COMPARE THE PAIR

Jesus told a rich young man to get rid of his fortune. The younf man left very sad, because he was very rich. Jesus then explained it was easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a needle than to enter heaven.

lCOMPARE THE PAIR

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When it comes to something precious gold and faith are opposites. 
They don’t compare.
Gold is precious and solid. We can see it, hold it, smelt it and shape it into jewellery, adornments, crowns, utensils.
Faith can’t be seen or held but it can be used to create miracles and change lives even move mountains. Faith is insubstantial.
Gold and faith are both important for our well-being here on earth and in eternity.
Gold can’t be carried with us into eternity but faith secures eternity.  Gold provides for us here on earth but just how well depends on how hard we work or even how good we are at obtaining it by fair means or foul means.
Faith can also provide for us here and now and it also depends how strong our faith is and what we place our faith in. If we place our faith in our self we might not succeed then again, we can succeed very well.  If we place our faith in a living, loving, God we will do very well. Perhaps not in the conventional way but God has his unique way of providing and caring for us in answer to our faith.

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we can use gold to do a lot of good. Sadly, the good we do doesn't buy us a pace in Heaven. Faith in Jesus Christ is God's criteria

​DIGGING FOR GOLD
Gold is prospected for.  It must be worked for. Hard work is need to acquire it.  Many men have died looking for the ore and dreaming of a mother lode that will make them rich.  Many people devise schemes to rob us of our hard earned cash and we slave at daily jobs to earn an honest buck. There is always the drive to obtain as much gold as we can for our old age and for the good life as depicted on the TV.  Gold in quantity gives us a life of ease, we can indulge our every whim, and please ourselves where we live and how we live.
Faith too, is a gift from God.  Faith is not given lightly, it has to be searched for.   According to our perseverance in our search, the depth of our search and an accepting of Jesus Christ’s death on our behalf, depends on whether faith grows within us.  God has said that without faith we cannot please him.  God has also said that he rewards those who seek him.  There is just one condition though, our search must be wholehearted, and we must be totally committed to searching. We will be rewarded for our search and will find God. 

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All that glitters is not gold. The brooch looks gold but it is a fake. Just looks pretty

FAITH IS HELD IN THE HEART.
Faith is ethereal it has no substance as does gold.
​But faith is rewarded with that which is substantial; the rewards of faith can be seen and held and enjoyed. When God sees our absolute faith in him, his blessings will flow as in provision, inner peace, and inner joy. God has said he is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or think and this is true when faith is totally placed in him.
Gold has to be left behind when we leave this world. Faith carries us into eternity.  Faith in God now ensures we have eternity now and after we depart this life. Whereas, gold never ensures eternity now or ever.
A wholehearted faith in a living, loving God enjoying his presence is a life of fulfilment. Whereas, life spent wholeheartedly seeking gold, loving gold, enjoying gold only satisfies for the moment.  When that pleasure is fulfilled we are looking for the next great moment to be bought with gold.  Faith’s great moments last, because faith is in a relationship with God, a person. An intimate relationship with God by faith.  

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Gold can buy us many things but it can't buy eternity. Only Faith in Jesus Christ will secure eternity.

​CAN’T BE BOUGHT
 
How much gold we amass here on earth will not cut it with God. 
God is not impressed by our efforts to gain gold, or how much good we do with our gold.  Faith, on the other hand, impresses God and he opens his heart to us.  Our faith allows God to execute his plan for our life, our faith in him causes his Spirit to birth and live within us.  We are then, his children, wholly and solely. Faith causes us to depend on God for everything. God, when he sees our dependency, is overjoyed and rewards us. We must realize that God’s provision does not come as a reward for our efforts but is a reward for our faith.
Gold can be taken from us, down turns in the economy, overspending, contribute to our loss of gold. Faith cannot be taken from us. Economic failures do not affect faith. God will never leave us. He promised not to and he is not a liar that he goes back on his word. We will never lose our eternal position given us by faith, because God never leaves us. Once he lives within our spirit he never leaves. 

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