GOD’S WORD FOR JULY 28 ~ ~ Colossians 3:23-24 ~ ~ “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
Excerpts from “The Pleasures of God” by John Piper
One lesson to be learned already from this is that God has an interest in our nonreligious life. All our business transactions are his concern. God is not so distant or even so “religious” that he only cares about what happens in our religious life.
Every square inch of this earth is his and every minute of our lives is a loan from his breath. He is much more secular than we often think.
We are to submit to the Lordship of Christ. One of the high-ranking executives of McDonald’s Corporation is supposed to have said, “I believe in God, family, and McDonald’s. But when I get to the office, I reverse the order.” This is NOT submission to the Lordship of Christ.
On the other hand:Abraham Kuyper said “There is not an inch of any sphere of life over which Jesus Christ does not say, “Mine” God is passionately concerned with the way we do our business…and live our lives.
Someone brought out this truth: “Is it not a solemn thought, that the eye of God marks all our common dealings in life, either as an ABOMINATION OR A DELIGHT?” We should test ourselves. Are we being shaped more by the secular spirit of the world or by the Spirit of God? The test is this: do we feel that minor business misrepresentations are only part of the game rules of the day or are they an abomination to God? Is God’s will the first and foremost concern in all our political and business dealings, or only in some personal and domestic areas? God’s pleasure in obedience extends passionately to the public sphere of life.
Why is the justice of believers in the public sphere a pleasure to God? We have already shown that obedience is the outworking of faith. So the obedience of public justice glorifies God when it grows out of a heart that is trusting in his promises and is satisfied in his protection and care.
“Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Mt 5:16) Just and honest dealings make the saving, satisfying lordship of God visible.
Proverbs 20:17 says, “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.” In other words, when we use false balances or lie on our tax returns, misrepresent the facts in our dealings, we are declaring that the fleeting sweetness of sin is more to be desired than the everlasting peace of God. This is no honor to God and therefore no pleasure to his heart. “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.”