In one of his book chapters, Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe begins to write saying,
"The late J. Paul Getty was reputed to be the richest man in the world. He once complained to a newspaper reporter that inflation was hurting him and that a million dollars was not what it used to be! You and I probably would not know what to do with a million dollars, and I doubt if that much money would make a Christian happier or holier. Because we know Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are the wealthiest people in the world. Ephesians 1:3 informs us that Christians have been 'blessed...with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.'"
He continues saying, "When Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesian believers, he was addressing people who knew something about wealth. Ephesus was a wealthy city. It possessed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the great temple of Diana; and the temple itself was a bank where citizens deposited their valuables. Thousands of tourists came to Ephesus each year to see the temple of Diana, and of course, there was a brisk trade in selling souvenirs.
"But there were some people in Ephesus who were rich beyond measure. They did not have great stores of gold or silver hidden away. They had something better than that - they had wealth beyond measure that could never be taken from them! Paul mentioned this wealth in the beginning of his letter to the Ephesians: 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.'
If you know Christ as your Savior, then this wealth belongs to you. You did not earn it; you do not deserve it. The wealth is yours only because of the grace of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Paul puts it another way in his second letter to the church at Corinth: 'For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.' What kind of wealth is this? Unless we can answer that question, our wealth can do us no good!....
"Nowhere in the New Testament does God promise to make Christians wealthy and comfortable in this world. Jesus Himself was poor, and so were His disciples. Paul described himself as 'poor, yet making many rich' [2 Cor. 6:10]. Peter confessed, 'Silver and gold have I none' [Acts 3:6].
"There is a brand of teaching in some places today that equates wealth with spirituality and God's blessing. If you are really a dedicated Christian, they say, then you will be traveling first-class with a big salary, a fancy house, and no sickness or worries or bills. I don't find this teaching in my Bible as far as the New Testament Christians are concerned.
"Our wealth is spiritual. We have the 'blessings of the Spirit.' These blessings mean much more than the material things of life. God has promised to meet all our needs, and He has given us all the spiritual blessings necessary to live for Him and to glorify His name. Let's not measure life or spiritual stature by material things. Let's ask ourselves how many blessings of the Spirit we are really enjoying and investing in our lives" (Warren W. Wiersbe, "The Bumps Are What You Climb On: Encouragement for Difficult Days" [Baker Books, 2002], 141-143).
I agree with Dr. Wiersbe. Although God blesses us with many material blessings, and we should be grateful and learn to enjoy them in this life, yet the blessings that ought to bring us more satisfaction are those that are not temporary but eternal. His pardoning grace and the gift of sonship are two of those. These are more. But to be forgiven of my sin and to be counted as a child of God in Christ are treasures that really count not only in this life but throughout eternity.
"The late J. Paul Getty was reputed to be the richest man in the world. He once complained to a newspaper reporter that inflation was hurting him and that a million dollars was not what it used to be! You and I probably would not know what to do with a million dollars, and I doubt if that much money would make a Christian happier or holier. Because we know Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are the wealthiest people in the world. Ephesians 1:3 informs us that Christians have been 'blessed...with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.'"
He continues saying, "When Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesian believers, he was addressing people who knew something about wealth. Ephesus was a wealthy city. It possessed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the great temple of Diana; and the temple itself was a bank where citizens deposited their valuables. Thousands of tourists came to Ephesus each year to see the temple of Diana, and of course, there was a brisk trade in selling souvenirs.
"But there were some people in Ephesus who were rich beyond measure. They did not have great stores of gold or silver hidden away. They had something better than that - they had wealth beyond measure that could never be taken from them! Paul mentioned this wealth in the beginning of his letter to the Ephesians: 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.'
If you know Christ as your Savior, then this wealth belongs to you. You did not earn it; you do not deserve it. The wealth is yours only because of the grace of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Paul puts it another way in his second letter to the church at Corinth: 'For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.' What kind of wealth is this? Unless we can answer that question, our wealth can do us no good!....
"Nowhere in the New Testament does God promise to make Christians wealthy and comfortable in this world. Jesus Himself was poor, and so were His disciples. Paul described himself as 'poor, yet making many rich' [2 Cor. 6:10]. Peter confessed, 'Silver and gold have I none' [Acts 3:6].
"There is a brand of teaching in some places today that equates wealth with spirituality and God's blessing. If you are really a dedicated Christian, they say, then you will be traveling first-class with a big salary, a fancy house, and no sickness or worries or bills. I don't find this teaching in my Bible as far as the New Testament Christians are concerned.
"Our wealth is spiritual. We have the 'blessings of the Spirit.' These blessings mean much more than the material things of life. God has promised to meet all our needs, and He has given us all the spiritual blessings necessary to live for Him and to glorify His name. Let's not measure life or spiritual stature by material things. Let's ask ourselves how many blessings of the Spirit we are really enjoying and investing in our lives" (Warren W. Wiersbe, "The Bumps Are What You Climb On: Encouragement for Difficult Days" [Baker Books, 2002], 141-143).
I agree with Dr. Wiersbe. Although God blesses us with many material blessings, and we should be grateful and learn to enjoy them in this life, yet the blessings that ought to bring us more satisfaction are those that are not temporary but eternal. His pardoning grace and the gift of sonship are two of those. These are more. But to be forgiven of my sin and to be counted as a child of God in Christ are treasures that really count not only in this life but throughout eternity.
