In Matthew 10:28, Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Fear of the Lord is not like a thief fearing the police, nor like a defendant before a judge, but a reverent, loving fear of God. Sometimes you can tell how much someone fears the Lord simply by how they praise and worship Him.
So, if people do not understand the truth, the church’s response becomes, “What is your problem? Bring it to the Lord.” Ironically, many fear life’s problems but not eternal ones. Yet for those who understand the truth, all life’s problems can be resolved—even before death God can settle them—provided we live responsibly. There are laws and an order. What will not resolve itself is the problem of eternity and eternal salvation; that is what must be wrestled with.
We learn that to keep a ship from sinking, we must jettison cargo. Likewise, to keep the ship of our life afloat, we must unload unnecessary burdens. That means do not be entangled in worldly attachments. Too many believe God is good and powerful but do not truly know His Person, His plan, and His divine purpose. If it is only about meeting physical needs like food and drink, any deity could do that. But eternal salvation belongs only to the Father and His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. No one can introduce the Father except Jesus, and we have Jesus.
These days, many deceptions occur. If we only speak of pleasant things and good advice, many motivators can do that. But when the topic is perfection and heaven, only God’s Word is the answer. Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain; I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” The Greek word for “rubbish” is skubalon, which denotes not mere scrap paper but animal dung. Thus, to gain Christ, there must be a barter.
What prevents us from having Christ is the Devil. Behind the visible things, there are the devil’s maneuvers. The Devil prevents people from becoming perfect. Wicked people—gamblers, rapists, and adulterers—if they cannot be kept from coming to church, the Devil does not mind. They may still attend church, so long as they are not committed activists. But even if they are active, the Devil does not always block them; he keeps them from being total, from letting go of everything. The Devil knows that if we let go of everything, we will gain Christ.
That is the barter meant: if we let go of everything, we will gain Christ. Therefore, many Christians attend church faithfully—become activists, even pastors—but still hold back and do not surrender all; in truth, they do not gain Christ. Paul said, “I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ.” That is the principle of barter.
It is indeed very hard to let go of everything. Therefore, we must pray, “Guard me, Lord, lest I fail to desire Jesus and be unable to let go of all things.” Note that believing in God is like children trusting parents: obeying what is commanded. God teaches us that He is good and mighty—that is true. But God also teaches us to do whatever He commands. As He commanded the rich young man, “Sell all you have, give to the poor, and come, follow me.” That rich young man kept the law—his righteousness was based on doing the law, not trusting the Person of God. He honored parents, did not murder, did not commit adultery, yet he refused and could not trust the Person of the Lord.
By contrast, Abraham was told to leave Ur of the Chaldeans, and he went. Abraham was told to offer his son, and he obeyed. Yet even more astonishing is Jesus, who said, “Thy will be done,” and who was obedient unto death—even death on a cross.