We are Christ's living representatives and the only ones He has. We must represent Him with all sincerity and hope for a better day. Giving our time, shoulder, money, or anything else that we can give to others is so crucial to our walk with God. It is a love based on community and not on individuals. It is sacrificial not after personal gain or personal praise but instead after the benefit of others and the glory of Almighty God. Peter, explains this so well in the following verses.

1 Peter 4:7-11

7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

The deceitfulness of riches is simply that we are deceived that possessions, status, and security will bring us any good. In fact, God blesses us when we reach beyond this ideal and support others above even our own selves. It is hard to understand but this is the root of God's love and perfect picture of Christ in our lives. For Jesus did not serve Himself but in His life and death He served us.

1 Corinthians 10:23-24

23"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

Again in Galatians, it is clear that being selfish (appeasing the lusts of our sinful nature) is death and service to others is life.

Galatians 6:7-10

7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

We are to be these things in the world. A shining light and an example to others. It takes dwelling in Him through communion, worship, love, and reading and absorbing His word and teachings. Without these things, it is impossible for us to do much for His glory. Christ said that we can do nothing without Him and dwelling in Him. The void in many people's lives is being out of touch with Christ and His love giving spirit. We were not meant to just claim our belief in Him and then sit back and be consumed with CSI, game shows, greed, ambition,work, and recreation. We are soldiers and are responsible for doing all we can for those who are less fortunate than us. All people run into hard times, even extremely rich people. The world is filled with needs. However, we can not see those needs while we are consumed with the world around us. It is impossible.

When you start looking for needs and see the oppression, injustice, hate, and poverty of the world you all of sudden realize just how fortunate you are. Then our problems don't seem so bad. Joy in Christ and spread His love. Don't wait for someone to knock on life's door looking for help but go out and seek out the need that is all around us. It may not be money; it may actually just be a little of your time and companionship.

Romans 12

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Jesus has saved us. Salvation is complete for those who believe that Jesus has done this through his sacrifice and blood. Salvation is done. Setting that aside for a moment, how are we to live? There are two choices. Serve ourselves with an ever increasing desire to have more or serve others. Through the teachings we have from the bible it becomes clear that self seeking behaviour does not lead to what we think it leads to. We feel it is up to us to establish our own happiness and to exalt ourselves. As time goes on, it almost seems to become a matter of survival and a way of life.

Jesus teaches us that it is actually opposite of what we think. If we spend our time trying desperately to preserve ourselves and our way of life, we will fail. God knows that just like the stomach is never satisfied though we eat and drink to our hearts content in only a matter of a few hours we will be hungry again. Our desires are never satisfied. We may think that if we made more money or attained more approval from men that we might actually be content but it does not work that way. The flesh is ever wanting and ever desiring more. If you are fortunate enough to have things in this life and continue in the pursuit of more, you just assigned yourself to destruction.

Living as selflessly as possible would seem to be a terrible existence. Always serving and loving other people requires sacrifice of time, money, and possessions. Well, I would never get what I wanted out of life if I lived like that now would I? Wrong. Dead wrong. God blesses those who are generous and give without thinking of themselves. This is the nature of God and the nature of love. The opposite of how we are taught to live. We are taught to be strong, willful, intelligent, resourceful, and independent. We are taught to go for it and grab life by the horns. Yet if we do this we will never be satisfied and the constant ache for more will drive us to destruction. Once you have possessed that which you so desperately craved, you will soon realize how meaningless the item or items really are. The truth is that giving is the way to life. Giving is the way to freedom.

Think about it. Those things we covet, the things we have worked so hard to possess are actually enslaving us. Now we have to work even more and make more money to continue to possess material wealth. Possessions lead us into more and more slavery. It is sad really. Enslaved by the things we possess and the bills that come so that we can pay for them. We are working so hard to be enslaved by our own desires!

Selfishness uncontrolled leads to death and selfless love leads to life. Giving is truly better than receiving. It is not the person with the most toys at the end of their life that wins the game of life but instead the person who has the least toys at the end of their life that wins the game of life. Get... and get death. Give and get life. This is the teaching of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 13:44-45

44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

 45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Mark 10:17-22

 17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

 18"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 19You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother."

 20"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

 21Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

 22At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.