Christians Are Rich
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Those here this morning, no doubt, have a keen understanding of God’s thoughts on the dangers of physical riches.
The psalmist talks about those that trust in their riches and boast of their riches.
6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
The proverb writer talks this mentality will certainly be that persons downfall.
28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
Why, because the “love of money” is the root of all kinds of evil.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
However, as people living in this old sinful world like we do, sometimes it can become hard to remember these things.
We can easily look around us and long for that vehicle, house, phone, computer, job, or whatever one considers and lusts after.
But when one obeys the gospel, has their sins washed away, and is added to the Book of Life there is a reality that God makes abundantly clear, “Christians Are Rich.”
As Christians we are…
Rich In Salvation
Rich In Salvation
The World’s Riches Don’t Compare To Salvation’s.
The World’s Riches Don’t Compare To Salvation’s.
There is no doubt that there have been very wealth and yet righteous men in the bible.
Abraham, Job, David, etc…
Again, it is the “love of money” that is the root of all kinds of evil.
But even if someone had the wealth of Solomon it would not compare the riches found in God.
About twenty years ago a preacher I know estimated the wealth of Solomon from what one could gather and back then it was estimated to be about 1 to 2 trillion dollars.
Yet, with being so richly blessed financially and mentally by God Solomon still loved this world more than him who blessed him with all those worldly blessings.
4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done.
Jesus, while here on earth, made it abundantly clear where real wealth could be found and it wasn’t in this world.
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
Luke 12:19–21 (ESV)
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
When we opens up the generously rich word of God and reads of the salvation offered by our Creator to us who have all sinned and corrupted that which God made perfect, we cannot help but see the riches of salvation in comparison to this world’s riches.
The greatest wealth for anyone born again to a living hope is that we are adopted into a family with a bountifully rich inheritance.
1 Peter 1:3–4 (ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you
An inheritance that is guaranteed through him who has been richly poured out on us, the Holy Spirit.
3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
Titus 3:5–6 (ESV)
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior
Ephesians 1:13–14 (ESV)
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Summary
Summary
When one makes the decision to put on Christ in baptism by obeying the gospel (Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:3-5) and therefore lay up their treasure in heaven instead of this world they are rich in salvation.
Salvation is worth far more than than anything in this life.
But the riches of God for the child of God are not limited to “the next life only.”
No, as Christians we are…
Rich In Blessings
Rich In Blessings
All Spiritual Blessings Are In Christ.
All Spiritual Blessings Are In Christ.
When one obeys the gospel and is added by the Lord to his church (Acts 2:47) that child of God is also granted “all spiritual blessings in Christ.”
Ephesians 1:3 (ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places
These “rich spiritual blessings” certainly make one rich.
Proverbs 10:22 (NKJV)
22 The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.
How do these spiritual blessings make us rich?
We are richly blessed with the goodness, forbearance, and patience of our God as Christians.
Romans 2:4 (ESV)
4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
We are richly blessed by Christ’s blood continually as Christians.
8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
We are richly blessed in the full assurance of understanding and knowledge of God’s love for us.
Colossians 2:1–2 (ESV)
1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ
We are richly blessed with the opportunity to do good works as Christians.
1 Timothy 6:18 (ESV)
18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share
We are richly blessed with all our physical needs as Christians.
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Matthew 6:31–33 (ESV)
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Summary
Summary
As Christians, one’s saved from our sins, we are richly blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ.
And as long as we love the Lord our God with our all unto death (Luke 10:27; Revelation 2:10) we will continue to be richly blessed in this life.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The beauty of Christianity is that no matter what God has made us stewards of, either a lot or a little, we are rich as his children.
As Jesus told the Christians in Smyrna…
Revelation 2:9 (ESV)
9 I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich…
As long as we seek first the kingdom of God and love the Lord our God with our all we are rich not only in the next life but this life.
But let us be just as aware that if we love the riches of this world over the riches of God we are, in God’s eyes, as Jesus described the Christians in Laodicea.
17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.