“The Deal of Your Life”

Heavenly Father, soon we will die. Like the leaves of a tree that fall to the ground, so some will sleep in Jesus. It will be an experience of peace, sweetness and rest. Others will die in their sins, without Christ, without salvation, and with the wrath of God still abiding upon them. Therefore, O God, we pray that you help us to be very aware of our impending departure from this world. We thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, who has taken away your wrath from all those who will trust in him and surrender to him who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. We pray, O heavenly Father, that you help us to be sober-minded this morning, because we have a tendency not to think about the serious issues of life. We are interested in happy things and pleasure, and we do not want to think that there will be an end to every person. “It is appointed for man once to die, and then comes the judgment.” So help us, O Lord, as long as our minds are working to think seriously. Help us to trust in Jesus Christ alone, so that when that time comes, we will die in peace and sleep in Jesus Christ our Lord. We pray this in Christ’s name. Amen.

This morning I want to speak on the subject, “The Deal of Your Life.” We have heard recently about some good deals. Disney tried to acquire Cap Cities/ABC and it was billed “The Deal of a Lifetime.” And it was reported that Warren Buffett, on the basis of that deal, made $2.25 billion. We also heard of a deal a Japanese man made. He bought a painting of a flower for $52 million, and he loves this deal, this treasure, so much that he wants to be buried with it. So people are making deals every day, and I want to speak to you about the deal of your life.

In this portion of scripture, Matthew 13:44-46, we are given two very short parables regarding the kingdom of heaven. Together they speak of the same truth to us. You may find the kingdom of God accidentally, or you may find the kingdom of God by seeking it. But the chief point of comparison in these two parables is this, that there is only one way to take possession of this treasure called the kingdom of heaven.

The kingdom of God has come in Jesus Christ! It is a kingdom, a rule of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is unlike all the kingdoms of this world. It is a kingdom that wars against the kingdom of this world, which is under Satan, and this kingdom of heaven completely defeats every other kingdom. God’s kingdom is a kingdom which alone has all authority and power to set the captives of Satan free forever. It is a kingdom that alone meet the need of every sinner. The kingdom of God in Jesus Christ forgives all our sins, removes all our guilt, removes once for all the wrath of God that is upon the sinner, and removes eternal judgment and hell. For a sinner, the kingdom of God alone removes slavery to fear, especially the fear of death. The kingdom of God is the realm of eternal life, righteousness, and of true and lasting joy.

So these parables are teaching that this glorious kingdom of God has now come in Jesus Christ. It is forcefully advancing, defeating every opposition. Jesus said, “‘The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news of the kingdom is preached to the poor.'” (Matthew 11:5-6) Notice, it is preached to the poor. The King of this kingdom, Jesus of Nazareth, the eternal Son of God, has come, but not to seek the righteous, not to heal the healthy, not to enrich the rich, nor to seek those who are not lost. Jesus has come to make the poor rich, to send the rich away empty, to heal the sick and send the healthy away sick. He has come to find the lost and to lead those who are not lost into complete confusion and bewilderment. He has come to save the sinner and condemn the self-righteous. And the way to this kingdom is Jesus Christ. He is the way, the gate, the door, the key, the only King and only Savior. He is the promised Messiah He has come, searching for his people, and he will save his people.

The Discovery of This Deal

My first point is the discovery of this deal. Due to frequent wars and lack of banks, in ancient times in Israel people buried their treasures. But sometimes they never came back, because of death or amnesia or whatever, to recover the hidden treasure. So in this parable we find a man plowing or digging the field who accidentally discovers a treasure.

I remember a situation about forty-five years ago, when a charismatic preacher, after prayer, said he received a revelation from God. So he took a shovel and went out to dig for treasure. He said he was guided by Isaiah 45, verse 3, which says this: “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places.” This preacher was very greedy for money and Satan deceived him with the scripture. He worked hard all night with his shovel, but did not find any treasure and went home disappointed. That is a true story.

But the man in this parable was working in field of another, and he came upon this hidden treasure accidentally. This is like Philippian jailer in Acts 16. He was about to kill himself and Paul said, “Don’t do it!” The jailer cried out and said, “What must I do to be saved?” And the answer came back to him in the night from inside the jail: “‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.'”

So this man discovered this treasure accidentally and then he covered it again, which was a smart move. PGM If he had taken it out right away, the owner of the field could legally claim the treasure. So the man covered it up and went away to sell all that he had so he could buy it.

The pearl merchant was in the business of seeking the finer things of life. He dealt in precious and beautiful things, traveling great distances to seek for pearls. Unlike the man who accidentally bumped into hidden treasure, this pearl merchant was a seeker of truth. He liked to study philosophy. He wanted to know answers to life’s fundamental questions: “Where do I come from? Where am I going? Is there a God? Is there life after death? Why is there war and conflict in the world? Why is there death?” He was not just interested in making money or eating and drinking, buying and selling, marrying and giving in marriage, planting and harvesting. He read great books. He read books on various religions, but he was not satisfied. What he discovered was treasure, but it was the treasure that will become ashes, the kind that moth destroys, rust destroys, and thieves break in and steal.

He was still seeking that one pearl of the greatest price – polutimos , in the Greek – and he did find it. Yes, the worker found it accidentally, and the merchant found it after some search. But how could these people understand intellectually that what they found was really the treasure of infinite value, of infinite worth? How can a sinner recognize this treasure, the pearl of great price? We read in the Holy Scriptures that every unbeliever is blinded by Satan that he would not recognize Jesus Christ and be saved.

In 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 St. Paul said: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the eyes of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” And I am sure there are people here today who are so blinded. You have lived many, many years. You have heard about Jesus Christ many times, but you are so blinded that you just cannot recognize the infinite worth of this Jesus Christ. You are like those who spoke about Jesus in this way in Isaiah 53: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not. . . we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted,”because he was the worst sinner who lived on the face of the earth. That’s what the unbeliever would say to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?”

The Recognition of This Deal

Unbelievers are incapable of recognizing the glory and beauty and the infinite worth of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. And so Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:14, The natural man, the unspiritual man, the man without the Holy Spirit, cannot understand things that are spiritual. Paul says we understand the gospel through the Holy Spirit he has given us. In Romans 8 we read that the mind of an unbeliever is at enmity with God. An unbeliever is an enemy of God, opposed to God. He comes to church, but that doesn’t make any difference. He is an enemy in his heart, and it is impossible for him or her to recognize the glory of Jesus Christ unless God gives him understanding. Let me give you some examples of people who did not recognize this Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God, the Savior of the world, the King of the kingdom, who alone is able to usher you into it, that you may have righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. There was a fellow named Felix who was a procurator of Judea. Let’s look at what he said in response to the gospel that was articulated to him by St. Paul himself. In Acts 24, beginning with verse 24 we read: “Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid, and said, ‘That’s enough for now. You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.'” Blinded! He couldn’t understand who Jesus Christ is. Oh, he was a powerful man. He was a politician and a wealthy man. But he was an unbeliever. Blinded! In Acts 26 you find Agrippa and Festus, two great people, two politicians, two powerful people. They had the privilege of listening to Paul but they did not believe in him. Look at Pontius Pilate, who saw Jesus Christ face to face. Jesus spoke to him, but his eyes were blinded. The religious authorities, the Sadducees, Pharisees and the Sanhedrin, heard from the mouth of Jesus Christ himself, but they did not recognize him at all. Judas stayed with Jesus for three years. We know what he loved: money. He was a greedy person. He was looking for a political Messiah who would increase the wealth of Judas. And after three years of association with Jesus Christ, this blind man sold Jesus for that which he worshiped, 30 pieces of silver. And we have read about Demas. Paul says that at the end of his life, Demas forsook him. Why? “Having loved this present world. . .” Demas discovered his treasure, his pearl of infinite price in the riches of this world. That’s what he wanted, and so he left St. Paul. And even in the Old Testament you find Esau who sold his birthright for a cup of soup. So deals are being made every day, but these people did not discover the true treasure, the pearl of great price in the person of Jesus Christ.

My question, then is: How in the world can anyone appreciate the person of Jesus Christ? My answer is: It is absolutely impossible unless God regenerates him or her. And we are told in John 3:3 this amazing revelation of Jesus Christ: “In reply, Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'” No one! You may be fifty-five years old, seventy years old. You may be about to die. But it says , “No one!” You may be educated, highly-educated. But it says, “No one!” You may be a politician or a shrewd businessman. It doesn’t matter. You may be a philosopher or a poor person. It doesn’t matter. No one! This is a universal negative. No one is able to see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. So let us establish this truth that no one is able to intellectually apprehend the infinite worth of Jesus Christ and the infinite worth of the gospel, unless he experiences this absolutely spiritual experience of regeneration.

Yes, it must be revealed to us. We are told in Matthew 11, beginning with verse 25, that God reveals these things to infants and hides these things from the wise and from the prudent, from the know-it-alls. So the apprehension of this treasure, of this pearl, this one pearl of great price, by our mind is the result of divine regeneration and revelation. We have to apprehend it by our minds. The unbelievers of this world have abandoned the mind. They cannot think straight, the Bible says, due to the noetic effect of sin. No unbeliever thinks straight in terms of eternal issues. He cannot think straight at all.

But a Christian thinks first. He understands the gospel, and not only does he understand the gospel with his mind, but with his emotions. That brings me to the second point.

The Joy of This Deal

This is a deal that affects your emotions, your heart. This is a deal that fills your heart with love, joy, peace and tranquility. We read about the joy – apo tes charas autou – which means “from the joy of it.” It should be translated that way: from the joy of it. In other words, when you are intellectually understanding the glory of Jesus Christ and the wonder of the gospel, it fills you with joy, and this joy is the greatest motivater for you to go. It says, He went and he sold and he bought.

We need motivation, and that motivation comes from intellectual apprehension of the infinite worth of who Jesus Christ is. This is more than gold! It is more precious than gold, than pure gold, and sweeter than honey. That’s what Christianity is all about.

In Psalm 73:25 the psalmist says, “Earth has nothing I desire besides you.” He is speaking about Jesus Christ! There is not only intellectual understanding but there is the emotional motivation. Christian, if Jesus Christ doesn’t motivate you, I question whether you have ever been born again and given an understanding of the nature of this kingdom. Maybe you are disappointed with life or unhappy or depressed, but you should pray to God and say, “God, remove the scales from my eyes, that I may know Jesus Christ!” Such knowledge of Christ will surely fill your heart with such love and motivation that you can do what is necessary.

In John 15:11 we read this – Jesus Christ is saying, “‘I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.'” When you understand the gospel, when you make the discovery of who Jesus Christ is, you have joy. 1 Peter is written to believers in Jesus Christ who had never met Jesus Christ but were experiencing great persecution, trouble and pain. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:8, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”

Think about it! Christian brother, sister, if you are somewhat depressed this morning, I want to tell you your problem is not your problems but it is that you have neglected your understanding of Jesus Christ. You have been so taken up with your problems that you have not looked to him who is able to fill your hearts with motivation, power, love and joy. Jesus Christ is more precious than gold. He is sweeter than honey. He is the food from heaven. We are speaking about the joy of the Holy Spirit. It is the joy of Jesus. It is a joy that makes one rejoice, as St. Paul says, in the midst of tribulations also.

So the gospel affects, first, your mind and, secondly, your emotions. And if you are not so affected, may God help you to have a new vision of the exalted Christ, who is seated upon the right hand of God the Father in all his glory.

The Decision for This Deal

Thirdly, there is a decision to be made for this deal. This concerns our will. We make decisions with our will. Yes, the gospel affects the mind and the gospel affects emotions, but the gospel also affects the will. We do something about it. No sacrifice is too great for us to acquire this treasure, this pearl of great price.

Turn to Colossians 1:19. Here we read, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,” that is, in Jesus Christ. And in Colossians 2:3 we read, “in whom [Jesus Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” In 1 Corinthians 1:30 Paul says that Jesus Christ is wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption for you and for me. This Jesus Christ appeared to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3 and said, “You are poor. You think you are rich but you are poor. You are wretched. You are miserable. You are blind.” And then he said, “I counsel you to buy gold from me that you may be rich.”

This-world man loves things, you know. Read the story of the great fool in Luke 12. Remember the man whose land produced such bumper crops that he built a bigger barn? Then he said to himself, “My soul, take it easy. Enjoy life for a long time.” But God said, “You fool! Your life will be snuffed out today. Then what will you do?” And then God said, “This is the way of all people who are not rich toward God.”

Look at the other fool in Luke 16. Here was a rich man who lived in luxury. He clothed himself with purple and he had a feast every day, even though a poor man, a beggar, was placed at his gate and given nothing to eat. Both of these men died, and the poor man, who was a believer in Jesus Christ, ended up in heaven, and the other man ended up in hell. Let me tell you, there is a hell. But the eyes of fools, unbelievers, those who are perishing, are not open. They will not believe in Jesus Christ and they will articulate their unbelief with great reasoning. I was reading Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and he said, “The one who uses the mind is the Christian, and the unbeliever will use his mind to cover up his lack of using his mind.”He will cover himself with philosophies and stupidities and all kinds of idiotic rationalities because his mind is twisted. Haven’t you spoken to people about Jesus Christ? Look at all the nonsense they vomited at you. You thought it was reasoning, but no! It was the muttering of twisted minds, from those who love things, not Jesus Christ.

This-world man loves things. In Matthew 19 there was a rich young ruler who came to Jesus Christ and asked, “What must I do to be saved, to have eternal life?” And Jesus said, “Why don’t you go, sell everything you have, and come and follow me? Then you will have treasure in heaven.” But, oh, his eyes were not opened, and the text says this man went home sorrowful because he had a lot of wealth. I have seen people who want to impress me with their things and their education. I am not impressed, and they wonder, “What is wrong with this man?” Fool! I don’t respect your money. I don’t respect your wisdom. I don’t respect any of these things because I believe in Jesus Christ and believe in the Bible.

Now, if your eyes are opened to see the infinite worth of the person and work of Jesus Christ, it will affect your whole heart and emotion. You will be filled with love and joy and feeling and motivation. Not only that, your will is affected and you will finally decide to make this deal by selling all you have.

How do you do that? First of all, Spurgeon says, you should get rid of your prejudices. An unbeliever is filled with prejudice, isn’t that true? You can see that in his opinion of Jesus Christ. He is prejudiced. But if your eyes have been opened, that prejudice will go away instantly. It will be vaporized. Then you should sell your self-righteousness, your Pharisaism. You should say, “Nothing in my hand I bring, but simply to thy cross I cling.” Jesus never came to save the righteous. He came to save sinners. He came to find the lost. He came to heal the sick. If your eyes are open to the nature of the gospel, you will say “Goodbye” to all sinful pleasures. If you are born again you will forsake the praises of men, and only want to receive praise, approbation and benediction from your God. And you will not mind if your own father or mother repudiate you because you believe in Jesus Christ. You will understand the cost of discipleship. Jesus said, “You have to deny yourself. You have to hate your father, mother, brother, sister, your own children and your own life.” You will do that, because your eyes were opened, your heart was affected, and your will is ready to do whatever God demands of you.

Have you been negotiating with Jesus Christ? Then let me tell you, you are not born again. The man who is born of God will never negotiate with Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The kingdom of God has come in Jesus Christ, and he is not for negotiation. Today’s foreign policy is one of negotiation. In the olden days it was one of battles and winning the battle. But let me tell you, Jesus Christ never negotiates with anybody, least of all with you who is about to die. Your foot is already in the grave. Why should my Christ negotiate with you? There is no negotiation.

The Understanding of this Deal

The Bible gives us examples of people who understood Jesus Christ. In the book of Hebrews we find a character from the Old Testament named Moses. In Hebrews 11, beginning with verse 24, it says: “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” That’s a sacrifice, isn’t it? He sold his privilege. “He chose to be mistreated” – again, that’s sacrifice – “along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He persevered, because he saw him who is invisible.” No sacrifice is too great. Moses did not negotiate. Moses asked for the price, which was, “Forsake all, sell all,” and he said, “I will gladly do so.”

Look at St. Paul. In Philippians 3 we read that he was a great man, a man of wealth, of distinction, of education and erudition, a man of position and power, of great intellect. But listen to what he says in Philippians 3:7: “But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss. . .” What does that “now” mean? Now having seen who Jesus Christ is, that he is not a blasphemer, not the greatest criminal in the world, but he is Christ, the fulfillment of the promises of the Old Testament. “But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Think about that!

Or look at the book of Ruth. Here are two Gentile girls, Orpah and Ruth. I have seen both kinds, Orpah and Ruth, in the church. Orpah is always happy and kissing, but her kiss will last only for a moment. But look at Ruth. In chapter 1, Ruth was given an opportunity to go away from Jesus Christ, from the God of Israel, from the land of Israel. Naomi told her, “Go away to your own gods and your own country and your own relatives. You could find a husband there.” And look at the answer given she gave, because her eyes had been opened. Verse 16: “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.'” That’s what it is. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. He is a dangerous man; you shouldn’t associate with a double-minded person. Some of you are double-minded even today. After many years of claiming to have known Jesus Christ, you are still double-minded. But listen to what Ruth is saying: “‘Your God is my God.'”

The Possession of This Deal

Finally, let us look at the possession of the deal. The men in this parable not only willed and acted upon their understanding of this treasure, but they acquired and possessed it. In the Song of Solomon the beloved said this two times: I am my beloved’s and he is mine. Did she say “they are mine?” No, this is the one pearl of the greatest price. We would like to say, “I am my beloveds’ and they are mine.” That would be nice. We could have God and Satan and the world and the flesh and lust and everybody else. No, this is the one pearl of great price. “I am my beloved’s and he is mine.”

This was an enriching purchase. It was an immediate, joyful and enriching purchase! Who are we? “Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to thy cross I cling.” We are the nothings of this world. And we are told in 2 Corinthians 8:9, “He who was rich became poor that we might become rich.” This is an enriching purchase, sister, brother. Jesus Christ always enriches you. He fills your void and your emptiness, your nothingness. This was a sure purchase . Jesus said, “Lay up your treasure in heaven, where no moth can enter and destroy. No rust comes into heaven. No thief can ever enter and take away that which is there. It is a sure purchase. It is treasure in heaven.

This was a free purchase. In the book of Isaiah, the fifty-fifth chapter gives the gospel call. It says, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” And God argues and reasons here: “Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.” It’s a free purchase. Salvation is by grace. It is free. and yet you bought it. It is yours. Purchase means it cost an infinite price. Purchase means it will belong to you, but it is given free. That’s amazing! This was a final purchase. Proverbs 23:23 says, “Buy truth and sell it not.” Why? There is no reason to sell it. Why do we sell things? We do so when these things don’t satisfy us anymore. The glitter goes. The heart-throbbing goes. We even so dispense with our own spouses, those who used to throb our hearts. Now there is no throbbing anymore, and we dispense with our spouses just as we dispense of our properties, our toys and our paintings. I have felt this regret with some purchases. I expected a lot but they didn’t work out. But let me tell you, this is a final purchase. There will be no regret.

Listen to what Jesus Christ said to the Samaritan woman in John 4:13-14: “‘Everyone who drinks this water'” meaning money, meaning life in this world “‘will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'” That’s the final purchase. There is no regret, and you are ever-satisfied. There is no hangover, no depression, no gloom. Fellowship with Jesus is ever-increasing knowledge of him, and therefore, there is ever-increasing joy of him.

Maybe you are one who will accidentally discover that treasure today. Maybe you are one who has been researching. You have bought a lot of pearls, but they never satisfied you. Maybe you want to put your trust in Jesus Christ. What must you do to be saved? “‘Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved'” (Acts 16:31). This belief has an intellectual aspect – knowledge of the gospel; an emotional aspect – you will love Jesus Christ; and a volitional aspect – you trust in him and commit yourself to him.

What is commitment? Just as many people don’t want to marry because they want to be surrounded with lovers, so others refuse to make a commitment to Jesus Christ because they love the world as well as Jesus Christ. Thus, they will never make this commitment. But if your eyes are open, if you are given intellectual understanding of the glory and the beauty of Jesus, you will love him and commit yourself to him when you discover that he who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God. You will love him and commit yourself to him when you discover that he was pierced and crushed for our iniquities. That’s what faith is.

Jesus is our treasure, and this treasure meets your every need. What is your need? Sin! That’s a need, isn’t it? You are twisted in mind, heart and emotions; lost and guilt-ridden; with the wrath of God abiding upon you; subject to death, hell, fear, and slavery to Satan. These are the needs of every sinner, and who is able to take care of that need? Only Jesus Christ, who came to destroy Satan and to free us from his slavery.

Read Luke 10, beginning with verse 41. Jesus was talking to Mary while Martha was distracted, a little bitter and complaining. Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are cumbered about many things.” Isn’t that true of most of us – divided allegiance? Then Jesus said, “Only one thing is needful.'” Only one thing is necessary, and that one thing is the gospel of Jesus Christ, of the kingdom of God. Well, that’s a revelation, isn’t it? We think a hundred things are needful, but Jesus said one thing. And then Jesus commended Mary, “‘Mary has chosen that good part, and no one is able to take that away from her.'”

Have you known this treasure, this pearl of great price in the gospel? Have you loved the gospel? Have you trusted in the gospel? Have you possessed it?

The kingdom of God is like a treasure hidden, like a merchant seeking pearls. This means we are talking about a King, Jesus Christ – eternal God incarnate. And what should you do? Nothing less than complete surrender to his rulership. Nothing less than total submission to Jesus Christ. On the one hand, it costs nothing – salvation is free; on the other hand, it costs everything.

The word of God will do one of two things in your life. It will either increase your guilt, making you like Pilate, Felix, Festus, Agrippa, Demas and Judas, who, having known and heard, despised Jesus Christ, or it will give you life. Those who do not believe in him despise him and walk away from him. What they are saying is, “I do not consider this as the treasure as the pearl of great price.” But to others the gospel will be the fragrance of life. They say, “I surrender. I submit. I believe in Jesus Christ. I repent of all my sins.” That’s what selling all means: “I repent.” What do you have to sell? Nothing. And you will say, “I believe in Jesus Christ. I belong to him.” You can then say, “I am my beloved’s and he is mine.”

If you are not a Christian, may you trust in Jesus Christ alone today. If you are a Christian, but your heart is divided and you are not filled with joy, may you focus on Jesus Christ alone. He truly is our great treasure! Amen.