How Many Times (and From How Many Directions) Can and Should We Look at God’s Great Treasure – the Pearl of Great Price?

The math of God is not so complicated if we humble ourselves.

2 + 2 =? There are really only two viable answers:
1. 4.
2. Whatever God wants it to be.

Is 6 times 24 more or less than 7 times 24? Again, there are only two reasonable answers:
1. Less, of course!
2. More! If God blesses (which He will) the 6 and not the 7, 6 times 24 will be greater than the 0 of 7 times 24.

Seek first . . . = no work? Of course not! “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” is doing the right work we are to be doing!

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. Jn 6:27 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. Ro 4:20 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:8-10 The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. ^{Jn 6:29}).

We can look for ways not to accept or connect these great truths and promises, but they fit like the perfect glove and to paraphrase a well-known quote: If it fits, we must accede and assent to it! And it fits!

If, on the other hand, we work for food to eat we can probably earn enough to pay for it (while ignoring and missing the Grace of God) or we can “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Mt 6:33 In the one case, we can, under the economics laws of the world, earn a living (with possibly a little left over that we can use to “tip” God) or we can live under the laws of Grace and have both eternal salvation and our daily bread given to us along with the promise that “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” ^{2Co 9:8-11}

For we find that to the extent we begin to understand receiving by Grace we will then begin to give by Grace. Tithing is not a key New Testament teaching because, under the “new math” of Grace, when we receive by Grace we will (in the “natural” of the new creation) give by Grace! The financial problems in the Church today are FAR more the result of not knowing and not being taught how to receive by grace.

“God loves a cheerful giver.” ^{2Co 9:7} “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This will only happen as we learn to receive by grace, understanding we are given the great blessing of being servants of God in doing the good works He has prepared in advance (making us rich in every way) for us to do.

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” ^{Heb 4:8-12}

THE great challenge and work of life is finding the Right, True, Only path of Grace and then remaining in His Love and Grace – this takes a LOT of Grace! This is the treasure and pearl of great price for which we are to sell all, everything, so we can seek, find, hold and protect it unto eternal life. We will trade our piddling work for the impossible and greater work of Grace!

It is an interesting phenomenon that Grace and its Benefits are Cumulative IF we protect and grow these gifts through appropriate disciplines of minimal (noncumulative) efforts (and these minimal efforts, themselves, will be provided by Grace IF we take this grace).

The math of God is not so complicated if we humble ourselves and receive all things by grace:

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” ^{Mt 6:33}

All of the Christian life of grace rests on God’s First Commandment – You shall have no other gods before me. Yet until we sell all we have, everything, we won’t have the treasure and pearl of great price – until we seek first by grace Jesus will be speaking to us when He says:

I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ^{Jn 3:12}

For we are told numerous times in the Bible that “The righteous will live by faith.” This is a great theme and purpose of the Bible. Certainly the earthly things of which Jesus speaks include the “all things” He promised! Faith in eternity rests on faith for the earthly things and promises for NOW. If we can’t, by grace, free ourselves from serving all things then how can we expect to live by faith?

Our life of earthly, all things, will in the end be judged as one of living by the law or by grace faith:

“My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” ^{Dt 8:17}

Or the many times repeated cry of the believer:

The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.

How Many Times (and From How Many Directions) Can and Should We Look at God’s Great Treasure – the Pearl of Great Price?

If we have sold all we have, everything, many times because the more we look at it the more precious and beautiful it becomes!