Everything

“Renounce everything to gain everything.”- Abba Evagrios

“When we have Christ, we have everything; thus, it is impossible to ask more than everything. Everything has nothing to do with this temporal vanity to which creation is subject to but rather, everything is speaking of gaining Him who Alone is not Vanity” – Anonymous

“Seek the Giver of the Gifts and not the gifts” – Sadhu Sundar Singh

Brief Scriptural Proofs:

(i) All (“Creation”) is Vanity & won’t remain in the current state ‘forever’

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2)

(ii) All Creation is ‘subjected to vanity’ but eventually God will set it free ‘from decay or corruption’ (of sin & death) to be in the “liberty of the children of God” henceforth; Note that the creation with Him currently (e.g. ‘inhabitants of the heavens’) though not in sin, but are affected by the ‘sin’ done by rest of fallen creation thus they too are living with this current vanity affecting the whole world in some way waiting for complete deliverance to be free together with us:

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (Romans 8:20 – 21)

(iii) God alone is ‘excepted’ (‘not’ included) in the definition of ‘all things’ (or ‘creation’ or ‘world’) because He alone is the Creator & thus ‘He alone is not Vanity in the current state of things’ being not included in definition (i) above as the verse below highlights this Scriptural assumption whenever we read ‘all’:

“For “He has put in subjection all things under His feet.” But when it may be said that all things have been put in subjection, it is evident that the One having put in subjection all things to Him is excepted.” (1 Corinthians 15:27)

(iv) Renouncing may be done in two ways, namely

(a) By actual leaving:

“and every one who left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, for my name’s sake, an hundredfold shall receive, and life age-during shall inherit;” – Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:29)

(b) By living with these things putting it secondary to seeking God’s Will as implied by this verse:

“But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;

and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;

and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.” – apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 7:29 – 31)