Don’t Forget God
“The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd” (Ecclesiastes 12:11).

We hear about the wisdom of Solomon, and most of us know about his riches. It would be easy to envy this man, but we also need to look at his life. Solomon had lived in a way that didn’t honor God. His younger years were spent amassing a fortune and collecting wives and concubines. His wisdom was widely known, but the adage “Penny wise, pound foolish” applies to him. In his later years he looked back and saw that there was no real pleasure in his life because of his worldly pursuits. His advice to the younger generation is clear: Don’t forget God.

“Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer you in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity” (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10).

Whether young or old, sin is never to be taken lightly. God doesn’t take it lightly. Sin will be judged whether you’re 20 years old or 80. Jesus paid the price for our salvation, but that doesn’t give anyone a free license to live a lifestyle which is opposed to God. If you’ve accepted Him for salvation, then you need to strive to live according to His ways. When you repented and accepted His sacrifice for your salvation, it meant that you changed your mind about sin. If you continue to take pleasure in things that are opposed to God, then you haven’t repented.

God will judge. God has never been silent about what He says is sin, and only His opinion matters. If you reject Him and embrace sin, you’ll have eternity to regret your choice.

Solomon understood what it was like to be young, and wanted other young people to be wise in their choices. God had granted him wisdom, but he wasted it. Like every gift we receive from God, we have the choice as to how we use it. Solomon was wise but made some very foolish mistakes. In looking back over his life he was able to clearly see where he went wrong. He forgot God.

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

Life experience can bring wisdom if we learn from our mistakes.

As Solomon reflected back on his life, he understood that the reason he made such awful mistakes was because he forgot his Creator. Isn’t that the problem that many young people have? Living to please God isn’t as important as chasing after the lusts of the flesh.

Temptations will always be there, but if you forget your Creator, then you’ll fall into sin. Solomon forgot God, and the pleasures he embraced were empty. Unfortunately, many people who claim to have walked with Jesus for years also make grievous mistakes by following lust rather than following God. It took Solomon a lifetime to understand that he had lived his life without honoring God, but none of his worldly pursuits held any true pleasure.

“Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 12:8).

Vanity is translated from the Hebrew word “hebel” meaning vapor or breath. James agreed with Solomon when he wrote about daily choices we make:

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil” (James 4:14-16).

Our choices in life need to be God-centered; all else is vanity.

Wisdom is the gift that God gave to Solomon, and Christians are also given gifts. “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will” (1 Corinthians 12:8-11).

These spiritual gifts are given in order that every Christian can contribute to the whole body of Christ. The gifts are varied, and you probably have more than one gift. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12).

Have you discovered what gift, or gifts, you’ve been given? If you haven’t, then maybe you’ve been wasting that gift like Solomon had wasted his wisdom for so many years. Maybe it’s time for you to discover your gift and start serving the Lord.

What’s the point of having Spiritual gifts? Is it so that we can brag to our friends or seem more spiritual than others? Absolutely not. The gifts are to be used to glorify God. If Christians act in a Godly manner toward each other, non-Christians will see something special about us and ask questions. This could be the trigger that brings a lost soul to Christ. If we nurture our spiritual gifts, then Spiritual fruit will follow.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25). 

It may take time to discover your gift. When a person first comes to Christ, there are many changes that take place. New attitudes replace the old ones as the new babe in Christ grows and matures. The only way to come to a full understanding of how you need to change from worldly views to those of God is to study. Diligent study led by the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to the wonders of God’s riches. Applying the new understanding will bring changes that will amaze your family and friends.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

The word “study” comes from the Greek word “spoudazo” and means “to give diligence to.” If you’re diligent in studying Scripture and applying it to your life, then you’ll walk closely with God. You won’t have to be ashamed of your attitudes or actions. If you see nothing wrong with getting angry or being sexually impure, then you’re not studying Scripture diligently. You’ll miss out on discovering the spiritual gift God wants to give you. One day you’ll look back with regret, just like Solomon.

Why should we study to do all things according to God’s will? Solomon summed it up. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). 

Nothing is hidden from God. He knows what you think and He knows what you do. You may try to hide something from a parent, spouse, or friend, but you cannot hide it from God. It’s God who we need to honor and please. To know how to please Him, we study. It may surprise you to know that Christians will be judged.

“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Our sins are forgiven, but we will face Christ. When we stand before Him, we’ll see the nail prints in His hands and know they are there because of His love for us. He gave His life freely for our salvation. Can’t you give yourself to Him as a living sacrifice?

Study Scripture and pray so you’ll be led by the Holy Spirit to change your mind about sin and live your life to conform to God. Use the spiritual gifts to serve our Lord. This life is a vapor which will soon be over. On the eternal scale only those things done for Christ will last.

Christians have hope beyond this life. “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (1 Corinthians 15:19). We have eternal hope, and our life on earth should reflect that hope. What have you done with the gifts He has given you? What have you done with the greatest gift of all…salvation through Jesus Christ?

The wise words of Scripture truly are goads prodding us to live a more Godly life. The Shepherd who gives those words is Jesus Christ. Study now…be diligent…don’t forget God.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

 

“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these“ (Mark 12:29-31).

Jesus chose twelve men to be His disciples, but there were many people who followed Him. As Jesus traveled through the land He healed the sick, cast out demons, and forgave sin. People knew about Jesus and liked what they saw. One day as Jesus was surrounded by children, a young man saw Him and felt the pure love that flowed from Him. This man wanted to receive what Jesus had and ran after Him.

“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?“ (Matthew 19:16).

The young man was Jewish, and there were many works required by the Law. These works, such as sacrificing animals, ceremonial washings, certain dietary restrictions, circumcision, etc., were done religiously, but none of these works brought eternal life. The Law defined sin and taught obedience, but it has always been faith that brings eternal life. This rich young man was looking for something more he could do to earn his way to heaven, but he needed to see the difference between treasure on earth and treasure in Heaven. He needed to choose which he valued more.

Jesus knew this young man’s heart. Like so many of us, he wanted eternal life, but he wanted it on his own terms. The young man wasn’t a wicked person and just wanted an easy way to live eternally. Jesus gave him a simple answer and told him to keep the commandments. The man wanted details. There were hundreds of written and oral laws, and he wanted to know which commandments were vital for eternal life.

“He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“ (Matthew19:18-19).

On the surface these are fairly easy to keep. Remember that, at another time, Jesus said that looking lustfully at a woman is the same as adultery, and anger is the same as murder. The young man was a decent sort and was as good as most of us. I can honestly say that I’m guilty of breaking the commandments, and so are you.

“The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?“ (Matthew 19:20).

He tried to do right, but there was something missing in this man’s life. He had religion but he didn’t have faith.

The commandments which Jesus named were ones that had to do with the relationship between one person and another. Like all of us, the man probably lost his temper on occasion and may even have talked back to his parents once in a while, but on the whole tried to be a nice guy. Was he good enough to get to Heaven? Nobody can be good enough.

The commandments that Jesus didn’t ask him about were the ones concerning his relationships with God. Did he make graven images or take the name of the Lord in vain? Probably the most incriminating one that Jesus didn’t mention was “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

Jesus knew this man’s heart, just like he knows your heart and mine. The thing that stopped this man from walking with Jesus and gaining eternal life was his love of the things of this word. The man was rich and he loved it. He could buy friends and all the worldly things he desired. His treasure was on earth.

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also“ (Luke 12:34). 

Jesus listed the commandments that He knew were easy for this man to keep, but his relationship with God was another matter entirely.

Now it was time for Jesus to get to the heart of this man’s trouble. What god did this man serve?

“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that you hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me“ (Matthew 19:21).

That’s hard for any of us to think about. I have things that mean a lot to me, and I wouldn’t like to sell them. My things have no great monetary value, but they do have a place in my heart. In light of this account of the rich young man, I have to ask myself, do my “things” have more value to me than God? You might ask yourself that same question.

Earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes can take away our treasures on earth, and we see that happen quite often. Homes, cars, art collections and such are temporary treasures on earth, but our eternal treasure is in Heaven. That treasure is eternal life only found through faith in Jesus Christ. Sadly, the young man was disappointed in the answer Jesus gave him.

“But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions” (Matthew 19:22).

The problem wasn’t that this man was rich. The problem was that his wealth was his god.

Scripture tells us of many rich men who didn’t allow the treasures of this life to come between them and God. Genesis 13:2 says that Abraham was rich, but we also know that he had left his home in order to follow God. His obedience allowed him to become the father of the Jewish nation and to be given the land which will always belong to Israel, no matter how people try to divide it. King David was wealthy, but we have many Psalms he wrote that are evidence of his love for the Lord even in times of great challenge and when he seemingly had lost everything.

Sadly, the young man that Jesus spoke to treasured his wealth more than eternal life.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23-24).

Many commentators say that Jesus was referring to a small passage in Jerusalem. The treasures would have to be unloaded from the camel who then crawled through. Difficult indeed, but not impossible. The treasures would be repacked on the camel, and off he went. The problem with this is that Jesus equated a rich man entering the kingdom of God as an impossibility….you can’t unload your riches at the edge of heaven, wiggle through, then pick up your earthly treasure on the other side. If riches are your god, it’s impossible to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus wasn’t talking about going through a difficult gate, but the impossible task of a literal camel going through a literal eye of a needle. If the riches of this world are more important than service to God, then you have the wrong treasure.

At another time, Jesus had a confrontation with the Pharisees. The subject of the conversation was riches and the Pharisees’ misuse of them.

“And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke16:15).

What we treasure is evident in our actions. If God is our treasure, it will show in our way of life. In this same conversation, Jesus told of a rich man who had everything in life that a man could want. He had treasures in this world, but his heart was far from God. There was also a beggar named Lazarus whose poverty was great. Lazarus could see the wealth of the rich man, but he didn’t covet the wealth; he just desired crumbs.

“And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores“ (Luke 16:21).

Not surprisingly, the beggar died. So did the rich man. Their eternal destinations were very different. The beggar was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom, which was a place of comfort while the soul awaited the Messiah. On the other hand, the rich man was buried and his eternal destiny was not in Abraham’s bosom, but in torments where he still awaits the final judgment before being cast into the lake of fire. Make no mistake; whether you’re rich or poor, the choice you make today of accepting Christ for salvation or rejecting Him is an eternal choice on your part.

The rich man chose wrong during his lifetime, and when he died he knew it was too late for him. The suffering he felt was multiplied by the fact that he knew he had family still living who could make a better choice than he had. The man wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to his family.

“For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment“ (Luke 16:28).

He didn’t beg Abraham to get him out of Hell; he knew he had made wrong choices in life. He did desire that his brothers didn’t make the same mistake of rejecting God.

It’s nice to know that the ones we love who have died still think of us. We also have to realize that they cannot contact us. If your Uncle Charlie comes to you from beyond the grave, don’t believe it’s him. Satan will try anything and everything to draw you away from God. The rich man believed that if someone from the dead went and warned his family, they would change their ways. Today we have the entire Bible to warn us, but at the time of this conversation, they only had the Old Testament. That should have been enough to bring them to faith.

“And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:30-31).

If people love this world and the treasures found here, they’ll find it as impossible to enter Heaven as a camel going through the eye of a needle. It can’t be done.

Jesus Christ rose from the dead. “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house“ (Acts 16:31). There’s no other way.

What is it that stops you from accepting His sacrifice for your salvation? Is there a sin that you treasure more than eternal life? It could be that you, like the rich young man, want to keep some of the commandments but put other gods ahead of God Almighty. You want salvation on your own terms. If so, then you’ll end up like the rich man in torments and find out too late that you should have made a better choice while living on this side of the grave.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service“ (Romans 12:1).

Conform your life to God and don’t try to make God conform to you.

Camels cannot go through the eye of a needle, but that’s easier than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. What’s your treasure? The wealth of this world or eternal life? Only faith in Jesus Christ will bring the lasting riches of eternal life.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.