~Luke 16:15 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.
Today’s verse made me think about what is esteemed in today’s world. Just to name a few, I thought of:
- Wealth
- Philanthropy
- Knowledge
- Social Status
- Religious hierarchy
But God’s Word says that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in His sight! The Bible teaches:
~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?
When wealth is used for God’s glory, it is blessed by Him. However, most people who achieve wealth use it for selfish reasons. They then become less dependent on God and more dependent on themselves. The poor in spirit, however, depend on Him and are open to the salvation message.
~Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
It is good to do good works. However, when one does good works thinking that this will “outweigh” his sins and still gain him entrance into Heaven, he is sorely mistaken according to Scripture. Salvation is all about Christ and nothing to do with anything good in us. After salvation, however, Christians should be busy doing the work of Christ. Let’s get the works on the right side of salvation!
~Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
When you speak with a scholar, his thoughts are more on science and knowledge, not on the Scriptures. It seems that the smarter and educated someone is, the less they want to do with God. However, the Scriptures are the beginning and basis of all knowledge. When one excludes God in his thoughts and in his learning, he will come to a point where he will believe that there is no God.
~Luke 6:24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
Those who are up on the social status look down upon the lower echelon. They snub their noses and ignore the needs around them. The Word says that these people have their reward here on earth. Their status in eternity is what is important.
~Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Religious hierarchy is dangerous. The Pharisees and Sadducees were very knowledgeable yet they could not see that their Messiah was standing amongst them. Instead, they were stuck on keeping laws which they had created. In fact, they could not even keep these laws themselves but expected the laity to keep them (~Luke 11:46). Religions with a hierarchy structure are not concerned with the true meat of the Gospel but in furthering their religion. The hierarchy lives extremely well while the laity are kept in the dark. This keeps those with “position” in their jobs. They lead the laity to believe that only their priesthood is able to interpret Scriptures. They lead the laity to believe that they are the only ones with knowledge. It keeps the laity in bondage and prevents them from seeking the truth through God’s Word. Instead they receive interpretations created by the religious hierarchy to further their religion.
The world seeks knowledge but the believer seeks wisdom from God.
~Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
