Where Is Your Heart?

     Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(Matt 6:19-21 KJV)

     Fear not little flock; for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(Luke 12:32-34 KJV)

     Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
(Col 3:2-4 KJV)

     There are many today who would profess to be Christians. They have "made a decision" for Christ, they go to Church, they even hold to a higher moral standard than that which is around them. For all practical purposes, it would appear that they are indeed followers of Jesus; real Christians. 
     There is a danger however, a subtle one at that, that has caught and deceived many. It is known as covetousness; selfishly living for oneself. So many professing believers today lust after the same material things, pursue the same worldly goals, and work for the same earthly possessions and attainments that the unsaved around them work towards. 
     Jesus warns us that what we treasure (that is, the things we live and work for, that consume our time, money, and efforts), are the things that own our hearts. If we are living and working for the kingdom and principles of God, giving of our time, money, talents, and effort for the spreading of the gospel, and the care of the needy around us, our hearts are in the right place. If we truly love Jesus, if He owns our hearts and affections, our lives will reflect this in selfless pursuits. However, if we are living for our own needs only, if our time and money is spent in providing for ourselves, going after the things that give us pleasure, if we are never satisfied with what we already possess, but desire more and more, we have a problem. We may call ourselves Christian, but it is obvious by the way we are living for the temporal things of this life, that our hearts are very far from God.
     The Apostle Paul gives us a sobering warning about covetousness,

     For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, not covetous man who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
(Ephesians 5:5-6 KJV)

     Many people today have been deceived by empty words. They believe that they are Christians, yet their lives are being lived out in the pursuit of material things. Never satisfied with what they have, they clamor for bigger and better houses, vehicles, motor homes. They seek better jobs so they can afford a more lavish lifestyle. Some get caught up in the fashions of the day, and yet others are caught in the day to day struggle of food and clothing, the basic needs of life. Yet, if this is what consumes their lives, it has their hearts! Yes, they may tithe, they may give an offering of their income from time to time, but their very lives show the proof of who owns their hearts. The above verse calls this idolatry! This is not true Christianity as presented by Jesus and the Apostles, but a fraud.
     Where are you laying up your treasures? Who, or what has your heart?

The Necessity of Obedience.

     There is a common misconception that if one "believes" in Jesus, they are saved, whether their lives show any change or not. The belief that our works have no consequence toward the salvation of our eternal souls is the prevailing viewpoint in evangelism today.

     To be fair, we must understand that salvation is of grace, and not of works. It the gift of God (Eph 2:8-9). However, what is meant by this, as well as other passages of scripture such as Romans 4:2-5, is that we as sinful human beings cannot earn our salvation by our own self effort. An attempt to reform our lives, give up some sin, trying to be "good", so that we can avoid hell, and instead go to heaven, is only a selfish effort, where we are still on the throne of our lives, and self is still more important than God.

     The thing that separates us from God, and incurs His wrath, is sin, our disobedience to Him. In Romans 8:7, we read that the mind set on the flesh, that is, the individual who is living for themselves, is hostile toward God, and does not, and cannot submit to the law of God! A large segment of evangelical Christianity would agree that sin separates us from God, and agree that in Christ Jesus we find forgiveness for our sin, but they stop short. In their understanding, forgiveness is the end, and from that point on, our behavior and actions have no bearing upon salvation. We must ask ourselves this question however, "How can we be saved, if we are claiming forgiveness, but still living in the rebellious behavior that separates us from God in the first place?"

     There are many passages in scripture that speak to this issue, and we will look at two of them.

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation. 

Hebrews 4:8-9 NASB

     Read this carefully. Just as Jesus was submitted to His Father, and obeyed Him, we too must submit to Christ in obedience. This might shock some of you, but It is God's word none the less. Jesus, according to these verses, is the source of salvation to those who obey Him. It does not say to all regardless of their obedience or disobedience, but to those who obey!

     Look at this next passage of scripture as well. I will quote it from the King James version, as I believe that it more accurately portrays the meaning of this passage.

And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Rev 22:12-15 KJV

     Again, notice the emphasis on obedience. Those who are disobedient do not have right to the tree of life, or access to the holy city. Barred from entrance are those who are sinful. More modern translations substitute "washed their robes", for "do his commandments", but the context of Jesus rewarding us for our deeds, and the fact that the wicked are barred entrance to the city, are in keeping with the King James rendering.

     What does it mean to have right to the tree of life? "I thought that we cannot merit salvation", you might ask? Understand this very carefully. God, in His grace, will only confer this "right" on those who are surrendered to Him in a loving, obedient, relationship. Real, biblical salvation is a coming out of the world, a giving up of self, a turning from sin, and an embracing of Christ and His teachings, in an all encompassing surrender. To know Christ, and to follow Christ, is to obey Christ. It is that simple. A salvation that allows one to sin regularly, and carelessly, is no salvation at all, as Jesus came to destroy the devils work, and set the captives free from the bondage of sin (1 John 3:8; John 8:36).