For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
Often in discipeship counseling we tell the story of Ira and Ann Yates. A couple who bought a hard-scrabble farm in Texas- and almost lost it because drought. Yates finally convinced an oil company to test his farm. After 23 days of drilling- a gusher came in. October 28, 1926. The oil is still flowing from those wells 91 years later.
The question we often ask is WHEN did the Yates become trillionaires?
Most people say- when the gusher came in.
But that's not true. The Yates became trillionaires when the bought the farm. They just didn't know it.
That's how we are as believers. We receive all the riches of Christ when we believe in Him- we just don't know it. Some know and still don't believe.
Because our Lord Jesus Christ became poor- willingly and humbly left His home where He is honored above all to be born a man of a woman- with a purpose. His purpose was to be crucified. His purpose was to die. His purpose was to be raised again. Only He could do it. He gave His life so we could have life. The only way we can have Life, is to participate with Him in His death, burial and resurrection. That comes through faith.
And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
1 Peter 1:18-2018 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you
1 Corinthians 15
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Romans 6
6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
You see now? When you participated in His death, burial and resurrection through faith, you received all that He has. Your inheritance in Him. You are rich. You received everything you need for life and godliness- 2 Peter 1:3. But most believers don't know it. Most believers choose to live in poverty. And they already are rich.
I'd rather have all of Jesus than all that this world can offer. Because what this world offers will fade away. When we mine the riches of Christ, we find that His riches will on grow and flourish and produce more and more.
I'd rather have all that He is which is so so so satisfying and content.
I'd rather have and live in and live from Him because inside...no longer chaos, fear, anger, discontent, disillusionment, contempt, unforgiveness- etc etc- instead I have Him:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.- Galatians 5:22-23
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
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