What Is Real Lasting Wealth?

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Willy sat on his front porch watching cars go by on the street at the end of his front yard. It was a beautiful sunny day in the spring when trees and flowers bloom and freshness pervades the air. And as he felt surrounded by warm sunshine along with a cool breeze, he realized—I’m blessed, and in so many ways—in material and financial things yes, yet far more important in social and health matters, and most crucial in spiritual realities.

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Material and Financial Things

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 I don’t live in a mansion; my house is rather ordinary like the others around me. I’m no millionaire but I’m free of major debts, can pay my bills on time, can put away 10% of my salary for future needs, and have employment that meets my family’s basic needs. I have a car to go to work, can go to worship and witness without fear of persecution, and can take my family out for recreational and fun times occasionally. I tithe to my church and give above my tithe to gospel missions and persons in need. Thank you Lord for financial blessings I can share with others. Wish I could give more to the kingdom of God, which has eternal value. I feel so humble and grateful.    

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I give the Lord credit and as a steward of God’s bounty strive to follow common sense and biblical principles. I realize that everything I own or have is a gift of God’s grace. I try not to incur big debt and to pay dept off as quickly as possible to avoid paying interest. I don’t want to sin in wasting God’s resources or by purchases above my means and have to declare bankruptcy or experience foreclosure. That’s really stealing from other people. I try to be a wise shopper to search labels not just for their dates of expiration, but also for their quality, quantity, and price and to always look for sales and discounts. 
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Social and Health Matters

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Socially I’m blessed. My wife is a lovely loving lady who loves the Lord and ministers to others. She visits them in the hospital, frequently calls to check on their well-being especially if they’re older single people, and sends cards of encouragement. She’s unafraid and unashamed to witness for Jesus as Lord and Savior of sinners with friends and relations as she knows this concerns their eternal well-being. She sings in the choir, sometimes works in the nursery, has taught Bible classes, goes on church visitation, and is an example of godly living. I’m so thankful for her—she helps keep me straight. We have two beautiful children, a son in college and daughter graduating from high school. We have family devotions and prayer together and I try to teach them God’s principles and be an example though I miss it a long way—we Christians are still human and sinners.

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It’s true that I’m not as fast, sharp in mind and healthy as in my younger days. We work out at the gym. I’m working on getting that six-pack with my abs and keeping my gut down but it’s sure hard when you enjoy eating. We enjoy walks together. We drink clean water and avoid harmful things like tobacco, alcohol, as illicit drugs, and baking in the sun which causes skin cancer. Young people think such things declare adulthood and make you popular, but you pay dearly in later years with  damaged body and mind. We’re made for God’s glory, not selfish destructive purposes. We eat fresh vegetables, take vitamins, and get medical checkups and adequate sleep. I have my up and downs, aches and pains, good days and bad—I live in the real world, but find the Lord is good and I love Him.      

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Crucial Spiritual Realities

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God’s greatest blessings or benefits are spiritual. Even most Christians have little spiritual understanding of the many things Christ’s death has accomplished in their behalf. I fear for persons who in ignorance, indifference, and rebellion demean and deny the tremendously precious grace of God displayed in the death of his unique Son, the God-man and Lord Jesus Christ. They can shout crucify him today when presented to them as Savior, but will one day kneel at his feet as their Judge and confess He is the righteous Lord. Please my friends don’t throw away your most crucial opportunity of life. John Piper's little book, Don't Waste Your Life, is helpful here.

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Contrary to many people’s opinion and ignorance there is more historical evidence for Jesus as an historical person living in our space-time world than for Tiberius Caesar or Aristotle. Check it out in the books I recommend. Further, honest appraisal overwhelmingly and undeniably shows Jesus demonstrated many times and many ways He is God. He both said and did things only God could. Jesus is humanity’s hope—there's no other name!

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In his excellent little book, The Passion of Jesus Christ, John Piper discusses fifty biblical reasons why He came to die. I recommend it highly for a spiritual treat. Also, Piper’s messages are available on the www.desiringGOD.org. “Passion” from Latin is used here of Christ’s suffering. I can only touch on the first reason and hope you will check out the others.   

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Jesus died to absorb the wrath of God. To many persons sin is no big issue, but to God it’s the worst possible insult provoking his wrath. God’s justice demanded his Son suffer and die--God’s love made his Son willing to suffer and die. God’s love met the demand of his justice by absorbing the wrath or anger of God against believing sinners.

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We dishonor our Creator and Life-giver by preferring things other than him and living out our own preferences. The universe, life, love, goodness, beauty, accomplishment, everything we enjoy and treasure would be nonexistent apart from God. So failure to love God is not trivial but treason. Not to punish our neglect, indifference and rebellion would make God unjust. The biblical word “propitiation” speaks of the removal of God’s wrath by his Son Jesus Christ becoming our substitute and bearing the punishment of our sin. Jesus didn’t just cancel our sin; he absorbed it and diverted it from us to himself becoming sin for us the Just for the unjust (propitiation). We will never understand the debt or value God’s love for us until we see the heinous of our sin as insult to God and humbly and seriously trust Christ for forgiveness.
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Only one life. It will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. Unknown Author. We can make a real difference for a better world by sharing these important articles with both Christians and non Christians. Link and share something that can make a difference in Christ the Lord.

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“In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 In Him we have redemption,  through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7 Do you know Jesus? Trust Him now as you Savior, Lord, and Guide.

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