Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלוהים) says:
The pearl of great price. What am I talking about? When you have the best, the ultimate, the highest prize, the treasure beyond the value of the whole world and everything in it, you are strong and courageous to keep it. You will let no one take your prize. You will give all you own and indeed your very life to have it because not even in physical death do you lose it. Unlike the fleeting treasures of the worldly, this is something you can acquire now and keep forever.
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:20-21.
Let no one rob you, cheat you, or defraud you of your prize. Colossians 2:18.
People will go to court, and indeed will go to war, over keeping their worldly treasures and resources. They will fight to the death to protect their possessions or even those they believe they have the right to by inheritance or contract. They are willing to give every earthly thing they have to win and get what they see as valuable.
And what about physical life? You will fight to stay alive, spending all you have to get health for your perishable body, and others enter professions to fight for that as well. The ambulance, the paramedics, the whole team at the emergency room will fight to save one life. They will use every device available to hold physical life in that person. No cost is too much in that battle to preserve that person from physical death. How much more valuable an eternal soul. Better to lose the whole world than your soul.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 11:35-37.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? Luke 9:24-25.
We are talking about eternal life, the imperishable, the Kingdom. Look how hard you will endeavor to stay physically alive, the woman with the issue of blood used all her savings over a course of twelve years and got no better, but one touch of the invaluable power of My Spirit in her Messiah and I gave her the prize she had spent every penny of her life’s savings to obtain to no avail as easy as a declaration of faith. Her faith saved her and made her whole. Her precious faith.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9.
For you were not saved by perishable things like silver and gold but the precious blood of the spotless Lamb, Jesus Christ your Savior, that takes away every sin and continually cleanses you of all unrighteousness. You are no longer to live the futile life of your ancestors that made the things of this life, and even staying alive a few more brief years, more important than your eternal life. People will even deny Me and compromise their souls to keep their jobs (this reaches from a clerk at a store, someone working in a hospital or the medical profession, all the way to government jobs and positions, even to school teachers and university professors), to obtain the vote to be a government official, to obtain what they see as a desirable spouse or relationship, to gain more money or power, or to keep a position of authority. But what did My Son tell you?
For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. Mark 8:38.
My servant Paul, who had once valued the prestige and promotions of the world, once he found the pearl of great price, counted everything he had once considered so valuable as worthless, in fact, as rubbish, in comparison. He gave all, even ultimately his physical life, to have that pearl. And he is with Me now, shining brightly in my Kingdom, greatly rewarded and blessed beyond all you can ask or imagine. For eye has not seen or ear heard or has anyone even been able to imagine the greatness, the beauty, and the precious value of what I have prepared for those who love Me beyond everything perishable. But I share that with you by My Spirit, and when you know, or at least have a glimpse of the treasure of My Kingdom that is for those who love Me beyond their life here on the earth and the things of the world, those who use what they have for Kingdom purposes, those that grow rich towards Me and not just for themselves, there is nothing that compares to the greatness of that prize. You will give all you are, all you have, and all you can amass in this earth towards doing My Will in the world.
People who have discovered gold are willing to fight to death to stake their claim, are you for the eternal pearl of great price? When you have it all and that all is eternal, not for just this life only, then whether you live or die is not the issue, in fact there is much gain in dying. And when that is your mindset you are strong and courageous to stand up and defend your prize and not back down for worldly acceptance and fame. You have something far better.
This made the early followers of Jesus that came to know of Him and the Kingdom through the apostles unconquerable, they were even known as the people who turned the world upside down. They were not even phased by threats of death, chains, and prison to keep their pearl of great price. No one could move them off their treasure, no one could cheat them, defraud them, or steal it from them.
Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. Revelation 12:10-11.
In life and death you are Mine, but better yet, in life and death I am yours.
David sang, “Beautiful indeed is my inheritance,” and that to be with Me was “better than life.” Do you know that? And you can have all that now. Remember the parable of the prodigal son? He did not wait to take it but took it immediately, thought he had lost it, but returned to the Father, and found it was all still there for him forever. You are with Me always and all I have is yours. It has pleased Me to give you the Kingdom now and forever.
But just as I am your treasure, you are My treasure. I value you so greatly that I gave My Son and every drop of His blood to purchase you, to purchase your vindication and your release from your sins. He paid the ransom due to Me for your treason that you could not pay. I took care of your debts to Me in My Son and cancelled them as paid and full and nailed them to the cross. I purchased you at a price beyond anything in Heaven or earth. Do you know that? You are beloved, forgiven, blessed, favored, and your debts to divine justice have been paid for in full. Glorify Me in your body, for whether you live or die, you are Mine, and in My Son you have eternal life.
I love you. You are My own special treasure. You are precious in My eyes, and I honor you. What is your treasure? I am offering the pearl of great price will you not receive it?
‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own special treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” Exodus 19:4-6.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10.