Nothing

The title of this short article is “Nothing.” Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words list the meaning of “nothing” as “not anything.” Read on and note some uses of this word in the New Testament.  

It is used in John 6:12. Here Jesus feeds the multitude of 5000. When they were finished eating Jesus told his disciples in verse 12 to gather up the broken pieces that nothing be lost.

In Genesis1:1, God created the world out of nothing. This is the only way to account for Biblical creation. We have to begin with a self-existent being who created something out of nothing and spoke it in to existence. Man can redesign and rearrange but he cannot create. The understood law of science is, “Something can’t come from nothing”.

1 Timothy 6:7 states man brought nothing into this world and will certainly carry nothing with him when he leaves. Since man can carry nothing out of this world when he leaves, then the real purpose of his stay here is not a quest for the material possessions of life. According to Ecclesiastes 12:13 the purpose of his stay here is spiritual, an opportunity to prepare for another life after death.

1 Timothy 6:6 tells us godliness with contentment is great gain. If we lose sight of this, we will have nothing after this life is over. Deeds in the name of religion without love equal nothing according to 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. If we have not love then we become as clanging cymbals and untuned instruments. Love never fails with kindness and concern. Without it we have nothing.

2 Corinthians 6:10 (ASV) says, “As having nothing and yet possessing all things.” The world sees the committed child of God as sad, afflicted and grieving: yes they may see us this way when some brother or sister is grieving after losing a loved one, but the other side they may not see. We rejoice and are happy when our Christian brothers are happy. This we can do through the comfort and assurances of our faith in the promises of our Lord and his revealed Word. This may appear to the world, by their standards, as having nothing. However to Christians, this faith and source of joy and understanding comes through Jesus and His Word.

Consider Romans 8:18 (ASV): “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us after we leave this life.” Therefore if we lose the opportunity to prepare for the life after death we truly have gained “nothing.”