We hear much talk these days about investing in gold and silver as the dollar plummets. Certainly, gold and silver are better investments than the worthless FIAT currency issued by the criminal Federal Reserve bankers. Real estate is also a tangible investment that is far better than paper currency that has no inherent value.
But the greatest investment you could ever make is in serving God. Jesus advised us to LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN. Amen! How does one lay up treasures in Heaven? We'll, the first thing is to make sure that you're going to Heaven. Jesus said that a person cannot enter into Heaven unless they are born-again (John 3:3-7).
Note: All Scriptures references are from the trustworthy King James Bible.
Salvation is simple... we are the SINNERS and Jesus is the SAVIOR! Salvation is freely given (Romans 5:15), freely offered (Romans 10:13), and freely received (Revelation 22:17). Eternal life is the gift of God (Romans 6:23). Jesus came into the world to SAVE SINNERS (John 3:17). Jesus paid our sin debt (Galatians 1:4). Jesus was crucified, died, was buried and then rose again three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus bodily ascended into Heaven and applied His literal blood to the Mercyseat in the presence of the Father (Hebrews 9:12,24). The invitation for salvation is extended to WHOSOEVER (John 3:16). God does NOT want any sinner to perish (2nd Peter 3:9).
Salvation happens when a person acknowledges their guilt of sin, and comes to God on the basis of being a hell-deserving sinner, and believes on Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, to forgive their sins and save them. Thus, we are saved solely by Christ's righteousness; and not by any self-righteousness of our own (2nd Corinthians 5:21). We are saved by God's grace through our faith in the Son of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). There is NO other way to be saved than through the Person of Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:10-12). If you want to one day enjoy eternal peace, joy and blessing in Heaven, then you must be born-again in Christ Jesus, i.e., having He Who is the beginning born in you (Revelation 1:8).
If you are a child of God, then you have the wonderful opportunity to LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN. There are numerous ways to lay up treasures in Heaven, but the greatest way is to preach the Gospel, for there will be no greater joy in Heaven than to meet souls whom were saved because we shared the Gospel with them, and they received Jesus Christ. God has promised to greatly reward those who suffer persecution for their Christian testimony (Luke 6:22-23). The purpose of this article isn't to discuss the various rewards, crowns and honors that will be given in Heaven; but rather, to bring attention to the shallowness of pursuing worldly treasures, when we ought to be laying up treasures in eternity.
Carefully notice that Jesus said Christians can lay up treasures IN HEAVEN (Matthew 6:20). There is NO truly safe investment in this sinful world. Even gold and silver are not the best investments, for many reasons, the biggest being that you can't take any of it with you when you die. 1st Timothy 6:8, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” Why work in toil, spin your wheels, and lay up treasures in this temporary world, when you cannot take any of it with you? In view of eternity, all worldly investments are poor choices. It is sad that so many professed Christians today are money-hungry. If they are truly saved, they will not have many rewards in Heaven, because they spent their life laying up treasures on earth, when they could have been preaching the Gospel, helping the poor, contending for the Christian faith, taking a Biblical stand for God, and winning lost souls to Jesus Christ.
Daniel 12:3, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” I believe this Scripture speaks concerning the people who will one day be in Heaven because we told them about Jesus and how they could be saved. What a joy it will be to meet people in Heaven, who were saved through our humble labors in the Lord. Certainly, we cannot save anybody and it is solely God Who giveth the increase (1st Corinthians 3:6-7). However, God has promised to richly reward each believer for the time and effort spent witnessing to lost souls with the Good News of Jesus Christ (1st Corinthians 3:8).
Romans 10:15b, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” God is greatly pleased with the soulwinner and calls their feet beautiful. Why the feet? It's because we are able to bring the Gospel to people with our feet. This Scripture is evidence that God wants us to go where the sinners are and BRING GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS, i.e., the Gospel, to them. Today, Christians have the wonderful opportunity via the internet to bring the Gospel to millions of lost sinners. Amen! God commissions us, as Christian believers, to GO forth preaching the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20). This is how we LAY UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN.
The soulwinner's treasures in Heaven will be many, but the greatest treasures will be the souls of men who were saved through our soulwinning efforts, and they will thank us for caring about them enough to share the Gospel with them.
Jesus also gives us the reason why we should lay up treasures in Heaven instead of here on earth... “where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matthew 6:20). Thieves are plenteous here on earth. It is frustrating when a person goes to work, earns their pay, buys something valuable, enjoys the fruits of their labors, and then a thief steals it. It is a horrible evil to steal, a violation of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:15, “Thou shalt not steal.” There are MANY thieves in the world today. The wonderful thing about laying up treasures in Heaven is that no one, and I mean no one, can steal your eternal treasures. This fact alone makes it the best investment by far. I don't want to spend my life making money, so some crook(s) can steal it away from me one day. If nothing else, the government will confiscate your wealth when your health fails.
Ecclesiastes 5:13-15, “There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.” Oh, if only people would study the Bible. Jesus told us in John 5:39 to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES! The Bible has MUCH to say about money, investments and eternal rewards. Contrary to all the false prophets who exploit the Bible to get rich (2nd Peter 2:1-3), claiming that God wants us all to be financially rich; Jesus told us to forget the cares, riches and pleasures of this world (Luke 8:14); and instead lay up TREASURES IN HEAVEN. Very few Christians obey the Scriptures, and instead attach a dollar sign to everything. They have their reward.
God will reward those believers the most, who serve God freely without making an issue of money. God deliver us from greedy religious people. The Apostle Paul said in 1st Corinthians 9:14 that they who preach the Gospel should also live of the Gospel; but he didn't say ministers should get filthy rich, become fat cats, drive a Mercedes, and live like kings. The Bible is the most exploited, abused and misinterpreted Manuscript in the world. Honest students of the Word of God apply 1st Timothy 6:10 to any situation involving money, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, THEY HAVE ERRED FROM THE FAITH, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
May we as believers commit the rest of our lives to soulwinning—giving out Bibles, helping the poor while witnessing to them, contending for the Christian faith against those who dare corrupt the simplicity that is in Christ, and forsake the love of money which has turned all of America's churches into businesses. The safest and best investment we can ever make is to LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN.
