The Narrow Gate

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and money.

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.

And he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

These words always cut me to the quick...especially in these days when prosperity and the economy are lifted up as a "god"...even human life means nothing compared to the stock market numbers.

God help me...help Your church to hear the words of Jesus...help us Lord to let You sift our hearts and sanctify them in Your truth...not in cultural values...help us to love You with our whole hearts...in Jesus name I pray.

Quote:
(2.) We have no other way to prove ourselves the servants of God than by giving up ourselves so entirely to his service as to make mammon, that is, all our worldly gain, serviceable to us in his service (v. 13): No servant can serve two masters, whose commands are so inconsistent as those of God and mammon are. If a man will love the world, and hold to that, it cannot be but he will hate God and despise him. He will make all his pretensions of religion truckle to his secular interests and designs, and the things of God shall be made to help him in serving and seeking the world. But, on the other hand, if a man will love God, and adhere to him, he will comparatively hate the world (whenever God and the world come in competition) and will despise it, and make all his business and success in the world some way or other conducive to his furtherance in the business of religion; and the things of the world shall be made to help him in serving God and working out his salvation. The matter is here laid plainly before us: Ye cannot serve God and mammon. So divided are their interests that their services can never be compounded. If therefore we be determined to serve God, we must disclaim and abjure the service of the world.

Matthew Henry ~ E-Word Today

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from this world.

And this world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:15-17