Indifference To Material Possessions
Having spoken of the spiritual inheritance which was his and ours, he then declared his indifference to material possessions (Eph. 6:32-33). "I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel". When a man is satisfied with what he has in Christ, the comforts and luxuries and extravagancies of this world lose their charm. The antidote to covetousness and the stimulus to contentment is this; "he hat said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5). Apparently, the sentiments of this hymn are based on reality;
In the heart of London city,
'Mid the dwellings of the poor,
These bright golden words were uttered,
I have Christ! What want I more?
Spoken by a lonely woman,
Dying on a garret floor,
Having not one earthly comfort:
I have Christ! What want I more!
Silver and gold and apparel were what ensnared Achan; coveting them cost him his life (Josh. 7:21). Perhaps Gehazi thought that he was being reasonable when he requested just a small proportion of Naaman's silver and garments, with not even a whisper of gold, but his covetousness cost him his health (2 Kings 5:20-27). In the case of Judas, his bargaining made no mention of gold or apparel, but his greed for silver cost him his soul. These men are monuments to the fact that people with an inordinate love of money "(pierce) themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Tim. 6:10). Paul was completely unpretentious and free of the shackles of avarice.
extract from article by Jack Hay, pages 5-6 of "Present Truth" magazine, vol. 19, Aug/Sep. 2017, No. 217
