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Selected Messages Book 2
not acknowledging their truth, but showing what, even according to
his own account, the servant ought to have done. The Lord virtually
says: “You made no effort to trade upon My entrusted capital, and to
gain an increase to promote My glory in the earth. “Thou oughtest
... to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I
should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent
from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every
one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from
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him that hath not [traded on his Lord’s goods] shall be taken away
even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into
outer darkness” (
Matthew 25:27-30
). To every soul to whom the light
of truth has come is this lesson given.
We should never forget that God has placed us on trial in this
world, to determine our fitness for the future life. None can enter
heaven whose characters are defiled by the foul blot of selfishness.
Therefore God tests us here by committing to us temporal possessions,
that our use of these may show whether we can be entrusted with
eternal riches. It is only as the self-sacrificing life of Christ is reflected
in our life that we can be in harmony with heaven, and be fitted to
enter there.
Where Are We Placing Our Treasures?
But the great study and ambition of the world is to obtain material,
temporal advantages, to the neglect of spiritual good. Thus it is with
some members of the church. When at last they shall be called to render
their account to God, they will not only be ashamed but astonished
that they did not discern the true riches, and have not laid up treasure
in the heavens. They have bestowed their gifts and offerings upon
the enemies of truth, expecting a time to come in this life when they
would receive the returns for what they have invested. They could
entrust their means to secret societies, but when the cause of God is
in need of the means He has committed to His human agents, they
feel no interest, they do not consider the gift that the Lord has made to
them. They are blinded by the god of this world.
They say: “I have nothing to give to this enterprise; for I shall
receive no returns. In paying to the lodge, I am providing for the
future, and, besides this, I must bear my share of expense for the