Year: 2018

THE MERCHANT DID NOT FIND A “FAIR” PEARL OR A PEARL OF MODERATE PRICE BUT A PERFECT PEARL OF GREAT PRICE

“Who, when he had found one pearl of great price…”

On three occasions I have researched the quality of a precious stone. One of those occasions was the purchase of my wife’s engagement ring. It was during this time that I learned about the quality and characterizes of diamonds. What makes them sparkle. What makes them valuable. What makes them desirable. Like the quality of a pearl, the better the cut, brilliance, and blemish free surface of a diamond, combined with its size, the more valuable it would be. I learned quickly that I could buy my future wife a large diamond if I was okay with the fact that it looked foggy and did not reflect light. Alternatively, I could afford a diamond that was almost perfect in cut and brilliance if I didn’t mind the fact that it was very small. Ultimately, I settled for a diamond of a fair size that had minor imperfections and whose moderate price I could afford.

This is quite the contrast to the pearl that the Merchant finds and buys. He does not find a pearl that is perfect but small, or imperfect but large. He does not find a pearl that is categorized as “fair”. He does not settle for the moderately priced, moderately brilliant pearl. Rather, he finds the one pearl, the perfect pearl, the ideal pearl, the pearl by which all other pearls may be measured, and he buys it. This purchase is not of moderate price like the diamond I bought my wife. This pearl is of great price. It will take everything this merchant has to acquire this one perfect pearl. For the merchant, however, the value of the things that he will give up are nothing to be compared with the value of the one pearl of great price. For you see – that which is perfect is beyond value. Its value is far above rubies, gold, silver, diamonds, and treasure. That pearl which is perfect is a priceless treasure. Every wise man would quickly acquire it no matter the cost.

Sometimes the Christian is chastised by the world for wasting what could be a fun life. For those who do not have the priceless treasure of the one perfect pearl, the Christian looks to have nothing at all. But the Christian has something the world cannot understand.

The Christian has something that is perfect beyond words. The Christian has a pearl, has one pearl, and that pearl is perfect. Here are words even the world can understand. The man with the most money in his generation has yet to enjoy his riches beyond the closing of his eyes to sleep the sleep of death. No man has ever brought his worldly wealth with him though all the world has tried. But the Christian’s treasure is Jesus Christ Himself who leads His people from this life through death and too life forever with him. He does not just give peace now but no peace later. He is the Prince of Peace, He has conquered death, He has prepared places for His people in Heaven, He has reconciled the Christian to God with His own blood. He is the perfect treasure. He is the one perfect treasure. No one and nothing else has done, can do, or will do what He has done, is doing, and will do. What can be possibly compared to this pearl Jesus Christ? He is the perfect treasure. He who has Christ, has treasure without comparison. And he has treasure that will lead him from this life to the next.

My friend, do you, this very day, have the priceless treasure? Are you trusting in the one perfect pearl of great price or have you settled for foggy treasures of the world that will soon disappear? None who have Christ have ever lacked. None who have Christ are ever poor. Take hold on Him by faith and with repentance unto life and you too shall have the one perfect pearl of great price that shall never leave you or forsake you but will be your God even through death.

Ben Stahl, Elder

THE MERCHANT COUNTED ALL HE HAD PREVIOUSLY, AS NOTHING, AS TRASH,COMPARED TO THE GAIN OF THIS PEARL

“…Who…went and sold all that he had…”

Jim Elliot was a missionary who died bringing the gospel to tribes in Ecuador. He is credited with saying, “He is no fool who sells that which he cannot keep to buy that which he cannot lose.”

The apostle Paul said, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8)

What is it about all the good things of the world that a gospel missionary would advocate selling and the apostle Paul would refer to as dung? What is it about the Merchant’s wealth that would allow the Merchant to sell all that he had in order to buy the one pearl of great price? Certainly it had to do with the perfection of the pearl. But it also had to do with the worthlessness and transience of the merchandise the Merchant possessed.

Remember Revelation 18 and the remarkable vision that is seen of John. As he sees the end of the world, he sees merchants. They are not the Merchants of the Kingdom of Heaven but rather merchants of the Earth. And these merchants of the Earth are weeping. Why? Because their merchandise is worthless. They have no more buyers. For in one hour, their great riches came to nothing (vs. 11-19).

I read recently that after a positive earnings report, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos saw his net worth increase more than $6 billion in one hour. $6 billion! Can you even fathom what that kind of money looks like? The estimated wealth of the United States is well in excess of $60 trillion. To say that is a lot of money is perhaps the understatement of the year. And yet, the day is coming when this money, all of it,  will sprout wings and fly away. It will vanish like the wind. It will evaporate like the dew of morning. In one hour, there will be none to give it any value. None will buy it. The treasures of this world are fleeting and yet they are relentlessly pursued by the world.

The Merchant in the Kingdom of Heaven is no longer making the pursuit of these treasures his goal. Rather he is selling all of these temporary treasures to buy that which is eternal. He sees truly that the pleasures and riches of the world are fleeting and are vanity. One thing is not vanity and that is Jesus Christ – knowing Him and the power of His resurrection. Making Christ our own because Christ has made us His own. This is life eternal, even Jesus Christ. And this is that thing which the merchant pursues.

In comparison to Jesus Christ, who was delivered for our offenses and raised for our justification, in comparison to having Christ as our savior who reconciles us to the Father, the treasures of the world, the riches of the world, are but utter foolishness and worthless. Trusting in them is among the greatest deceits and follies. The merchant in the Kingdom of Heaven has departed from those things. He trusts not in the treasures of the world but puts his faith, hope, trust, love, desire, and foundation in the one pearl of great price, Jesus Christ, who has never, will never, and can never let down, forget, or deceive one of his own.

Dear Friends, do you this day, like the Merchant in our parable, consider all things as dung that you might gain Christ? Are you this day like the preacher of Ecclesiastes who found all things to be vanity except one thing – to fear the Lord and keep His commandments? The world will tell us it is a foolish thing not to pursue all the wealth, riches, and pleasures that it has to offer. Is it foolish to give up what no man has ever kept through death in order to gain that which no man, who after taking possession, has ever lost?

Ben Stahl, Elder

THE MERCHANT GAVE UP ALL FOR THE PEARL, HE HELD NOTHING BACK

“Who…went and sold all that he had…”

A man came to Jesus one day and asked, what must I do that I may have eternal life. Jesus said, keep the commandments. The man said, Lord, I have kept all your commandments from my youth. Jesus said to him, sell all you have, give it to the poor, follow me and you shall be perfect. Here it was, eternal life, presented to this young man. He could have it! However, he would not take hold of it, for he loved his possessions more than he loved Christ. In contrast to the men of faith in Hebrews 11, the rich man who came to Jesus counted the riches of Egypt greater reward than the treasures of Heaven. This rich man perished in his sin, for he did not buy that one pearl of great price, but rather he bid for it and came up short.

Paul counted all things as loss that he might gain Christ. He counted even his own life as forfeit compared to the riches of Heaven and being present with the Lord. The Lord here is not saying, put yourself into poverty and you will have me as your Savior. But he is certainly saying if we count anything as equal to Him or greater than Him, we are not worthy of Him. Even more so, the Lord is showing that this merchant let nothing stand in the way of obtaining Christ. Whatever hindrance there was, he sold it all that he might not lose Christ, but that he might gain Christ. If the TV was leading him to laziness and worldly thoughts and pleasure compared to the treasure of Christ, the TV was gone. If his habits were leading him to think too highly of himself, he changed his habits. If he was living with his girlfriend in sin, he stopped. Whatever in his life was contrary to Christ, he sold all, he gave it all up, that he might gain, receive, embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

In society today it is an odd thing to think of losing all for the sake of Christ. We have so much wealth and no one is taking it from us or even threatening to take it from us because of our faith. But do we count it all as loss? Can you lose your 401k tomorrow and follow Christ? Is your hope for retirement in Christ or in your savings account? Is it in Christ the giver of your wealth or is it in your wealth? Have you deceived yourself into thinking that it is easy for a wealthy man to get into heaven? If your wealth is keeping you from the kingdom perhaps it should be shrunk. What happens if tomorrow you are in poverty? Have you learned with Paul to rejoice in plenty or in want? Where is your treasure? The Merchant sold all and bought the pearl.

I remember in college, when the lottery was very high, thinking to myself when buying a ticket and telling God to make it legitimate, “If I win the lottery, I will give half of the after tax proceeds to the church and missions and other God honoring places.” How silly and foolish this thought was. Do we think this way about our current wealth?
I would be willing to sacrifice half for Christ…but hopefully I do not need to sacrifice all.”
“I am willing to give up some sins but let me keep a few secret sins.”

Jesus said, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26). He also said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:4) Do we think that Jesus is teasing when he said this? Be not deceived – there are none in the Kingdom of Heaven but those who have sold all and bought the pearl.

Dear friends, the hour is coming when the pearl may no longer be found. The day is coming when Jesus Christ the master of the gate shall close the gate and no more may enter. Though they offer all it will be too late. Do not negotiate for the pearl today my friends. Do not offer a portion of what you have today, my friends. At the end of the day today, the Lord may close the gate. The free offer of the gospel to all men may be brought to an end. The Lord may return or end your life. Buy the pearl, dear friend! Rid yourself of all that leads you from Christ, count all as loss. It is free, come, buy without money! But it will share its place with none else. Sell all else, my friends, and buy the pearl this very day!

Ben Stahl, Elder

THE MERCHANT DID NOT BID FOR THE PEARL – THE MERCHANT BOUGHT THE
PEARL

Who, when he found one pearl of great price…bought it.

“I give my Sunday morning to Jesus along with several hours a week listening to Christian music and Bible studies, are you suggesting I may not be in Christ’s Kingdom?”

When compared with the deceitfulness of our flesh and the popular ideas we hear around us, we should expect the merchant to say in this parable, “I will offer 35% of my wealth for this pearl of great price.” Or, “I will offer my Sunday morning, Tuesday morning, and maybe two additional hours a week for this pearl of great price.” The Merchant in the Kingdom of Heaven, the Christian man, knows of no such offer. The one who has found the great pearl does not even consider bidding on it. The merchant does not consider making an offer of a portion of his wealth for the pearl. The merchant sells all and gives all the proceeds to obtain this great treasure.

Several years ago I wanted to buy a book that was no longer in print. I expected it could be as much as $75.00. While looking on EBay, I found a copy for $18.00. The seller allowed me to buy it immediately for $18.00 or I could make my “best offer” and see if anyone offered more. If no one offered more in a few days, I could buy it at my best offer price. As I expected to pay $75.00, I did not hesitate to immediately buy the book for $18.00 so as not to risk losing it to some other buyer.

If you, my friend, can relate to this account for a book, how much more for salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ the Savior? Will you, like many others, come face to face with Jesus Christ and, rather than selling all and making Him your own, instead stand there and bid? Will you be tempted to ask…

“Well, do I have to keep the 4th commandment if I want Christ to be my own?”

“Can I worship God in ways that are pleasing to me if I make Him my own?”

“Can I continue pursuing worldly pleasures, lusts, wealth, pornography, drugs, love of self, and have salvation on the side?”

Dear friend, the Christian in the Kingdom of God knows what he desires, for the Lord has enabled him to understand. The Christian desired salvation and eternal life, found it in Jesus Christ alone, sold all that he had that he might obtain Christ. Complete surrender of his whole self is all that would suffice. Christ shares his glory with no one else. He will not be bid for. He will not be kept next to other treasures for there is no other treasure in comparison to Him. So take hold on Christ, my friend. Sell everything. Count everything but trash in comparison to Christ and obtain Him.

Ben Stahl, Elder

THE MERCHANT FOUND ONE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE AND WAS CONVINCED
WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER

“…when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

Some years back I was at a child’s birthday party and a man asked me if I went to Redeemer Presbyterian Church. I answered in the affirmative and asked him of his church affiliation. He said he was a man who believed in all faiths as all led to the same place. This is what is known as universalism – the idea that all religions lead to the one true God and to the same place after death. The Merchant in the Kingdom of Heaven knows of no such thing as Universalism. The Merchant in the Kingdom of Heaven is not a Universalist. The Merchant knows of one pearl of great price and he knows with certainty that there is no other.

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and life, no man comes unto the Father but by me (Jn 14:6). He said, whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Don Jesus Christ. This the true God, and eternal life.” (From I John 2-5)

The merchant looks for, longs for, seeks salvation and eternal life. He finds it in Jesus Christ. And when he finds it, he makes it his own and he knows there is no other way. The Christian is not confused by who the true God is or that the true God is exclusive. The Christian knows that the only way of Salvation is in Jesus Christ, fully God and fully Man, in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily and through whom is given eternal life to all who believe. Through this Jesus, access is given to God the Father who is one with Jesus Christ and God the Spirit. To know this God is eternal life. There is no other way.

The merchant has found this one pearl, he has sold all to obtain this pearl, for he knows with certainty no other will do. He needs not keep any of his own treasures in reserve in case he finds a better pearl. He does not need to bury any silver in the ground under his home in case he needs additional treasure. He does not hold out his new pearl of great price to try and trade for an even better pearl or many lesser pearls. No, rather, he has found one pearl of great price, it is the pearl of greatest price, it is life eternal, and he will not part with it though all the world be against him and his life be forfeit.

Dear friend, there is no other that can help you or save you. Only Jesus Christ will suffice. Jesus Christ alone saves. He will not let you down. Though you sacrifice all, even your own life, for the sake of Christ, you shall obtain far more than you ever gave up. For you gave up what is temporal for that which is eternal. The Christian knows there is no other greater pearl than Jesus Christ. Do you know this?

Ben Stahl, Elder

THE MERCHANT DID NOT JUST DRAW NEAR TO THE PEARL BUT HE OBTAINED THE PEARL

“Who…went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

Perhaps some of the greatest words spoken by Jesus are also some of the most dreadful for us to consider. When a scribe came asking Jesus the greatest commandment in Mark 12:28-34 and he heard Christ’s response, the Scribe agrees with our Lord’s answer. To this Jesus responds in vs. 34, “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”

Similarly, when Paul is in prison and making his defense before King Agrippa in Acts 26, Paul challenges King Agrippa with the question, “believest thou the prophets?” To this King Agrippa confesses unto Paul, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

On the one hand, the words of the Lord and the words of King Agrippa are of great joy to believers and of great hope to unbelievers. But the Merchant in our Lord’s parable teaches something quite sobering. The Kingdom of Heaven is not like merchants who draw near to the pearl of great price. The Kingdom of Heaven is not made up of those who are close to Jesus or those who are almost persuaded to believe in Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of Heaven is made up of those merchants who have obtained Christ. The Kingdom of Heaven is made up of those who do believe in Jesus Christ and those who have actually entered into the Kingdom of God.

Jesus refers to Himself in John 14 as “the door”…if any man enter in he shall be saved. People next to the door are not saved. People pondering the door are not saved. Those that go in the door, that enter in shall be saved.

Holding the living water does not bring eternal life to the soul. Drinking the living water brings eternal life to the soul. Yes, it is a joyful thing to see one who was in unbelief coming closer to the Christian faith. But unless He obtains Christ, he has nothing at all.

The Merchant in our parable is one who has found the pearl of great price and has obtained the pearl at whatever cost – even the selling of all that he had to obtain it. The Christian has won Christ. The Christian is found in Christ. The Christian has obtained Christ.

Dear friends, at any cost, through any suffering, draw near to Jesus Christ and make him your own! Jesus came proclaiming to all men that the Kingdom of God is at hand. That proclamation is being made to you again. Repent and believe the gospel. Do not ponder it. Do not think about it for another day. Take hold of Christ this day. Cast off every thing that would hinder you and obtain this pearl!

Ben Stahl, Elder

THE MERCHANT SOUGHT THE LORD AND FOUND THE LORD. HE WAS NOT LEFT TO KEEP SEEKING

The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Today as in all of history, men are in the world searching for meaning to their lives, for truth they can make their own. Because broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there are that find it, most of the searches these men perform lead to ways of destruction. They can lead to all manner of sins – from false religions to substances that provide temporary escape, even to the less obvious love for the promises of the world. But few there are that find the Lord Jesus Christ because they know not whom they are searching for.

The merchant in the Kingdom of Heaven is not like these worldly merchants. The merchant in the Kingdom of Heaven was looking for goodly pearls. The merchant was looking for Heavenly truth. The merchant in the Kingdom of Heaven was looking for the way of salvation, the way to Heaven, eternal life, peace with God, assurance in this life and assurance for that which is to come. The merchant was not left to keep searching but the merchant found what he was looking for. He was looking for goodly pearls and he found the one pearl of great price. The Christian merchant is one who was seeking the truth and who found it. Like Andrew, Peter, Nathaniel, and Phillip, who looked for the Messiah and found Him, even Jesus Christ (John 1:35-51), so the merchant in the Kingdom seeks and finds.

Our Savior said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you…” He does not say, seek and ye “might” find, but rather seek and ye “shall” find. The merchant in the kingdom of Heaven is one who sought and who found even as the Lord had promised.

Our Savior made this promise and showed the urgency of it. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near (Isa. 55:6). A day is coming when the Lord will no longer be found. Today is the day of salvation – seek the Lord, look upon the rock that is Jesus Christ, and find Him. The day will soon be too late. Those who did not make finding Jesus Christ their greatest pursuit but made him instead their afterthought will soon face the judgment. Seek the Lord now. Find Him. None who seek Him now will He turn away.

The worldly merchants are always searching and never coming to the truth. The Kingdom of Heaven is like merchants who have sought the Lord Jesus Christ and have found Him.

Dear friend, find the Lord! Lay all else aside, every worldly care, every distraction, every sin, everything, and find the one pearl of great price, even Jesus Christ the Savior of all who repent of their sins and believe in Him alone for salvation. Will you wait until the time when the Lord himself, the master of the house is risen to shut the door and you are outside saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not…” (Luke 13:25). Or, will you seek Him now while he may indeed be found? None who seek now are denied.

Ben Stahl, Elder

INTRO TO PART 2: THE MERCHANT

Now if by God’s grace we have tasted of the perfection of Jesus Christ represented here in this parable as the one pearl of great price, we can with this foundation turn our minds towards the merchant. For the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls…

We can rightly surmise from this parable that Jesus is here demonstrating that all men and women in our day are merchants. Some are merchants of power. Some are merchants of pleasure. Some are merchants of evil and death, sin and destruction. Others are merchants of great wealth. Still others pursue knowledge, friendships, happiness, health, etc… Some merchants have a great sense of their sin and guilt. They have a great sense of their mortality and frailty. And so they search for help. They search for salvation from their sin, freedom from their guilt, hope for their mortality and pending death.

Ponce deLeon searched for immortality from mythical waters that gave eternal life. His whole life was a drive towards this goal. And while his name is placed on street signs in Atlanta he is no longer living. Such are the merchants in the world. Some of these merchants are even in the church. They deceive themselves and or others into thinking they are merchants of the Kingdom of Heaven but they are lying to themselves and others. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and priests of Jesus’ day were like this. They were in the church for the hope that they would be viewed well, that they will feel good about themselves, that they might be able to tell others they are in church and therefore be highly favored. But in their heart they were still very much the merchants of the world whom we see in the day of judgment in Revelation 18. These are the tares the devil sows in the church in the parable of the wheat and the tares (vs. 37-43).

Jesus, however, is not so much concerned in this parable to merely show the merchants of the world. He shows us that well enough in other passages. He is concerned to show us another merchant. The merchant Jesus shows is a member in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a merchant who is no longer looking for goodly pearls but has found one pearl of great price, sold all, and bought it. This merchant is a Christian. We must meditate on this parable now in the context of several lessons on the merchant.

Ben Stahl, Elder

PART 1: THE PEARL, CONT.

THE PERFECTION OF CHRIST’S WAY OF SALVATION

Gold, silver, and precious stones are very interesting items to study. In their common uses as jewelry they have very little utility. Ideally, they bring joy by looking upon them and a demonstration of status by showing them off. But they do not perform any great work for their owners in this life and certainly not the life to come. However, the one pearl that the merchant finds is worthy of selling all to gain it, for it does not lack any value and utility. It is not merely for show but it also gives something. To have this pearl is to have benefits from this particular pearl. So to have Christ, to be in Christ, is to have the benefits of Christ. Christ is not separate from his benefits. To have Christ is to have all His benefits. What is it about His benefits that we should so desire?

Like with Christ’s origin and attributes, we find again that Christ’s Word and Benefits are also perfect. Unlike the Old Testament prophets and even the angels and John the Baptist, God’s Word tells us that Jesus Christ is the perfect prophet revealing to us His Word (Heb. 1:2); Jesus Christ is the perfect priest and sacrifice, holy, harmless, and undefiled (Hebrews 7:24 – 8:2); and the perfect King who subdues all enemies and conquers death even with His own death on the cross as evidenced in all of the gospels. The Lord Jesus Christ is perfect in all of His works. And that which flows from Him, even His benefits, they also are perfect.

We could spend significant time and ink considering the perfect inheritance he has given (I Peter 1:4); the perfect redemption He has accomplished for us (Col 1:13-14,22); the riches, value, and treasure of redemption through His blood (Ephesians 1:7); the perfect benefits flowing from Christ who unites us to Himself in our effectual calling, namely justification, adoption, sanctification and those accompanying benefits, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, Increase of Grace, and Perseverance to the End. These are almost too great to consider together in one paragraph! We may cry out with Paul, “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God; how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out.”

Jesus is the perfect way of salvation and the perfect way to these benefits. They flow from Him. There is no life, no justification, no sanctification, no nothing apart from Him. How much the Lord emphasizes this by referring to Himself even in this way, “I am the door…by me if any man enter in he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.”

The merchants of the Earth sell their many pearls and buy their pearls and have nothing to show for it. They do not chase after the one perfect pearl; they chase after the many fleeting pearls. It is a sad thing and the subject of another study entirely, that the book of Revelation has been so poorly abused by well-meaning men of the past 150 years. Instead of the seeing the riches of the mystery and glory of God who defeats His enemies, of Christ who destroys all evil, of Christ who is reigning even now and will be reigning forever more, many see mystery, confusion, and strange prophecies. But if we put the confusion aside for a few moments, and if we come toward the end of the book, we can see something profound about the merchants of the world.

As the final book of Scripture draws towards a triumphant close, we read of the end of the world in chapter 18. And we find in verse 11 that there are merchants in the world at the hour of judgment, but they are not merchants in the Kingdom of Heaven. As the world is ending, the merchants of the world are weeping and mourning over her destruction. Why? Because no men will buy their merchandise any more. They have gold, silver, precious stones, and verse 12 tells us, they have pearls! All mannerof merchant materials are present: sweet spices, fine linens, foods, precious metals. As these merchants gaze upon the place that made them rich with the things of the world, they will stand afar off saying…

“Alas Alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, what city is like unto this great city!…Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! For in one hour is she made desolate.”

In but one hour, merely a moment in time, the merchants of the world with their worldly, imperfect, destitute pearls will lose all they worked for, all they longed for, the hope of their well-being, the sustenance of their joy, the pleasure of their souls. It will vanish away and they with it. They have a pearl like many other pearls, of very little value, of no true benefit, that performs no great works, nor provides any eternal reward.

But my friends, he who has the one pearl of great price has salvation! He who has Jesus Christ as His Lord and as His Savior, he who has been born again of the Spirit, he who has been given the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and who has tasted and seen that the Lord is good, has everything! He who has Christ has eternal life! He who has Christ Jesus has the Father also. He who has Christ has that which is perfect. He who has Christ has greater wisdom and riches than the wise and wealthy men of this world.

With Christ Jesus who is the one pearl of great price; with Christ who is the way, the truth and the life; with Christ Jesus who said, “I am the door”; is it any wonder that when John sees the vision of heaven in Revelation 21 that he sees the walls, the streets, the foundations of precious metals and rubies and then in 21:21, he sees the twelve gates which are made of…pearl! Even the world is familiar with this concept of the pearly gates of Heaven. Why the one pearl for the door? Well, Christ is the door. Life eternal in the heavenly city is through Him and only through Him. And Christ is the one pearl of great price!

Do you see the sin and misery that is Rome and every other false religion? Jesus Christ is the one perfect pearl. He is sufficient. Rome takes Christ and says, “He is good, but you need more. You need other pearls which you can work for and receive.” The one perfect way of salvation, the only way, the only hope for lost and dying men, and Rome says…not so fast. The work He said is finished, Rome says, it is still being done in the mass and by your works. The once and for all sacrifice is the once started and forever continuing sacrifice of Rome. The only mediator between God and man is more like the first of many mediators between God and man in Rome. The one pearl of great price in Matthew is to Rome the one of many pearls of good price. The perfect pearl of Matthew is the blemished, dull, distorted pearl of Rome. Those in the Kingdom of Heaven know nothing of Rome’s pearls and will not have such bondage, lies, and destruction. Jesus Christ is the one perfect way of salvation!

My friends, have you seen the perfection of this pearl in Matthew 13:46? Have you tasted of the perfection of Jesus Christ today? Will you, like Pharaoh, harden your heart at these sayings? Or will you, like Paul, “count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ (Phil. 3:8).”

If Christ is in you (Col 1:27) you have all things! Press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ, and you shall greet with joy the great day of the Lord, when with your eyes you will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and glory. My friends, by any means possible, attain to the resurrection of the dead. And here is the means – Christ Jesus and Him crucified!

Ben Stahl, Elder

PART 1: THE PEARL, CONT.

THE PERFECTION OF CHRIST IN HIS ATTRIBUTES

Have you known a man or woman who was always concerned to show to others the wealth they had accumulated? Perhaps they never had earned much income while working, but had made wise investments and over the years and multiplied that wealth many times over. As the years drew on and they grew older, they talked to you and whoever would listen of their wealth. After years of delighting in this wealth, they eventually drew their final breath and never spoke, saw, or experienced anything of that wealth ever again. Like a bird, it spread its wings and abandoned them.

The merchant found something very different when he found the Pearl of great price. He didn’t find a pearl like the many other pearls he had. He found one pearl. He found a special pearl. He found a unique pearl. He found a perfect pearl. We have seen that this pearl was perfect in its origin. For this pearl is Jesus Christ, who is from all eternity and to all eternity. He is from God and He is God. The Lord Jesus Christ is also a pearl with perfect attributes.

Christ’s attributes display His perfection, for His attributes themselves are perfect. As the most expensive pearl is free of blemishes, perfect in reflection of light, ideal in color, and great in size, so the Lord in all His ways, Words, and works is perfect.

Time would fail us in our short discussion to speak of God’s perfect attributes. But if we are to embrace this pearl that is Jesus Christ, the treasure that is more valuable than all else, we must know this treasure better than all else. For to have eternal life is to know Jesus Christ. Too many have an idea of Jesus. Too many have a concept of Jesus. Too many think they are best friends with Jesus because he is said to slay all their giants and help them all the time. But too many do not know Jesus Christ. They embrace an idea of Him but do not care to know Him. The merchant found the one pearl by searching out its attributes. From a distance it may have looked like most other pearls. But the merchant did not simply embrace the idea of a perfect pearl. It was close examination that brought its perfection into observance.

As we examine the Scriptures we find it full of the perfection of God’s attributes. We see the perfection of His work (Deut. 32. 4); the perfection of His knowledge (Job 37:16; Isaiah 40: 14); the perfection of His ways (Psalm 18:30); the perfection of his law (Psalm 19:7); the perfection of God manifested in each of the three persons of the Godhead; the Father (Matt. 5:48); the Son (Heb. 5:9); the Spirit (John 14:16); and the perfection of His beauty (Psalm 50:2); all just to name a few of God’s named perfections. Over and over in the Words of Holy Scripture we come face to face with the perfection of the Lord in all that He Is as God and our God and in all that He does.

Consider the summary of the perfection of Christ – His beauty. “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us…” (Psalm 90:17); “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (I Chronicles 16:29); “…he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth forever. (II Chronicles 20:21)”

The perfection of the Beauty of the LORD is also described in His holiness. He Himself is perfect in Beauty because He Himself is perfect. This beauty is displayed in many ways but perhaps above all else, in His Mercy. When the Moabites and the Ammonites came against King Jehoshaphat to battle against him, the king called out on his smaller army to praise the Lord, namely to praise the beauty of Lord. And they did this by praising the Lord for His mercy that endureth forever. God is not a god of change. He is the unchangeable God and His mercy knows no end.

One way to see a merchant in the Kingdom of Heaven who has found the pearl of great price is to see his love of Christ’s perfect beauty. Consider the Word’s of the Psalmist, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.(Psalm 27:4)

My friends, what is your greatest desire of the LORD  this day? Is it for treasures of the world? Is it for success in this world? Success in your work? Success in your family? Or do you, like the Psalmist, desire above all else to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of your life, so that you may behold the beauty of the LORD and enquire in His  temple? David is the greatest and most loved of all Israel’s kings. David is blessed with riches uncountable. And this king of Israel desires one thing above all else – To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord! Why? Because the Lord is perfect in beauty, His mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. When the merchant found the one pearl of great price – he found a pearl perfect in all its attributes. Perfect in Beauty. Have you found Him? Do you like the idea of the pearl, or is it your one desire above all else to know Christ and to gaze upon His beauty?

Ben Stahl, Elder