Loving The Neighbor Concerning His Goods
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 9/11/2011 AM |
Text: | Mark 10:17ff; Lord's Day 42 |
Psalters: | 285, 330, 402, 59 |
- The right perspective.
- This commandment shows God to be the Owner of all, Who distributes as He will, and Who demands an accounting.
- God distributes earthly things in three orderly and proper ways: through work, inheritance, and gifts.
- God distributes earthly things without His giving them up, for they remain His and He requires an accounting and returns.
- Man is but a steward, accountable to God for the care of that which God puts under him for a while.
- The parable of the talents teaches that God entrusts us with some of His wealth, in order to increase His wealth.
- The purpose of man’s dominion of earthly creation was to subdue it and rule it by cultivating and not by exploiting it.
- This is especially the case with those adopted into God’s family.
- The failure to use God’s gifts to His glory is identified as a sin (I Cor. 10:31), specifically, the sin of stealing.
- The fallen world in which we live emphasizes rights rather than responsibilities.
- God emphasizes what we owe our neighbor, not what we might expect from them.
- The problem is traced to our corrupt heart (not to poverty or lack of education and of opportunity.
- We steal from God in many ways.
- We steal from our neighbor when we take advantage of him so he has a loss.
- There are right motivations for keeping this commandment.
- Follow the example of Jesus Who was/is the perfect steward.
- Only those united to Christ by faith can live by faith as true stewards.
- Obedience expresses our loving gratitude for God’s unspeakable Gift and for all His gifts to us.
- Let us be ever grateful for God’s unspeakable Gift, and His many other gifts.