ONE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE  

 







                     "ONE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE"               Matthew 13:45-46

                      Don Fortner

 

                          This parable is intended to teach us  how precious,

                     highly valued and esteemed, and greatly loved the   Lord

                     Jesus Christ is to God's elect. Christ is the believer's

                     portion (Lam.3:24; Lk.10:42). "Unto you  therefore which

                     believe, he is precious" (I Pet.2:7).All to  whom Christ

                     is revealed in the fullness  of  his  saving  grace   and

                     glory willingly give up all things to win  him  and   be

                     found in him  (Mk.8:34-37;Lk.14:25-33;Phil.3:7-15). THIS

                     PARABLE,SIMPLE AS IT IS, EXPLAINS THE LIFE  AND 

                     BEHAVIOR OF ALL TRUE BELIEVERS. The believer is 

                     what he  is   and does what he does, because he is  

                     thoroughly  convinced that  "Christ is all" (Col. 3:11; 

                     I Cor.  1:30-31).   He comes out of the world,confesses 

                     Christ,and  says, "no,"  to the lusts of the flesh,the allure-

                     ments of  the world, and the temptations of the devil. He 

                     puts off  the  old  man and puts on the new. He hates sin 

                     and  pursues righteousness. He counts all things  but  

                     loss  for   Christ, because he sees Christ to be the "one  

                     pearl  of  great price" that he must have. He gladly sells 

                     all  that   he has that he may have him, and never regrets 

                     the   trade. THIS  PARABLE,  SIMPLE  AS  IT  IS,  ALSO 

                     EXPLAINS  THE  LIFE  AND  BEHAVIOR  OF  LOST, 

                     UNREGENERATE  CHURCH  MEMBERS. Perhaps you 

                     have for years professed to be a  believer. Yet,  you are 

                     always halting between two opinions.  You flinch from 

                     decisiveness. You shrink from taking up  your  cross and 

                     following Christ. You wear his name,  but  not   his  garments. 

                     You venture nothing for  Christ.  You   simply   cannot make 

                     up your mind to sell all for him. You   have  resolved to do so 

                     a hundred times. But you simply   cannot  bring yourself to do 

                     it. You cannot persuade   yourself, like  Caleb of old, to follow 

                     the Lord  fully. Why? The answer is obvious. You do not yet 

                     see  that   Christ is the pearl of great  price. He is not precious  

                     to you, because you do not trust him. Therefore, you  cannot 

                     and will not  forsake all that you may  have him.  With   your lips 

                     you sing, "Take  the world,but give  me  Jesus." Yet, everyday 

                     you say with your life,  "If it comes to  that,  I'll take the world. 

                     Somebody  else  can  have  Jesus!"   MANY  WHO  REJOICE  

                     IN  THE  DOCTRINE  TAUGHT  IN  THE  PARABLE OF THE 

                     TREASURE HIDDEN  IN A  FIELD  BETRAY  THE   TRUE CON-

                     DITION OF THEIR  HEARTS  BY  OBJECTING  TO  THE  DEMANDING  

                     DOCTRINE  TAUGHT  IN  THIS PARABLE. They  love the doctrine 

                     of free grace, but despise  all  doctrine  that   demands sacrifice,

                     commitment, and responsibility on  their part.

  

 Don Fortner, Pastor 

Grace Baptist Church of Danville

2734 Old Stanford Road

Danville, Kentucky 40422