Wealth in God
Would you believe that spiritual wealth comes from overcoming for the full future rewards in the kingdom? God does not intend for His beloved people to be satisfied with less than our full allotment of all He has promised. There is an abundance in God to be accessed through the holy spirit. We are cautioned not to think we have it all, not to become complacent or satisfied with our religious status, knowledge or spiritual “wealth.”
God prefers us to be either cold or hot, no fence-sitting in Him! He removes our heavens, those spiritual places in which we dwell, shaking up our earth, our fleshly understandings of Him, until we move on. Hear what He says in Revelation to the church in Laodicea:
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God’s creation. I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other!
So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth! You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:14-22 Berean
Riches in God are granted—all the fruit of His kingdom, full of the love, peace, and joy He promises along with wisdom to live His way. But the qualification for these rewards is overcoming all, as Jesus overcame all. When we think we have it all already, He is outside the door of our hearts, knocking to be let in, to invite us to dine on the rich delicacies of His words of truth and love.
Overcoming means to be successful in dealing with an obstacle or a problem. What is it that we are to overcome? We are to overcome our flesh nature as He did. This Laodicean condition of being lukewarm is found today in many religious groups, churches or denominations who think they have arrived and already have it all. Thinking we are spiritually rich and don’t need anything more is a condition that can be in the hearts of many of God’s leaders, instilling it in their followers.
When we believe this, it stops us and those under our leadership others in their tracks so they progress no further. Many of us have experienced times of our own “Laodicean condition,” periods of peak spiritual experiences leading to contentment, followed by a season where God had to deal with us so that we’d move on. There are multiple opportunities for growth and obstacles He allows on our path to becoming like Him. We can welcome these obstacles rather than thinking we are being mistreated by God when they happen.
God knows how to do this with each of us when we are willing. We too may recall former times during our incredible walk with the Lord when we thought we had it all and had arrived with the best God has to offer. In our hearts, we became self-satisfied, rather than God-satisfied. Sometimes we were even self-righteous about what God was giving us and our special place in His kingdom. We are attending the best fellowship, hearing the top preachers, reading and studying with all of the best ministers, teachers, authors and speakers of the day, attending every gathering where we hear the spirit is moving.
So, we put down our roots in that place instead of in God! Looking back at past exciting and precious times with God’s people in various gatherings where He was moving, we have deep gratitude that these were times where our spiritual walk was radically changed. Though many former gathering places are no more, we recall with love and appreciation our Elders, now on the other side, who filled our storehouses with God’s own seed of righteousness and revelation.
Friends and fellowships, ministry and hardship, joy and suffering have been shared with others who were just what we needed at the time. Though we may have thought it would last together at the time, we lose contact with them on this earth. God knows. One way or another, God moved us on. When we were reluctant, He knew how to remove the blessings from that season until we had to move on or others moved on from us.
While many men and women of God were allowed, in fact, given the task of writing on the hearts of God’s elect for just that time, those times have come to an end. The love and gratitude remain along with wise teaching deposited our storehouses, building a strong foundation in Him. These are words by which we now live, ever learning to understand these teachings in more depth by the spirit. We never move past eternal truths, but we do go on to know Him in all the richness of His character.
When we have “ears to hear”, we move on, longing for more of the Lord:
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:8-12 KJV
If we plant our stakes in our current spiritual realm, insisting this is where it’s all happening, God will arrange for us to be moved on through circumstances around us. He brings a famine of the word where there had been plenty. He allows a dry season to take away the rain of His spirit. The fellowship we are attending, for various reasons, falters and is destroyed. Then, we hear the call to “come up hither,” and answer it.
Some worry that they are dishonoring their elders and teachers by going further, but those who have hearts for God would want us to go further than they did. Our elders, just as the saints of old, saw much in God’s promises in which they were not allowed to participate. We now move higher, go further than our elders saw and told us about. There’s always a word of revelation through God’s messengers about God’s truths that sees far beyond what obedient servants could see or experience themselves.
Revelation is God revealing His secrets, showing us His ways, the heart of the matter of things to come. That’s why the book of Revelation, a book for now that has been only a future hope for many, is ae most important one for us to understand nos.. We are destined to eat with Jesus our King and God Our Father the words of that book. Unfortunately, Revelation has been s a most controversial book, with much confusion and strife about how to understand it, how much to spiritualize it or to take it literally, and considerable lack of unity about its meaning.
Written to God’s people, John the Revelator is revealing Jesus Christ, laying out the coming times of judgment:
“But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:16-17 Berean
We are where His judgment is happening now, in the hearts of His people, and that’s a good thing! As Christ is formed within us, He is making His abode inside of us, where is His kingdom. The time of our change has already begun and is ongoing for God’s called and chosen people. We can learn from the seven churches in the Book of Revelation, each told that God is aware of their deeds, and their acts in His name. He also sees what is in their hearts, what misses the mark of His high calling to dwell in His kingdom.
He tells each church to repent, to change. Each church representing a realm of spiritual experience must “hear Him” if they have spiritual ears to do so. They must overcome all of the flesh realm indicative of their experiences in order to enter in. The only church He does not tell to repent, chastise, or warn that He will remove their candlestick, the light of His presence, is the church of Philadelphia. Why? Because He sees that this church of brotherly love, despite their limitations, has His love in their hearts. He tells this church who is practicing brotherly love from their hearts, to hang on to that little they have.
The word given by John the Revelator to the church of Philadelphia starts out the same as the word to the rest of the seven churches, but ends differently:
“I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can shut. For you have only a little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name. Look at those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead. I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I love you.
Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
The one who overcomes me will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him, I will write the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:8-13 Berean
The church of Philadelphia has an open door because of their brotherly love. An open door means they can go on, go further. God saw something different, something worth preserving, to build upon in their hearts. Those who have brotherly love can go on to perfection. God opens the door before them because this quality of brotherly love is a keeper! It is on the path of life toward the love of God fully dwelling in a people. All the other churches had conditions from which they needed to repent, to submit to the fires of God to be further purified into His nature, but the Philadelphia church is told to hold on to what they have.
The messages to the seven candlestick churches found in Revelations 1-3 are to His own, revealing a spiritual pattern of the progression of the saints, the true church on earth. It was not written only to those seven groups of believers in actual cities of the time. Nor is it written to “all those others” who are in need of repentance and the refining of their natures. These messages are to us, God’s people! We are told there is a great blessing in both reading and believing the words of John the Revelator. The Revelation’s candlestick churches use spiritual language about what we need to know in this Day of the Lord.
Jesus tells this account of two sons that furthers our understanding of how God sees His own:
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give the others [in the house] their food and supplies at the proper time? Blessed is that [faithful] servant when his master returns and finds him doing so. I assure you and most solemnly say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
But if that servant is evil and says in his heart, ‘My master is taking his time [he will not return for a long while],’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour of which he is not aware, and will cut him in two and put him with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].” Matthew 24:45-51 Amplified
The evil servant surely is not holding on to what the Master has given him to feed and bless others. God will deal with us when the mercy and grace He extends to us is not freely extended to others. This is the refining of our nature into His nature. God is so good to us, providing all that we need, all the time, and with the most important gift of the spirit within. This is wealth in God! We are to share all of His goodness, His provision, with others as God leads.
Thankfully, none of us get what we deserve because of the grace and mercy of our Lord. We can freely give to others, without fear or favor, as He does. God does reward the humble and appreciates a truly repentant heart. In the beatitudes, our spiritual “constitution” for kingdom life, Jesus says:
“Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy!” Matthew 5:7-8 Amplified
It may appear that this promise means that when we are merciful to others, God will be merciful to us. The judgment we hand out is said to come back to us as well. But what if the deeper meaning is that the merciful will obtain God’s heart of mercy? This goes beyond acts of mercy towards others in order to please the Lord to becoming His mercy on the Earth. What a reward!
“And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:28-29 Berean
There are believers who are destined to be like Jesus Christ our Lord. Father God predicts many to be conformed to His image. That is true riches! How different is God’s definition of wealth than our earthly understanding of it! Yes, money does bring more choices in this world. God does bless some of His people He chooses to trust with wealth. But riches from money and possessions are certainly neither a requirement nor necessarily a sign of God’s favor.
God may bless us with material wealth for the purposes of our calling in His kingdom. Riches may come after our hearts please Him but it is not what we are to seek. We are not to even worry about it, which is a much bigger challenge:
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6:31-33 Berean
Jesus tells His followers to be different from the unbelieving Gentiles of His day. They focused on all the things they needed. He reminds us that these will be provided as we seek His kingdom first. God and His ways are infinely more valuable than rubies or gold to us. The true wealth of God is available to us in the spirit. Those who have plenty are not more loved or pleasing to God because of it. And those who have little are no less loved by Him or being punished by our heavenly Father.
As the first stanza of this song states:
“Lord, You are more precious than silver;
Lord, You are more costly than gold;
Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds;
And nothing I desire compares with You.”
(Author unknown)
God works within us so that all our earthly desires fade in comparison to Him. When we have Him, we have everything we need. We can always go to Him when there is lack. We are to be made like Him, in His image and likeness, and He is love. When perfect love dwells in our hearts and swallows up our being, we are no longer subject to the torments of human fear. We are delivered into the wealth of His kingdom where no unclean thing may enter, and God’s perfection reigns within us.
Hear it: the wealth of wisdom that we seek begins with being in awe of our God’s nature. How can we be in awe of our God when we don’t know much about who He is, let alone the decisions He makes? We are to have an awesome reverence of our Father, not to fear and mistrust what He will do. God is completely and wonderfully able to remove fear from our hearts as we seek Him. Do we believe it?
Would any of us really prefer the wealth of this world instead of God’s peace? As reverence is present and fear is being removed, we continually draw near to Him in love, learning of His ways, not just His acts. Yet far too often we have sought the things of this world, regardless of our faith in God. When you grow up with little, there may be a drive to accumulate, an envy of those who seem to have all they want in addition to all they need.
God teaches us that our desire, even yearning, for outward but unnecessary things, is hollow and ultimately dissatisfying. Things don’t change what is inside us, in our hearts. Many a rich person in this world is most unhappy, never satisfied or at peace with what they already have.
Christians look forward to God working in us so that we can join Paul in saying.
“ …I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11b-12 NIV
“Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it.” 1 Timothy 6: 6-7 Berean
To be content with what we have, to value godliness as great gain, such is wealth! Consider that some Christians do not have their needs met on a daily basis. It takes amazingly mature faith to have nothing, yet continually trust God for every need, but many many have and do that daily. It’s easier for those of us who have a measure of prosperity to be content. We may not have the deprivation others do and yet, God makes no qualifications to this scripture.
We are born into different circumstances, different human heritages, and differing abilities. It’s God’s business who He decides to make of each one, including Christians who are rich in the things of this world. Regardless, it is His chocie and not something we are to complain about. We are not to seek these things, to focus our energy on getting material things in this world.
“But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”
Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?” Romans 9:20-21 Berean
When we have a fear of lack, a scarcity mentality, He still provides what we need, but not all that we want. He removes the fear of suffering that is such a part of the human condition. This is true riches, lasting and eternal, of far more value than any things for which we may seek. It is about faith in Him, not the desires or actions of humans. How we long to know Him not only in the fellowship of His suffering but along with Paul, be found as living epistles of His righteousness:
“…be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:9-11 Berean
We carry the cross in our daily lives as circumstances put our own ideas and ways to death. What a wonderfully compassionate, understanding, and patient Teacher our God is with His own! He is willing and able to give us the wealth of His kingdom, the riches of His nature. Some of us are just hard learners! We are not the potter, but we are the clay of His workmanship. The very most satisfying place is being in the center of His will, even when it is the only peaceful place in the heart of a storm of events.
God loves His called, chosen, and elected people that He has been preparing through the ages for just this Day of the Lord. We who are called to be sons and daughters of the most High know that the Father’s strictest disciplines and most important lessons show forth His love and purpose for us. We need never be afraid of Father God or in terror of His actions. When we do find ourselves overwhelmed with fear and anxiety, God understands and will heal and deliver us with His comfort and mercy, making a way of escape as we ask.
God is able to bring the merciful into the lives of those who received no mercy to show forth Who He really is. Yes, there are many “not my will, but Yours be done” moments like Jesus had at Gethsemane, but we will never struggle with nor face what Jesus was called to do. He did it with the Father’s strength within for the joy that was set before Him.
But we can become more and more like the One we worship and adore as we enter into His sufferings. Our Lord understands turning points in our lives to be opportunities for change and growth that forever change our hearts. This is the gold of His kingdom, the true wealth of His nature worked in a people, eternally His own. What God teaches in this way becomes a part of us, written in our hearts. We can count on the promise of God to have the mind of Christ.
God is more than able to create in us a clean heart, something that no money or possessions can create. We are enabled, empowered to share the wealth of His kingdom with others. We show forth the riches of His nature of love and mercy, comfort and patience, having faith that He has everything we need in His hands. Should we be granted riches in money and possessions, we are free and generous in the sharing of them.
“But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.
God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 Berean
We all have a change of heart by learning God’s heart in any matter. Surrender is the ultimate desire of our Lord’s heart, not ever “giving up” in despair. God will have a people with no guile, whose words and behaviors match in displaying His nature of justice and truth, mercy and love, sharing and showing forth the wealth of His kingdom.
Such wealth is found as we follow our Lord Jesus Christ wherever He goes:
“They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless [have no guile.]” Revelation 14:4b-5 Berean