In
the challenging statement that is used as a heading for this article Jesus
was not stating a new principle. In fact he was quoting from Due.
8:3. In all ages of time the Lord has tried to get his people to
realize that physical, material things are only to be used by us but that
our trust must be in the spiritual things. So, in this verse he said, “Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”
So
again let us plead for that spiritual emphasis for this life. Let
us determine to re-evaluate the things that are material so that we may
see the full and important values of the spiritual aspects of life. Often
all of us may show too much concern for “bread” for ourselves and others.
Indeed, he that will not work should not eat (II Thess. 2:10), and we are
to labor so that we may have to give of life’s necessities to others (Eph.
4:28). Yet we must remember that it would be better to starve our
body than to allow our soul to be deprived of the “bread of life.”
Material
things may satisfy some fleshly desires for a time, but lasting satisfactions
are to be had, even in this life, only through spiritual processes.
For instance:
1) A
man may accumulate much of this world’s goods in pursuit of security only
to find that bank accounts, properties, credit ratings, etc. are altogether
vain. These things may indeed vanish suddenly. Even if they
are kept, they cannot purchase the most prized possessions in this life,
such as health, friends, love, etc. Though one has not done wrong
simply by accumulating material things, he certainly fails completely if
he, to any degree puts his trust in such.
2) Parents may make
the mistake of putting the emphasis upon material things for their children.
They may sacrifice much to enable the children to have better educational
advantages and greater cultural opportunities. Such is not wrong,
but when those things become so dominant in our minds that they rise above
moral and spiritual considerations, then we have failed miserably.
Indeed, by this process parents may produce children who may rise to great
attainments in this life but who receive only eternal death in the life
to come. So many parents seem content if they are able to help the
children secure the material requirements for earthly success. But
love and labor is vain if the souls of the children are lost eternally.
Contrariwise, even if life is hard, even if they must be unskilled in labor
and unlettered in academics, if they can be trained to talk with God. to
honor the Lord and obey his Word, then life’s few years of trials will
not have fruitless but eternity’s rewards will be wonderful.
3) A church may secure
a good meeting house and furnish it with every convenience, only to learn
that a building never saved one soul. Indeed we must remember that
real growth and development of Christians is not produced by material facilities.
It is not wrong for a church to have a good building, properly furnished,
but it is vain to suppose that this will make the church fruitful.
God’s purposes are not accomplished by the things we can build, buy, purchase,
or supply with money. Rather, let us ever remember that “Righteousness
exalteth a nation” and that godliness, holiness and steadfastness among
God’s people, plus the preaching of the gospel are the means by which souls
are saved. Let the church not suppose she can prosper “by bread alone,”
for her power is for eternal good is measured and determined by what we
do and not by what we build.
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