Title: Wealthy of Faith
Contents
The rich of faith (James 2:5-9)
There are 3 types of rich people in this world. ① He is the richest man in the world. (People who have a lot of wealth and material things.) ② They are rich in faith. (spiritual riches). ③ There are rich people in the world and faith. (There will not be many like this. Then, which of these should we become rich? (Proverbs 30:7-9)
We must be rich in faith. You must become rich in faith, and on top of that, you must become worldly rich. Otherwise, when we become materially rich, we become unhappy with material things. (1 Timothy 6:10, Hebrews 11:6) We can please God by faith. Moreover, without faith, you cannot inherit the promise (verse 5 of the text).
I. God chooses the poor to be rich in faith (v. 5).
The fact that God chose the poor shows that there is no national discrimination (Acts 10:34) or social discrimination (Ephesians 6:9) in God's choice. Therefore, these verses show that everyone is equal in the Church, and that no matter how lowly they are, their personality is respected and fellowship is in love. Many people believe that poverty is biblical. But poverty can also be the result of laziness. You don't have to feel guilty about having a lot of money.
The abundance of matter cannot be the criterion for good or evil. Good and evil are determined by the attitude toward the gospel. No matter how poor you are, if you are closed to the gospel, it is evil, and no matter how rich you are, if you are open to the gospel, it is good.
Ⅱ. God gives inheritance to those who love him (5b).
“Inheritance” refers to the property inherited by children from their parents. This refers to the kingdom of heaven that God's children will receive here. As believers are born again children of God, they receive God's blessed possessions, the kingdom of heaven. It is also called eternal life or salvation. They did not obtain it by their own strength or merit, but they received it as children, and as God had voluntarily promised Abraham, it also belongs to grace and not to the law (Romans 4:13).
Ⅲ. God judges those who blaspheme the name of the Lord (6,7)
The rich people whom James condemns are not God-fearing rich people. They do not know God and refer to those who oppressed God's people. God will make them suffer many times more than the poor suffer. To persecute the saints is to blaspheme the name of Jesus Christ and to blaspheme his name. God is righteous. Therefore, God will reward each person according to what he has done.
Ⅳ. To become rich in faith
① We must draw near to the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
“Therefore, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” To become rich in faith, you must draw near to the Word of God. Faith grows as we listen to the Word. When you do this, your faith will grow healthy and function properly. I hope you can live a life that is always close to the Word. (Joshua 1:8)
② We must believe and rely on the power of God's Word.
He has the power to educate and perfect people as people of God. It has the power to perfect good works. (2 Timothy 3:16,17) Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God created the universe through His Word. It was there when he said, “You must,” and it was fulfilled when you said, “Be sweet.” When God spoke, it was fulfilled immediately, without delay. This is because there is power in the word of God. The fact that Jesus calmed the winds and storms shows that Jesus is the Creator God. (Mark 4:39) By drawing near to these powerful words, the rich man of faith who stands upright as a man of God and is perfected and able to carry out good works. wish you to be
③ We must continuously obey the Word of God.
It is because of obedience that Abraham, the father of faith, became rich in faith. How obedient was he? To what extent have you obeyed? He did not know where he was going and obeyed when God called him to leave the country and his relatives and his father's house. Since it was God's command, he obeyed without any objection, just as it was, without delay. Abraham became not only rich in faith but also materially rich by obeying God's word unconditionally.
Hallelujah! I hope that you too become rich in faith and material wealth by continuing to obey God's Word, participate in good works, and use it for good works and have a history of remaining.