What a sweet feeling it is to know that you are rich. When a person is rich then they often feel more secure and more confident in their decisions. They wake up each day not worrying about what they will eat or where they will sleep. It is a wonderful experience to live with each day. However, there are true riches and there are temporary riches. True riches a person can not lose but temporary riches can be like a figment in one’s own imagination.
A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. Proverbs 18:11
True riches are a blessing and there is no sorrow with them. Temporary riches often will come at a cost that the acquirer is not aware of until it is too late. The grief that often comes from temporary riches is not worth the wealth that was gained.
It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it. Proverbs 10:22
True riches are a gift from a giver and can not be worked for by the receiver. True riches are given out of love for the recipient and are not deserved.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16
For God so loved all of mankind that He gave His only begotten Son. Encompassed in that amazing gift are unfathomable riches for those who receive the gift.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, John 1:12
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. John 6:47
It is wonderful news that these riches are made available to all. Jesus Christ came to take away the sin of the world. This sin was a horrible debt that weighs on all of us. This sin that Jesus Christ came to take was the guilt that all of us bear. It is that ugly desire that we all have in our hearts of wanting to have our own way. It is selfishness expressed at the expense of others. It is seen in the grief that we have brought to those we love and those whom we don’t love. One of the meanings of evil is to cause grief and when we are honest with ourselves, we have all caused someone else grief. We may try to forget it or bury it within ourselves. We may not even acknowledge it but we all know that it is true. We have all failed in the true measure of a person and that is to treat others the way we want to be treated. In other words, we all want to be loved and respected. Jesus Christ took this guilt and our sin that caused our guilt on Himself when He went to the cross.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. II Corinthians 5:21
This gift was a mystery spoken of many times in past generations but was not made known until Jesus Christ came. The gift of God’s love and eternal life to the entire world, expressed through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, … that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, Ephesians 3:4b-9
No one fully understood that the Messiah was coming for the entire world to be saved. Not only to bear their guilt and shame on the cross but to be made fellow heirs and fellow members and fellow partakers of the promise in Jesus Christ, who was the Messiah. He is the Savior of the world.
We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. I John 4:14
The unfathomable riches of Jesus Christ are available as a gift to any who will call upon Him. He takes away the debilitating debt of sin and guilt and gives us the true riches of forgiveness in Jesus Christ. There is no sorrow in these true riches but there is unending joy.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace Ephesians 1:7
There is no burden of grief in these unfathomable riches but sweet freedom of relief… freedom from sin and freedom from guilt.
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36
There is no shame in these true riches but wonderful cleansing that the Lord gives within a person’s heart.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9
Temporary riches can be a blessing if gained and used wisely but not at the expense of our souls.
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:36,37
At the end of our life, and no one knows when that will be, any temporary riches gained in this world will be left behind but the unfathomable riches of our eternal life will go with us. They are given to us at the time of our salvation when we give our life to Jesus Christ and believe in Him and receive Him as our Lord and Savior.
Instructions To A Young Life 