Overview
We fight for what we value, so the first work is to honestly evaluate what we truly consider valuable and then contend for it. In this teaching Rev. Rico Magnelli takes 1 Timothy 3:9 as his text, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience, and defines a conscience as the habits each of us has developed of accepting and rejecting what is right and wrong. From Matthew 6, Luke 6:45, Proverbs 4:23 and 2 Corinthians 4 he shows that treasure to the Eastern mind meant thoughts, that both the good man and the evil man have treasure, and that it takes the light God shined in our hearts to see what is genuinely valuable. What the world offers is temporal. What we hold is eternal.
Transcript
Our Value Judgments Change as the Word Grows Within Us
And please turn to 1 Timothy chapter 3. I’d like to briefly speak about we fight for what we value. We fight for what we value, 1 Timothy chapter 3. Our value judgments change as the word grows within us, meaning what we actually consider to be valuable. And the world presents and even at times assaults us with what they consider valuable.
Then we have a choice to make, to accept it or reject it. Now value systems can change, no question about it. One wonderful example is the Church of Thessalonica.
How the Thessalonians Turned to God From Idols
The Thessalonians, they valued idols. Then after they heard and saw the truth living in Paul, Silas, and Timothy, they changed what they valued. In fact, it says of them in the chapter 1 of 1 Thessalonians that they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. And not only that, to wait for his son from heaven whom God had raised from the dead, which delivered them from the wrath to come, delivered us all. So they changed their value system to actually value service in God and to not value idols.
What We Fight For in a Spiritual Fight
We are in a spiritual fight. What we do is we honestly evaluate what we truly consider as valuable and then we fight for. We fight for our relationships, starting with God. We fight for our relationships with those that we love. We fight for the word in people’s lives. We fight for the accomplished work of Jesus Christ to dwell within us richly more and more. That includes our eternal life, the new bodies, and the rewards that we will receive.
A judgment and condemnation free living and giving environment. The potential to walk in love, light, and spiritual wisdom like Jesus Christ. We value being part of an eternal family, the eternal family of God, which is now and forever. And while on earth we fight for being part of the greatest team ever assembled, the body of Christ. That’s what we value. So that’s what we fight for.
Holding the Mystery of the Faith in a Pure Conscience
In 1 Timothy chapter 3 is this wonderful verse, chapter 3 verse 9, it says, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. We hold the mystery, which has been revealed by way of the epistles of Paul. And part of the mystery is the faith, the household faith, where we each have in common the faith of Jesus Christ as brothers and sisters in the family of God. We fight for that. We hold on to that. And one way we do it is right here in this verse.
What a Conscience Actually Is
We do it in a pure conscience. A pure means it is not contaminated with anything. It’s pure. You actually can have a pure conscience. And a conscience simply is the habits each of us that have developed of accepting and rejecting what’s right and wrong. Whatever our habits are of accepting and rejecting what’s right and wrong, that’s basically our conscience.
Of course, it does matter what you and I consider what’s right. There are times that I don’t listen to certain people because I don’t value their assessment. So I don’t put that in my heart. I don’t consider it valuable. And then there are people that speak and I consider their assessment, their view very valuable. And these are judgments that each of us have to make.
Lay Not Up for Yourselves Treasures Upon Earth (Matthew 6:19)
Look at Matthew chapter 6, please. Matthew chapter 6. And in an age of disruption and a time of confusion, people’s value system can be challenged. But we maintain what is valuable by going to God’s Word.
In Matthew chapter 6 in verse 19, it says, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal. There’s nothing really valuable that you can store here in terms of God’s value system. Again, I understand money has value. I understand that. Property, our jobs, all these. Oh sure, absolutely.
The Eastern Mind: What Is Really a Treasure Is Thoughts
But I’m talking about the things that are most significant in value. And it says, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal. There’s an interesting approach to these verses because in the Western mind, we think one thing and the Eastern mind, to which the Bible was written, the Oriental mind, they think differently. The Western mind thinks of physical things as being treasure, like money and so forth. And I know money’s valuable. I understand that.
But the Eastern mind considered what was really a treasure was thoughts. Thoughts. So now these verses make more sense. Verse 20, it says, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, sure, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal. Yeah, our thoughts are on things above, not on things on the earth. Verse 21, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. That’s why it’s so important. We accept and reject what’s truly valuable.
Both the Good Man and the Evil Man Have Treasure (Luke 6:45)
Look at Luke chapter 6. Now different people will value different things. Here in Luke chapter 6, in verse 45, it says, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good. And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil. For of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Well, we know that our treasure is what we put in our heart, what we truly value in here. But I’d like to point out that both the evil man and the good man have treasure. They both have treasure. It’s because what the evil man values as treasure is different than what the good man values as treasure. You see that? But it finds its way into the heart of the person. That’s why it’s very important for us to build habits of accepting and rejecting what’s right and wrong according to the word. Not necessarily what the world says. You may listen, but you don’t have to put it in your heart.
Keep Thy Heart With All Diligence (Proverbs 4:23)
Look at Proverbs chapter 4, please. Proverbs chapter 4. In Proverbs chapter 4, in verse 23, it says, keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Keep means to guard, like someone that is watching, keeping guard, watching something. And what are we supposed to be keeping guard of? Our heart.
Because what goes into our heart will and has a lot of impact on how we live our life. And we have the choice to accept or reject what we put in there. And it’s so important for us to make the right decisions on what to accept and what to reject. Because out of our heart comes the issues of life.
Your Value Is Not Determined by an Earthly Standard
So what we want to do is we want to accept what’s right according to God and reject what’s wrong according to God. Your value and my value is not determined by what we look like, how much we have in the bank, our address, where we went to school, what’s our job, whether we’re married or not married. That’s not our value.
Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 4. That’s why we don’t accept our value based on some sort of earthly standard. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, please. We are like sentinels at the doorway of our heart and we just will not allow anything other than what is right. We keep, we hold the faith in a pure conscience. We hold the accomplished work of Christ in a pure conscience.
So our habits are to accept and reject what’s right and wrong according to God and His Word. And this really helps us in times of turmoil and confusion. Because in times of turmoil and confusion or challenge, the world can become more and more enticing in terms of what they’re promoting. But it’s not truth.
The God of This World Hath Blinded the Minds of Them Which Believe Not
Here in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 in verse 4, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. So there’s an active energy. We would call it Satan. There’s an active energy that is blinding people. And that must be understood.
Because at times we ask ourselves the question, how come no one else can see this? Well there’s an active energy, a spiritual energy that’s very ancient that works very hard at blinding people to the light of the glorious gospel of Christ that pertains to Christ. His accomplished work is really what we’re talking about here. Not that people don’t know the name of Jesus Christ or Jesus. Sure, they do. But we’re talking about the glorious good news that pertains to Christ, the resurrected power and the completed work at the crucifixion should shine unto them.
We Preach Not Ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord
For we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord. We’re not interested in promoting ourselves. We’re interested in promoting Christ Jesus our Lord because he is the way, the access, and the door to God. And ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
God Hath Shined the Light Into Our Hearts
For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts. Where did he shine? In our hearts. It doesn’t say in our big toe. He shined in our hearts, the seat of our personal life. He shined the light into our heart. That is very important because it takes the light of God to see what’s truly valuable.
Hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the poster, if you will, of God’s glory. He’s the face of the glory of God. He’s what’s up front. I know he is not physically here, but his legacy and his heritage of what he accomplished some 2,000 years ago just surges through our spiritual veins. The energy and conviction of our Lord still is within us, but we have this treasure.
This Treasure in Earthen Vessels
There it is. God calls it a treasure in earthen vessels. That’s our physical bodies. That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. We have this treasure. This is what God values. But it takes light in the heart of man to show us what truly is valuable. And here’s one place it talks about it. It’s the treasure of Christ. The Christ within us and all his accomplished work and potential that we have.
What the World Values Is Temporal, What We Value Is Eternal
So certainly our value judgments change as the word grows within us, like the Thessalonians changed in a relatively short amount of time. The world will present and at times even assault us to consider what they say is valuable. But what they say is valuable is typically temporal. It doesn’t last for a brief moment. But what is valuable that we have is eternal. Eternal.
Accept It, Then Fight For It
So when these choices are presented to us, then we either accept or reject what is truly valuable. And when we accept what is truly valuable, then you fight for it. You fight for what is truly valuable in your life. And that makes a huge difference when we’re challenged. And God will back that up for you and me.
And God will inspire his perfect will within us. And he will show us, even in practical aspects of our life, the right road and the wrong road. Because he says trust him with all our heart and lean not into our own understanding. In all our ways acknowledge him and he shall direct our path, our steps. And then we have something to share with people because what we’re putting in there, in our hearts, is truly valuable.
Key Takeaways
- We fight for what we value, so the practical step is to honestly evaluate what you truly consider valuable: your relationships starting with God, the word in people’s lives, and the accomplished work of Jesus Christ dwelling within you.
- The Thessalonians are the proof that a value system can change. They turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and they did it in a relatively short amount of time.
- 1 Timothy 3:9 says to hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. A conscience is the habits we have developed of accepting and rejecting what is right and wrong, and pure means it is not contaminated with anything.
- To the Eastern mind the Bible was written to, what was really a treasure was thoughts, not physical things. That is what makes Matthew 6:19-21 make sense: where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
- Both the evil man and the good man have treasure in Luke 6:45. The difference is what each one values, and whatever it is, it finds its way into the heart of the person.
- Your value is not determined by what you look like, what is in the bank, your address, your school, your job, or whether you are married. It takes the light of God shined in our hearts to see what is truly valuable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to fight for what we value?
It means honestly evaluating what you truly consider valuable and then contending for it. Rev. Rico Magnelli lists what that includes: our relationships, starting with God and then those we love; the word in people’s lives; the accomplished work of Jesus Christ dwelling within us; eternal life, the new bodies and the rewards we will receive; a judgment and condemnation free living and giving environment; and being part of the body of Christ, the greatest team ever assembled.
What is a pure conscience in 1 Timothy 3:9?
A conscience is simply the habits each of us has developed of accepting and rejecting what is right and wrong. Pure means it is not contaminated with anything, and Rico Magnelli says you actually can have a pure conscience. Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience means building those habits of accepting and rejecting according to the word, not necessarily according to what the world says.
Why does Jesus say to lay up treasures in heaven rather than on earth?
Because the Eastern mind the Bible was written to considered that what was really a treasure was thoughts, while the Western mind thinks of physical things like money as treasure. Read that way, Matthew 6:19-21 makes sense: lay not up treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Money and property do have value, but they are not the things most significant in value.
Scripture References
1 Timothy 3; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1 Timothy 3:9; Matthew 6:19; Matthew 6:20; Matthew 6:21; Luke 6:45; Proverbs 4:23; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 4:7
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
