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7/01/01 Past/Future Articles |
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7/01/01 Past/Future Articles |
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Very early in life we soon learn the meaning of profit (to benefit or gain - performance verses reward). It can either come from our own efforts or someone else's. In the early years, the work verses reward are small. However, as we become older, the work load becomes greater with greater reward. So, as we live life, we do so with the expectation of a profit for our labors.
Is this not true also in the spiritual realm? Early on in the scriptures we read of two brothers, one who realized the value of a birthright and one who did not. In Genesis 25:32 we hear Esau ask the question, . . . "What profit shall this birthright do to me?" Jacob knew the value and bought it. His gain was great. The preacher tells us in Proverbs 14:23 that "in all labour there is profit." In Genesis 26:12-14 we learn where Isaac sowed in the land and received an hundredfold and the Lord blessed him. He grew until he became very great and the Philistines envied him. Samuel told the children of Israel in II Samuel 12:21 to turn not aside from the Lord and go after vain things which could not profit or deliver.
So the greatest question of all time comes from our Lord in Matthew 16:26, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" The answer is clear. Though we gain the cattle of seven hills or the treasure of all the earth and lose our soul, we have profited nothing. How tragic that a man should work diligently for the wrong master while on earth and in the judgment day hear the Lord say, "DEPART I NEVER KNEW YOU." Your balance is 000000000!!!!
Walter M. Bishop, Elder