God’s Hope for Your Heart from 2 Corinthians 8

JESUS WANTS YOU TO BE RICH IN HIM

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.  (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Jesus was not rich in silver or gold, but in power, in glory, and in love.

He was infinitely adored in heaven, yet came to earth to be despised and rejected by men.  He was infinitely glorious in heaven, yet came down to be born out of wedlock, a poor peasant from a backwater town.  He was infinitely powerful in heaven, yet came here to have His rights stripped away and let Himself be mocked, beaten and killed.  All these riches and more, Jesus chose to give up.  Why?

So that you could receive them by grace through faith in Him.

You were created for the purpose of displaying the glory of God.  Yet, sin stepped in and hijacked your life, turning it in on itself instead of up to God where it belongs.

So, glory you received was focused on you.  Power you attained was wielded for you.  Love you gained was hoarded by you.  Even good deeds you did were ultimately about you, and a self-focused life is a poor one, indeed.

But Jesus wants something better for you!

Jesus let Himself be unloved by men so you could receive the love of the Father.

Jesus gave up full use of His power so you could be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gave up His heavenly glory—for a time—so that you could become glorious in Him and thus bring great glory to God.

Through power and provision, glory and good deeds, Jesus wants to do great things in and through your life.  That’s why you can have hope in this incredible truth: Jesus wants you to be rich in Him.

-Pastor Phillip

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