Bulletin
The Riches of God
A lot of folks are preoccupied with accumulating as much of this world’s goods as possible and the acquisition of material things demands the lion’s share of their time, attention and effort. The great irony is that we will be able to take precisely the same amount with us at the end of our lives that we brought with us at the beginning (1 Timothy 6:7).
Looks can be deceiving. There are people who, by earthly standards, are poorer than Job’s turkey. But if you could see them through God’s eyes, they are the wealthiest people imaginable. There are riches that, by their very nature, are eternal. There are treasures that cannot deteriorate or be stolen. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus encouraged us to invest wisely (Matthew 6:20).
Jesus compared finding the kingdom of God to a man finding a treasure in a field of such great value, he was willing to sell everything he owned to buy the field and acquire the treasure. But what does God offer that is worth more than the whole material world?
Kindness, tolerance and patience. God offers redemption through the blood of His Son, Jesus; the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7). His kindness and patience should motivate us to repent of our trespasses against Him (Romans 2:4).
The inheritance as Sons and Daughters of the King. Paul prayed that the eyes of the hearts of the Ephesian Christians be opened to know “what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18). You see, when a man becomes a Christian, he is not a slave but an adopted son and thus an heir to the inheritance reserved for the children of the King (Romans 8:14-17). God intends to spend eternity showing “the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).
The revelation of God’s wisdom and knowledge is a treasure. The “light shining out of darkness” was entrusted to “earthen vessels”, men inspired to write the treasure of God’s word (2 Corinthians 4:6-7). This revelation is the basis for our salvation (Romans 1:16) and provides us with the divine definition of righteousness (v. 17).
Lives led by His wisdom are spiritual treasure. Jesus told a parable of a rich man who stood condemned because he was not “rich toward God” (Luke 12:31). He was more concerned with laying up earthly wealth than heavenly treasures. God rewards generosity (1 Timothy 6:18), faithfulness in persecution (Matthew 5:12), sincere service and mercy (Matthew 6).
Heirs of incalculable spiritual wealth look beyond the appeal of fleeting pleasures and focus with the eye of faith on their eternal inheritance. We all should do the same.
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