Survey
of the Letters of Paul: 1 Timothy 6:7
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing
out.
And said, Naked
came I out - That is, destitute of
property, for so the connection demands;
compare 1Timothy 6:7; “For we brought
nothing into this world, and it is certain
we can carry nothing out.” And naked - Stripped of all, I shall go to the common mother of the race. This is exceedingly beautiful language; and in the mouth of Job it was expressive of the most submissive piety. It is not the language of complaint; but was in him connected with the deep feeling that the loss of his property was to be traced to God, and that he had a right to do as he had done. The Lord gave - Hebrew יהוה yehovâh. He had nothing when he came into the world, and all that he had obtained had been by the good providence of God. As “he” gave it, he had a right to remove it. Such was the feeling of Job, and such is the true language of submission everywhere. He who has a proper view of what he possesses will feel that it is all to be traced to God, and that he has a right to remove it when he pleases. And the Lord hath taken away - It is not by accident; it is not the result of haphazard; it is not to be traced to storms and winds and the bad passions of people. It is the result of intelligent design, and whoever has been the agent or instrument in it, it is to be referred to the overruling providence of God. Why did not Job vent his wrath on the Sabeans? Why did he not blame the Chaldeans? Why did he not curse the tempest and the storm? Why did he not blame his sons for exposing themselves? Why not suspect the malice of Satan? Why not suggest that the calamity was to be traced to bad fortune, to ill-luck, or or to an evil administration of human affairs? None of these things occurred to Job. He traced the removal of his property and his loss of children at once to God, and found consolation in the belief that an intelligent and holy Sovereign presided over his affairs, and that he had removed only what he gave. Blessed be the name of the Lord - That is, blessed be yahweh - the “name” of anyone in Hebrew being often used to denote the person himself. The Syriac, Arabic, and some manuscripts of the Septuagint here adds “forever.” - “Here,” says Schmid, “the contrast is observable between the object of Satan, which was to induce Job to renounce God, and the result of the temptation which was to lead Job to bless God.” Thus, far Satan had been foiled, and Job had sustained the shock of the calamity, and showed that he did not serve God on account of the benefits which be had received from him. ~Barnes Notes |
Let me tell you about the miracle at Medford,
Oregon and a man by the name of Richard Schwarz.
2] And it is certain we carry
nothing out.
We can carry nothing out
- compare Psalm 49:17.
Psalm 49:17
“For when he - the rich man - dieth, he shall carry
nothing away; his glory shall not descend after
him.”
Notice the commentary...
For when he dieth
- He must die. His wealth cannot save him
from the grave. It is always to be “assumed”
of rich people, as of all other men, that
they “will” have to die. The point is not
one which is to be argued; not one about
which there can be any doubt. Of all people,
whatever else may be said of them, it may
always be affirmed that they must die, and
important inferences may be always drawn
from that fact. He shall carry nothing away - It is not improbable that the apostle Paul had this passage in his eye in what he says in 1 Timothy 6:7, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out.” His glory shall not descend after him - His wealth, and those things which have been procured by wealth, as indicating station and rank, cannot accompany him to the other world. This is said to show that he is not to be “feared” on account of his wealth. The argument is, that whatever there is in wealth that seems to give power, and to afford the means of doing injury, must soon be separated from him. In respect to wealth, and to all the power derived from wealth, he will be like the most poor and penniless of mortals. All that he possesses will pass into other hands, and whether for good or for evil, it will no longer be in his power to use it. As this “must” occur soon - as it “may” occur in a moment - there is no reason to “fear” such a man, or to suppose that he can do permanent injury by any power derived from wealth. ~Barnes Notes |
Remember what is being said in this section of
Chapter 6 and verses 6-8 and actually back to verse
3.
1 Timothy 6:3-8
3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to
wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to
godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about
questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy,
strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and
destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is
godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is
certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith
content.
Verse 3: The doctrine of Christ is according
to godliness. The word, "godliness" is speaking to
our taking in the mind of Christ and being renewed
in our character. We develop the character of
Christ.
Verse 6: Two things here:
1) Godliness is great gain. Great gain meaning
eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
2) Godliness with contentment about the physical
aspects of life is great gain.
Verses 7 and 8 are further clarifying the profound
statement in verse 6. It is clarifying both what
godliness is and what our attitude toward money and
possessions should be. Therefore it is important
that after explaining what you cannot take with you
that we show what you can and will take with
you...the godliness.
From the booklet, "You
Can Take It With You"
You CAN "Take It With You" When You Die
Finally, consider: What of beloved family members
who have died, but who were never privileged to be
called into God's truth? What of those who, though
"good and decent people," were never truly converted
As you learned earlier, we human beings live in an
earthly "tabernacle," our physical bodies. But we
reside in our minds. Our memories are not stored in
our kneecaps, or our elbows, but in our minds.
The billions of human beings who will be resurrected
in the second resurrection—those who are the "rest
of the dead" who do not come up until after the
Millennium—are those who never had a real chance for
salvation.
What constitutes a chance?
From many, many scriptures, it is obvious that only
those who make a determined, conscious decision to
reject God's way of life, His wondrous love, His
gracious forgiveness—those who rebel against His
laws, and who willfully spurn His salvation will be
destroyed in Gehenna fire.
Jesus showed that the Pharisees and the majority of
the population of His time could not understand
because God had not opened their minds and hearts!
Read it! "And the disciples came, and said unto Him,
Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered
and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to
know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to
them it is not given ... therefore speak I to them
in parables: because they seeing see not; and
hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias,
which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not
understand, and seeing ye shall see, and shall not
perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross;
and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes
they have closed; lest at any time they should see
with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and
should understand with their heart, and should be
converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are
your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they
hear" (Matthew 13:10-16).
God has deliberately called some few from time to
time, but He has not called the masses! The churches
do not understand this. Millions assume some vast
"tug o' war" exists between Christ and Satan, Christ
trying desperately to "save the world," while Satan
struggles desperately to keep it "lost." This is a
lie of the devil, and portrays the devil as equally
strong, or stronger, than Christ.
Your Bible reveals that the vast majority are
blinded; that they are deceived. But a deceived
person does not know that he or she is deceived. A
deceived person can be completely sincere. He or she
can be honest, loyal, faithful, believing, loving,
caring, and sharing! A deceived person can be the
nicest person you ever met!
As my father was fond of saying, "What you don't
know, you don't know that you don't know!"
Now, consider the ramifications of these principles,
in the next verse: "For verily I say unto you, That
many prophets and righteous men have desired to see
those things which ye see, and have not seen them;
and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not
heard them" (Matthew 13:17).
Prophets and righteous men do not burn in Gehenna
fire simply because God, in His infinite wisdom,
chose not to reveal His plan of salvation unto them!
Such men will come up in the great, general "White
Throne Judgment" time.
Now, think!
When God resurrects the dead, it will as though they
had been dead for only a split second of time! So
far as they were concerned, they were alive one
moment: something happened, perhaps a wreck, or a
fall, or a crash, or a bullet! They felt virtually
nothing! Then, in a split second of time they are
alive again!
Their memory is intact. Their character is intact.
The kind of person they were is exactly the kind of
person they still are!
So you see, your loved ones and mine, who really
never consciously, rejected God and His salvation
will have a wonderful opportunity to repent, and to
be saved, in the Great White Throne Judgment!
Don't you believe that a person of good character
will have a running head start towards receiving
God's truth above those who had poor character? Of
course!
That is what I mean when I say, "You can take it
with you when you die," meaning your character!
In summary, then, we have seen there are THREE
resurrections revealed in the Bible. The first is
the dead in Christ. The second is the "rest of the
dead" who "lived not again until the thousand years
were finished," the dead, in the vast majority, who
come up for a one-hundred year period of judgment.
But this leaves one category of human beings not yet
resurrected: the incorrigibly wicked! They are
typified by the rich man of Luke 16, and called by
the grisly phrase "death and the grave." They come
up at the end of this phase of God's plan (2 Peter
3:12) when the earth itself is destroyed by fire.
Then, God says: Nevertheless we, according to His
promise, look for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13).
What of those "new heavens and new earth"?
God says: "And God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes; and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be
any more pain: for the former things are passed
away. And He that sat upon the throne said, BEHOLD,
I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW!" (Revelation 21:4-5).
Believe it or not, this is the true BEGINNING of the
great plan of God.
Now, every being on earth is divine. Now, all are
finally members of God's great, expanded family!
What then?
Our known universe contains countless galaxies,
Galaxies can contain hundreds of billions of stars!
Each star, of which our own sun is but an "orange
dwarf as an example, could hold in its gravitational
field any number of planets.
Why do you suppose God has created all those
galaxies, all those suns, all those billions upon
billions of planets?
Today, they are lifeless, empty, vain, waste, and
chaotic.
So was our planet earth, until the One called Elohim
said "Let there be light!"
Do you suppose He could ever do it again?
What about those who become "co-heirs with Christ"?
Could they ever be called upon to go to a distant
planet? Your God and mine is Creator. He has a
great, fathomless purpose in all He does.
Perhaps, far from the "end" time, the time of the
new heavens and the new earth are but "the
beginning." ~End
quote from the booklet~
Let us finish with some quotes on the subject of
being content...
“Any so-called material thing that you want is
merely a symbol: you want it not for itself, but
because it will content your spirit for the moment.”
~Mark Twain
“Happiness consists not in having much, but in being
content with little.”
“He that deserves nothing should be content with
anything”
“Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich
men poor.” ~Ben Franklin
“If you can't be content with what you have
received, be thankful for what you have escaped”
“Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be
content in our everyday life and share with the
people the same happiness.”
"A Sabbath well-spent brings a week of contentment."
Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and
be content with such things as ye have: for he hath
said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Philippians 4:11-13
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have
learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be
content.
12 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.
13 I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.
Psalm 16:8-11 ...remembering our sermon
on
Assiduity and giving all actions, burdens and
concerns to God
8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he
is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory
rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither
wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy
presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there
are pleasures for evermore.