“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” (James 2:5)
Her husband is a doctor, she is a radiologist, the couple down the street are barely making ends meet with his factory job and her part-time work at the convenience store. It takes them nearly ten years to produce the income of the first couple’s increase from just one year. Who will the Lord call unto Himself?
“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:” (1st Cor. 1:26)
Although the invisible things of God are clearly seen by all who have been born, it is the condition of the heart that the Lord looks at, the Spiritual desire, not that of the flesh. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
I believe that the Almighty sets apart certain individuals for Himself, the Spurgeon’s, Tozer’s, McGee’s, and others to proclaim His name to the masses. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:16) These men and many like them became wealthy in the eyes of the world, but not for themselves, their labors for the Lord caused them that saw them as called by the Almighty to give of their own financial resources, and they were entrusted to use that money wisely. “And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.” (Acts 2:45)
The money that the apostles had been entrusted with after Pentecost would have fueled the lust of Judas Iscariot exponentially.
“And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” (Luke 19:8)
The rich can be saved my friends, but as the Lord Jesus Christ said, it is nigh on impossible. “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19)
The heart must yearn for more than what the world can offer, and when one has great financial resources, that can be extremely difficult. In many, if not all nations, there are what are called lobbyists, people whose responsibility it is to offer great sums of money to government officials so that laws are enacted in their favor. The ones that offer the most money are the ones that are listened to. What if those who have been crucified with Christ were the ones who gave the most to these corrupt governments, can righteousness be purchased, can the love of our neighbor be bought by the highest bidder, can great wealth cause a man to come to the cross?
The principalities we wrestle against do not need the riches of mankind to further their cause, this world and all that is in it belongs for the time being to our adversary. The love of money may indeed be the root of all evil, but it is power, power over people, and not just by force that Satan seeks.
One can be made to worship. “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” (Romans 14:11)
One cannot be made to worship in love.
The rich couple can deny that love just as easily as the poor one, it is the heart the Lord God looks at.
Here then is the question I pose to you today, when all is taken away from you, whether it be little or much, when all forsake you, when your health begins to fail, when pain is your constant companion, will you still serve in love?
“In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” (Job 1:22)
Job was perhaps one of the greatest examples used by the Almighty, for our contemplation on this question, Lazarus at the rich man’s gate, the Lord Jesus Christ though is at the top of the list, leaving heaven to become sin for us.
“And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21)
The message we offer does not change, it is not modified for the wealthy, it is not altered for the poor, it is always the same message. How they accept the truth of it is entirely up to them, rich or poor.
