True Riches In Christ
by Cornelius R. Stam
To know God through Christ and His redeeming work is to be rich indeed.
The Scriptures have much to say about the infinite riches of God.
They tell us of :
• “the riches of His glory” (Rom.9:23; Eph. 3:16),
• “the riches of His wisdom and knowledge” (Rom.11:33),
• “the riches of His goodness and forbear-ance and longsuffering” (Rom.2:4)
• “the riches of His grace (Eph.1:7; 2:7).
God would have us enjoy these riches through faith in Christ, who died for our sins.
“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” (IICor.8:9).
We should rejoice continually that God, in addition to being rich in wisdom and knowledge and in glory and power, is also “rich in mercy” (Eph.2:4) and that “the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom.10:12,13).
To St. Paul, the chief of sinners, saved by grace, God revealed the greatest riches of all. Paul said: “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given, that I should preach among the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph.3:8). These riches include, among other things, “all the riches of the full assurance of understanding” (Col. 2:2). How wonderful to have an intelligent understanding of God’s plan of salvation and of all He has purposed in His heart of love for those who accept the salvation He has provided through His beloved Son!
True riches are not comprised of material things. The Scripture calls these “uncertain riches” and warns us not to trust in them (ITim.6:17). True riches is “to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge” and so to be “filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph.3:19).