Where Are Our Treasures?

Recently we were reading Matt 6.19-21 in our devotions. I was especially challenged by our Lord's words in verse 21: 'For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also'.

The cosmic perspective into which this passage fits is the heaven-and-earth milieu (that dominates all of holy Scripture). Jesus' teaching challenges his hearers to assess their attitudes and heart-commitments in the light of heaven.

Sadly, at least 'down-under', the idea of heaven is blanketed by the passing parade of 'the moment'. Only impending death or close misses focus minds enough to consider a possible 'afterlife'. However, quickly we go back to working ourselves to death (Prov 23.4-5); perhaps with brief recourse to 'amusing ourselves to death' (as Neil Postman called it) with television and mobile phone games.

For some time I've noticed the absence of talk about 'heaven' and the 'resurrection of the body' in some Christian circles where it was once dominant. Many Christians seem to be comfortable with this present world and what it offers.

The Matthean passage's focuses on 'treasures' or riches of two types. The first type of treasures are are susceptible to the effects of moths and rust for these can spoil them. Thieves can also steal them. It is evident that they are things like money, precious metals or things made out of metals, desirable goods and garments.

The second type of treasures can be stored up in heaven and there they cannot be tarnished, degraded or stolen. 

What are these 'treasures'? In 1 Tim 6.17-19, Timothy is told to command those who are rich in this present age, 'not to be haughty', 'nor to trust in uncertain riches' but,

in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

To be 'rich in good works' is a gracious state because it reflects the character of the God who gives richly to all mankind. In Acts 10.38, Jesus is said to have gone around, 'doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him'. 

Jesus reflected the character of His heavenly Father and so should we in every area of life and particularly to those who are of the household of faith.

We may not be millionaires but we have enough to do 'good works' with what we have. Good works cannot wash away our sins - only the blood of Jesus can do that - but good works are the outworking (Eph 2.8-10; Phil 2.12-13) of becoming a child of God (Jn 1.12). 

The Goodness and Severity of God

D. A. Carson gives this short, balanced recital of the gospel of salvation including the important themes of 'the goodness and severity of God' (Rom 11.22).

There is one God who has made us. He is the Sovereign of all and is our final judge. He finds our rebellion against Him entirely unacceptable. He stands over against us in judgement. We ought to fear Him.

But mercifully He is also a God of love who is prepared to reconcile us to Himself by sending His only Son to bear our sins in His body on the cross.

First, consider the . . . severity of God

Romans 11.22 comes from the important section of Romans 9-11 which deals with the vexing issue of why it is that Israel as a nation has not received Jesus as its Messiah. 

Paul expounds this theme at some length. He also presses home the implications of what he's been saying on the Roman Gentiles to whom he writes. He insists that if God didn't spare the Israelites because of their unbelief then neither will He spare them (Rom 11.21).

As we know, our present age is scandalised generally by the thought of a God Who judges mankind. It wants only a god of indulgent 'love' because then it can escape all thought of accountability for sin.

The truth is mankind doesn't act like this itself in the face of injustice, abuse, and extreme acts of wrongdoing. If an horrendous murder and rape occurs, 'society' demands appropriate retribution; it requires judgement be meted out judicially and woe betide anyone who asks for mercy.

If it can discern injustice so keenly at times, does it suppose that God is any less able to judge not only actions but also the hearts of those made in His image? (Rom 2.1-3).

According to the Scriptures, God judged the world by a giant flood; He judged apostate angels (Jude 6), destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their evil perverse ways (Jude 7), punished Egypt for refusing to let Israel go (Jude 5) and afterwards the same God judged and punished Israel for their disobedience (Amos 3.1-6; Isa 45.5-7).

Not long after the inception of the early church at Pentecost (Acts 2.1-39) God the Holy Spirit judged Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5.1-11) with death causing fear to come upon both 'the church and all who heard about these things' (Acts 5.11).

Second, consider the goodness . . . of God

The context of God's goodness in this passage is that Gentiles by confession and belief from the heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead receive salvation (Rom 10.9).  They are saved from the penalty of sin which is the fierce displeasure of God, His severity.

Although we were once those who were 'without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope and without God in the world' (Eph 2.12) we are 'now in Christ Jesus' (Eph 2.13a). Once 'far off' from God Himself and the people of God, they are made 'near by the blood of Christ' (Eph 2.13b).

That being so, we are also the ones who should be mindful of severity of God (1 Cor 10.1-13) as well as his loving-kindness (Ps 103.1-18).

Who was John Bunyan?

John Bunyan (1628-1688) was a puritan Christian writer and preacher who wrote about 60 books (see here) and pamphlets which are still read today.

He lived in the turbulent 17th century of English history which saw the execution of Charles I (1600-1649) for treason after he had been defeated in a civil war with the 'Model Army' (Parliamentary army) organised by Oliver Cromwell.

Bunyan, though born of poor parents, was sent to school and learned to read and write which would figure so prominently in his future. He served as a soldier on the Parliamentary side against the Royalist forces. According to his own words, he cursed, swore, lied, and blasphemed the Lord's name. Yet, he was at the same time troubled by visions of hell-fire.


After his discharge around 1648 he married a poor but godly young woman whose dowry was two explicitly Christian books. The contents of these, along with a certain John Gifford, a pastor of an independent chapel, led to his conversion to Christ after a long* struggle.

With his conversion, he began to preach (unlicenced) which was allowed in the 'Commonwealth Period', the hiatus between Charles I and his son, Charles II. During the Commonwealth, Oliver Cromwell was the Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland (1649-1658). 

However, the monarchy returned after the ineffectual, short administration of Richard Cromwell (Oliver's son). Charles II (1660-1685) enforced the  Church of England Prayer Book services on all his subjects; consequently Bunyan was indicted on an old 16thC law regarding failure to attend such services and imprisoned** for six years and then a further six years.

He wrote one of his famous works, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, an autobiographical work, during his first six years. 

His most famous work, The Pilgrim's Progress (1678), was conceived during his first six-year incarceration and perhaps written during the later imprisonment. A second part describing the journey of Christian's wife, Christiana to the Heavenly City was published in 1684.

Finally in 1672, Charles II issued a Declaration of Indulgence which saw Bunyan released from prison and soon after receive a licence to preach as an Independent (so-called because these people were independent of the established Church of England). However, Charles revoked this Indulgence in 1675 and Bunyan went back to prison for a short while. 

He was then pardoned, probably through the mediation of the Quakers who were also looking for relief from state persecution. By this time, John Bunyan was famous enough^# never to be imprisoned again.

I have written about Bunyan because it is always timely to reflect on those who have gone before us as our spiritual ancestors in the faith of Christ Jesus.

*Bunyan struggled with depression and (what we would call today) an obsessive-compulsive disorder, most notably before he became a Christian. The effects of these conditions made his salvation journey an arduous one. 
**He wasn't always kept in close confinement which seemed to relate to the mood of the various gaolers.
^#Ironically, the Anglican church accords John Bunyan a 'lesser' feast day to commemorate his work in its yearly calendar!