reason of use means a habit or consistent practice. Albert Barnes said: This maturity will help a believer to realize what is beneficial to our walk with Christ and what is not. It will become our compass for direction in life.
II Tim. 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”
What are you investing in?
Submitted by Tim Burlingame
Member of the Board, BFLW