Blessed are...

Rich or Wretched?

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3

In the letters to the seven churches, in the Book of Revelation, Jesus reserves special condemnation for the superficial, self-satisfied fellowship in Laodicea. “I am about to spit you out of my mouth,” He says. “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”[1] Like the emperor with his new clothes that were no clothes, the Laodiceans have wrapped themselves in their own righteousness, not realizing that they have none. They have been so busy congratulating themselves on their achievements that they have lost sight of their dependence upon God. They may profess Christianity, but they are on the brink of rejection because they seem unable to accept their spiritual poverty. Without a realistic understanding of their bankruptcy, they cannot grasp their need of grace.

It is very dangerous when Christians lose sight of the sinful state from which they have been rescued. When we begin to brag about our riches, or to claim the material benefits that we pretend are our birthright, then we invite non-believers to accept Christ not because of their need but because of their greed. Evangelism on the basis of worldly prosperity is not just a profound misunderstanding of the Gospel, it is also a dangerous heresy. We do not come to Christ because He will make us rich materially. We come to Him because we are spiritually poor. We have nothing without Him, no hope of heaven, no assurance of salvation. Without the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are worse than wretched, we are lost.



Redeemer, Lord,
Without You I have nothing.
But with You I have everything.
I see nothing of any value in me,
but You see great value, and You give Yourself, freely,
to save me from the destruction that would, otherwise, be my lot.
For grace beyond measure, accept my grateful thanks and praise.
Through Christ.
Amen.




[1] Revelation 3:16-17