Almost every time we stopped for fuel during a recent trip, my wife and I found pennies and nickels scattered on the ground, by fuel pumps and in front of convenience stores.
Evidently some travelers found it annoying to deal with “small change,” so they tossed the coins away, treating them like so much worthless garbage.
My wife and I, who value pennies and nickels, were unconcerned about what others thought as we picked up those unappreciated coins. We wanted them, knowing that though small and insignificant, they would contribute to paying our expenses.
Perhaps you think one penny isn’t worth much. True! But have you ever seen one million pennies?
The local science center one time had just such a display on view. Inside a very large, reinforced Plexiglas bank was a shiny pile of 1 million pennies. They had been donated in small quantities over the months by participating grade school students. It was a huge, significant sum which no one would think of discarding, though that $10,000 consisted entirely of insignificant pennies.
Christians and “Small Change”
Sadly, professing Christianity is doing the same, actively tossing out precious truths of God as though they were annoying, nearly worthless small change. Unfortunately this spirit and tendency has made its harmful inroads among believers gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh! let us never allow ourselves to look at even one precious truth of God as unimportant or insignificant. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable” (2 Tim. 3:1616All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16)). All we have in Christ, all the revealed truth that is ours through His divine grace, is indispensable and infinitely precious.
Discarding True Riches
As professing Christianity rapidly discards vital, fundamental doctrine, three areas are affected: doctrinal (foundational) truth, ecclesiastical (assembly) truth, and moral (practical) truth. May God grant us purpose of heart to “hold fast” and “strengthen the things which remain.” What to unbelievers seems small change is most surely priceless treasure for us.
Doctrine
We read that the early assembly “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:4242And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)). The apostles’ doctrine is mentioned first. The believers believed, valued, embraced and practiced every word of doctrine taught by the apostles. Yet later, Paul had to warn the Ephesian elders about grievous wolves destroying and party-makers dividing the flock of God. The last of his inspired writings warned that sound doctrine would be discarded as unimportant, being replaced by false teaching which appeals to the flesh (2 Tim. 4:33For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (2 Timothy 4:3)).
Truths regarding the person and work of Christ, the saints’ heavenly calling, headship of the man, separation from the ways of this world these and many other, divinely precious doctrines have been discarded as barely significant small change.
Assembly
The assembly also suffers from this small change mentality. Those in Acts continued steadfastly in doctrine and fellowship, the remembrance of the Lord and in prayer. Not only was every doctrine important, but they also eagerly embraced every opportunity to come together in assembly to remember the Lord and for prayer and reading.
Today, to our shame, we must admit that very often the number meeting together Lord’s Day morning to remember Him in death is significantly larger than the number attending midweek prayer and reading meetings or even gospel meetings. While there is ample time available for work, family and recreational activities, assembly activities which filled the hearts and lives of early believers are all too often treated as troublesome small change.
Practical Living
The apostles continually warned believers about the dangers of walking as the world walks.
We must in honesty admit that the world’s philosophies of self-worth, self-seeking, and self-satisfaction have affected us all doing so to the dishonor of our blessed Lord and Saviour. Humanism and materialism have made us willing to discard as small change the high, holy moral conduct befitting those who are God’s pilgrims and strangers in this world.
Abraham would not accept one thread or shoe-latchet from the king of Sodom, for he knew that substituting the habits and ways of the world for even the smallest exercise of faith would work ruin.
Don’t discard as unimportant one vital, precious truth of God. Every spiritual cent that God has given makes rich (Prov. 10:2222The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. (Proverbs 10:22)). Don’t throw any away!
Ed.