Missing Out on A Valuable Treasure

Mike Johnson

One person’s junk is another person’s treasure.” I am confident that almost everyone has heard this expression. We know that another may view something, which may seem worthless to one person, as valuable. The popularity of garage/yard sales in our country attests to this.

An Associated Press Story several years ago told of a man in Texas who purchased a 1,905-carat sapphire at a gem show for $10.00. How did this happen? The purchaser bypassed the professional dealers and went to an area where the amateur dealers were displaying their merchandise. He found the stone in a box of rocks priced at $15.00. He realized it was valuable and inquired. The dealer then cut the price to $10.00, and the man made the purchase. The sapphire appraised later at 2.28 million.

The above story is amazing. The uncut sapphire probably passed through the hands of many before it came into the possession of someone who recognized its value. The problem was that the original owner, and probably many others, did not realize the actual value of it.

 Today, many fail to recognize a treasure even more valuable than sapphires. They have it within their grasps, yet do not realize its worth. That treasure is SALVATION! 

Salvation is of much more value than any earthly treasure. There are various reasons this is true. First, earthly riches, at most, can only last for our short lifetime. They do not endure for us past our time here on earth. The old expression, “You can’t take it with you,” is undoubtedly true. Now what Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20.

 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

Another reason that salvation is more valuable than earthly treasures is that in our lifetime, treasures can lose their value. The above passage reminds us of this. While it is true that a child of God can fall from grace (I Cor. 10:12, Gal. 5:4), his salvation cannot be taken away by another unless he allows it. A Christian who falls does so because he chooses to serve the devil instead of God. 

Another significant reason that salvation is more valuable than earthly treasures is that earthly treasures, by themselves, cannot bring happiness. We often read and hear about wealthy people who are very unhappy. Salvation, on the other hand, can bring joy in this life (Phil. 4:4,10) and in the life to come (Mt. 25:23). This happiness is enduring.

Paul spoke of preaching the gospel in the latter part of I Corinthians 1. He said the Jew asked for signs, and the Greeks sought after wisdom. The Jews had received many signs (or miracles) by Christ and others. However, they were not satisfied. The Greeks were only interested in the philosophy of this world, not in the preaching of Christ. Consequently, the teaching of “Christ crucified” was “to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness (V. 23). These two groups had access to something precious. They heard the preaching of Christ and could have responded by becoming Christians, receiving salvation. Instead, they rejected the teaching of God’s Word, which is described as “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16) and as that which is “able to save your souls” (Jas. 1:21). Many others, however, to whom Paul preached, realized the value of the preaching. They viewed Paul’s message of the crucified Christ as God’s power for salvation. (I Cor. 1:24).

The preaching of Christ crucified was incorrectly assessed by many of the Jews and Greeks. Thinking it was worthless, they misjudged its value. On the other hand, many saw its rightful value as do many today with honest hearts. 

The man who sold the sapphire worth several million dollars for $10.00 lost quite a sum of money. However, we must not look down on him. Millions of people today are doing the same, but with something much more valuable than that sapphire. They have an opportunity to obey the Word of God and become Christians. Instead, they reject God’s Word and follow their interests. People who reject God’s Word not only miss heaven but also are doomed to hell for eternity (Mt. 25:46). Have you recognized the value of salvation?