Object Lessons in a $70, $10,000, and $10 million Violin
I recently watched a video on Youtube, where a music enthusiast played first a seventy-dollar violin, then a ten thousand dollar violin, and then a ten million dollar violin, and showed his viewers the difference between the sounds. While the differences were great between each of the violins, it does take a refined ear to appreciate just how different the ten million dollar violin is from the seventy dollar one. It takes a real love of music to appreciate the difference. A toddler, for example, might think the difference between the expensive violin and the seventy dollar one was not that vast.
The world tells us there is no difference between someone who lives for themselves and someone who lives for God and submits to his law and his authority, seeking through Christ to please him. Sometimes Satan successfully tempts God’s people to believe this lie too.
“Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?
And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.
And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.”
Malachi 3:13-18
In the above verses, God is justly angry and hurt that His people have accused Him and His way as not being advantageous to them, as being no better than living a life of unrepentant sin as the wicked do, perhaps as being worse even than the life of a wicked person, for the verses describe God’s people as viewing the wicked as happy, something God disagrees with again and again through the scriptures. They failed to acknowledge the stark difference between holy living and sinful living, and brought dishonor upon God, because such a position is a lie; it’s not true at all. There is peace in the path of repentance and faith, there is hope for eternal life, there is joy in holiness and giving God glory with one’s choices.
God takes out a book of remembrance and writes the names of the faithful in that book, showing that He doesn’t number the wicked and the faithful in the same category. He doesn’t see them alike, and He will save and reward the righteous; He will not forget them.
But Satan had tempted them to see no difference between a life of sin and one of holiness.
Satan also tempts us with a similar lie – that if we pass the trials in our lives that we are the same as we were before the trial, and that trials serve no purpose. He wants us to think we’re still a $70 violin like when we were a baby Christian, and not see how our character has increased in value and that we’ve become the $10,000 violin.
If you show this video to a child, they may not be able to tell the difference between the $70 violin, and the 10 million dollar violin, but the difference is obvious to any musician with a trained ear.
As God’s remnant people preparing for translation, when we surrender our sins and gain the victory over them, and when we patiently endure trials that mold us into God’s image, we go from glory to glory. We go from being the $10 violin to being a $1000 violin, to being a $100,000 violin, to being the 10 million dollar violin. The worldling may still see us as the same person because they are children when it comes to spiritual things, but the devoted Christian will understand the difference in our character that faithfully enduring the trials brought about.
“They go from strength to strength, until each appears before God in Zion.”
Psalm 84:7
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
It’s a concept known as ‘moral worth’. You can do a study in the Spirit of Prophecy writings using this phrase for a clearer understanding. While our inherent worth as human beings cannot fluctuate or change and is shown by Jesus’ death on the cross for us, our moral worth is measured by how much we reflect Jesus’ character, and it can change. Some people have very low moral worth because they reject God and turn to the service of self. The devil and his angels are the lowest on the moral worth scale.
Another way to think of it is Jesus hewing away the dross in our hearts to reveal a diamond. Some of us still have a lot of dross on us; others are more diamond than dross.
The world will tell us that it doesn’t matter if we submit to God and that our trials have no purpose. The world doesn’t register in their minds the distinct difference in sound between the $10 violin and the 10 million dollar violin. But those who know and understand God’s law and are familiar with his character can instantly hear the profound difference. If you are going through trials right now, take heart. Focus on how you will increase in moral worth through this trial and become more like Christ. God will make us as the golden wedge of Ophir, which is a gift far more precious and valuable than anything in this world, and those who possess such a character are citizens of heaven and God does not number them with the transgressors of his law, the people of this world.
“I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.”
Isaiah 13:12
“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”
Proverbs 31:10
“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:”
Exodus 19:5
It’s important that we understand just how valuable this gift is, and thank God for the trials and cooperate with him through them until his work is done in us. The world will say that comfort and possessions are what life is all about – but being changed into Jesus’ image and glorifying God is really what life is about. We want meaning and value in our life, not things or ease and comfort. Desire to be truly rich in character and in knowledge of God, not rich in money which is poverty when compared with eternal treasure.
It’s also important that we understand that there is a price for becoming like Jesus. The $10 million dollar violin is much more costly than the $100,000 violin. As we go through life, Jesus will increase our trials and especially the work that is done after we receive the latter rain will be very severe. The trials will be enough to completely hew away all dross in our characters. If we aren’t willing to pay that price and go through that trial for Jesus, we can’t purchase the $10 million dollar violin.
I feel that we have saddened Jesus by not studying to understand just how priceless of a gift he is giving us in these last days. We are the generation, I believe, who will perfect our characters through his blood washing us through his word. We are the Enoch generation. Faithful Christians for thousands of years have served and loved God and yet were not blessed to be the generation that fully parted with sin and will be translated to heaven. Think of the joy Martin Luther would feel if he was given the same honor! Or Abraham. Or Paul, who ran a good race, pressing forward to the prize, and yet did not obtain a perfect character. I don’t think we understand the value of this gift as we should. It’s time to bring out our Bibles and really pray for understanding of all that this gift entails and then offer up praise to God for this precious promise, and then we will have a firm resolve to obtain it, and pass all of our trials in life that we might gain the prize of a completely sinless heart.
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
Romans 5:3-5
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2 Peter 1:4-7
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
Philippians 1:6
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”
Ephesians 4:12-15
“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,” Jude 1:24
“These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
Revelation 14:4-5