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WEEKLY
Volume 4 Number 26
22 November 2009
A Godly and
Contented Heart
(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the
Worship Service, 2:00 pm, Nov 22, 09)
Text: 1 Tim 6:6-11
Many in this world are not satisfied
with what they have. They want more money, more property, more wealth,
more modern and luxurious lifestyle, more pleasures and entertainments,
etc to enjoy their lives! They do not know that they are deceiving
themselves by thinking that all the material riches or wealth may give
them a happy, meaningful and satisfied life. Satan knows what bait is
suitable for different types of people. If he cannot threaten or
discourage them through persecutions or trials, he will use the things
of this world, “the care of this world, the deceitfulness of riches”
(people are deceived by thinking that they may have true happiness
through riches) (Matt 13:22), and “the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) to choke God’s Word
and their spiritual life and to draw many away from God and His
salvation. They spend so much time and energy in what they love and
pursue that they have no time for the Lord and God’s Word in personal
devotion, Bible study or Worship! Disappointedly, in the end, they found
out that neither anyone nor anything in this world can truly make
their hearts happy or satisfied for long. Despite all his fame, wisdom,
success, achievements, riches and wealth, King Solomon bitterly said,
“I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour
that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of
spirit, and there was no profit under the sun” (Eccl 2:11), and
“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that
loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity” (Eccl 5:10). It
is a great blessing and great gain if you and I have a godly and
contented heart. Many may laugh at us or look down on us, but this is
the truth, “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim
6:6). What is the great gain if you and I have a godly and contented
heart?
Godliness versus Ungodliness
Godliness in Greek is eusebeia;
and with 15 occurrences, the KJV translates as “godliness” 14 times, and
“holiness” once. Eusebeia means ‘devotion, piety toward God…
literally means well–directed reverence… the demonstration of
a good and worshipful attitude toward God when spoken of the Christian,
is the proper attitude of reverence toward God akin to hagiótēs (41),
holiness, sanctity… it denotes a life that is acceptable to
Christ, indicating the proper attitude of the believer toward Christ who
has saved him” (Zodhiates). It is “piety, reverence, loyalty,
fear of God… godly faith… godly acts” (BAGD).
Then if you and I have a godly heart,
we must fear God, worship Him, trust in Him, and live a holy life
acceptable unto Him according to His Word.
For the ungodly who fail to fear God,
to worship Him, to trust in Him, and to live a holy life according to
His Word, they shall be judged and condemned, “Therefore the ungodly
shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the
righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of
the ungodly shall perish” (Ps 1:5-6), and “But the heavens and
the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved
unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men”
(2 Peter 3:7).
Contentment versus Covetousness
Contentment in Greek is autarkeia;
and with two occurrences, the KJV translates as “sufficiency” once, and
“contentment” once. Self–sufficiency in a good sense, sufficiency
with oneself as spoken of a satisfied mind or disposition. Spoken of the
necessities of life (2 Cor. 9:8); contentment (1 Tim. 6:6) (Zodhiates).
Then if you and I have a contented
heart, we shall be content with what God has given to us with a thankful
heart and without any murmuring or complaint.
On the contrary, those who are
covetous always want more and more without end. Covetousness is idolatry
before God, and those who are covetous cannot inherit the kingdom of
Christ and of God, “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor
unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph 5:5) because
they have broken the 10th commandment of God, “Thou shalt
not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s
wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass,
nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s” (Exod 20:17)
Blessings for the Godly and
Contented in Heart
Godliness and contentment is great
gain because
God’s much better blessings are for
the godly:
“the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will
hear when I call unto him”
(Ps 4:3), and “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of
temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be
punished” (2 Peter 2:9), and “Better is little with the fear of
the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner
of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” (Prov
15:16-17), and “Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness,
than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich” (Prov
28:6), and “A little that a righteous man hath is better than the
riches of many wicked” (Ps 37:16). To have God with us and for us is
great gain!
We are not deceived by worldly values,
mindsets, and materialism:
The world and everything in it, even our physical life, will pass away,
and we can bring nothing with us, “For we brought nothing into this
world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim 6:7), and
“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth
the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17). Without God’s
truth, many are like the foolish rich man who forgets the fact that his
soul may be required of tonight and he will surely have to leave
everything even his loved ones behind, “But God said unto him, Thou
fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall
those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up
treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:20-21),
and “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?” (Matt 16:26). Knowing that the world and everything will pass
away, we shall take care of our spiritual life, invest our lives for
eternity and be prepared to meet the Lord, and surely we shall not be
regretful or ashamed when our Lord comes, “Seeing then that all these
things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all
holy conversation and godliness” (2 Peter
3:11) and “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast,
unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye
know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58). It
is great gain to live for the living and true God and with eternity’s
values in view.
With a contented heart, we shall not
be tempted to fall into sins, and this will keep us from regrets,
bitterness, hurts, sorrows, destruction or perdition:
“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into
many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction
(ólethros) and
perdition (apó̄leia).
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted
after, they have erred (to go astray from, swerve from) from the
faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim
6:9-10). Money is necessary, but it is not everything. Money is
necessary but the love of money is the root of all evil. Zodhiates gives
a clear distinction between ólethros and
apó̄leia,
“ólethros and apó̄leia occur together referring to
those who determine to be rich. In this instance, ólethros refers to the
actual physical death of those who desire to be rich by any means such
as Judas, Ananias and Sapphira. Apó̄leia, on the
other hand, refers to separation from God Himself …. Ólethros speaks
more of the way in which destruction comes than of the state in which a
lost person is found. It refers specifically to the destruction of the
flesh (1 Cor. 5:5). Apó̄leia, on the other hand,
refers to the destruction or the perishing of the whole personality.”
It is great gain to be contented and to be kept from all snares,
temptations, hurts, sorrows, destruction or perdition.
How to Have a Godly and Contented
Heart
Be Born Again:
God’s Word confirms, “For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts,
covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye,
blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from
within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:21-23). Therefore, to have a
godly and contented heart, you and I must be sure that we are born again
by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit (John 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23) when we
sincerely repent of our sins and wholeheartedly trust in and humbly
submit to the Lord and His Word. There is no other way.
Know and Appreciate the Lord Himself:
We can easily count all things but loss or but dung if we know and
appreciate our Lord Jesus Christ, “Yea doubtless, and I count all
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them
but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him” (Phil
3:8-9). Paul even said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain” (Phil 1:21). How about you and me?
Seek God First and Trust in Him Day by
Day: Our Lord
Jesus Christ teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”
(Matt 6:11) with a day-by-day trust in our heavenly Father,
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?
or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after
all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye
first the kingdom
of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you” (Matt 6:31-33).
Shall you and I do that?
Learn to Be Content with What God Has
Given to Us:
“And having food and raiment let us be therewith content”
(1 Tim 6:10). By our Lord’s grace
and strength, let us learn to be content like Paul, “I have coveted
no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel” (Acts 20:33) and “I have
learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both
how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all
things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound
and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me” (Phil 4:11-13).
Follow Jesus Christ with Godliness and
Contentment: Let
us follow our Lord Jesus Christ, our Perfect Example and be like Him,
“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (1 Tim
6:11).
Conclusion
Dear friends, “the world passeth
away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth
for ever” (1 John 2:17), and “the things which are seen are
temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor
4:18). May the Lord graciously help you and me appreciate Him, rejoice
in Him, seek Him first, trust in Him day by day, live a godly life, and
learn to be content with and thankful for what He has given to us,
“always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that
your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58). May the Lord
help you and me find true happiness, rest and satisfaction in Himself
alone. Do you and I have a godly and contented heart?
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