Born To Be Wealthy

Born to be Wealthy

Pastor Glenn Newton 1-23-05

Ephesians 1:3-14 Read

Planned Giving experts project over the next five years in the US nearly 7 Trillion dollars will be transferred to the next generation. It will be the largest transfer of wealth in the history of America. Many people will get unexpected checks as a part of their inheritance. Now before you get to excited about inheriting money, Remember someone has to normally pass away before you get an inheritance.

If you’re a Christian this morning, you don’t need to feel left out! There isn’t a Christian here who hasn’t been born into great wealth! The apostle Paul says it this way, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Eph. 1:3

By faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have become a direct heir of the riches of heaven. An inheritance, the Bible says, “that can never perish, spoil or fade.” 1 Pet. 1:4

No matter what the balance, or lack of balance in your checkbook this morning, you will never be a pauper. Imagine the wealth of every kingdom on earth -- the holdings of the richest rulers -- and it would be on the poverty level in comparison to the riches you already enjoy. Every Christian ought to understand the wealth that is already theirs. Let me give you the Keys to your spiritual safe-deposit box, the riches that you have in Christ. Didn’t think you had a safety deposit box did you? Well, lets look inside and see what’s there.

1. You are rich in your Relationship to God (v.4-5)

You are loved. God has chosen you. He has called you by name. You are His child. You have been born into the family of God. Before the light f the first sunrise, the God of the universe saw you, and loved you, and claimed you as His own.

Most of us know what it’s like to be unwanted to some degree. Whether it was the humiliating experience of being the last person chosen at recess for the game, or the painful rejection of a broken relationship, everyone has had the experience of feeling unloved.

For some of us, that feeling goes very deep. Divorce, rejection by a parent, verbal or physical assaults; these things drive deep wounds into the soul. Those feelings of worthlessness are not isolated in the heart. Often, they show themselves through our behavior. Many believe that the crime and violence in this country is directly related to the feelings of worthlessness that plagues many in our society. Satan surely wants you to feel like your worthless, then he would persuade you to do things that you would not think about doing otherwise.

But the good news for every one who belongs to the Savior is that we are loved. We are chosen by God. We are precious. Repeat after me…. “I Am Loved”. “I Have Been Chosen”. Now believe that with all your heart.

God wants you! You are always the first pick on His team. The one who created you -- the one who knows you better than any human being, the one who knows you even better than you know yourself -- has chosen you. He has made a choice, out of His love for you, to enter into a relationship with you. He wants you for His own.

Love is a powerful object. Knowing that we are loved should make a difference in our lives -- promoting inner peace and tranquility in our souls.

What difference does the riches of God’s love make in our lives? There should be at least two results. First, since you are heir to the riches of His love, you should love yourself. “Low self-esteem” is not just a psychological buzzword. It’s a very real condition for many people. Since others don’t seem to love us, we don’t love ourselves. But God loves you.

Spiritual victory comes to our life when we choose to have a wholesome, positive image of ourselves. You are a person of worth, of dignity, of value. The search for self-esteem ends at the foot of the Cross.

Second, because you are rich in God’s love, you are free to love others. There’s no need to prove your worth against someone else. Jealousy, envy, competition: these things don’t make sense unless we have something to prove. Our Master showed us that the one who is most in touch with God is the one who is most able to sacrifice himself. That’s what He did for us! Because God loves us, we are free to love others. What a rich relationship. Related to God through Faith in His Son. Are you enjoying the riches of your relationship to God?