ENRICHED
“That
in everything ye are enriched by him; in all utterance, and in all
knowledge…” I Cor 1:5
Spiritually
enriched. We need not be spiritual
paupers, lean, weak and sickly. Descriptive words like strength, growing,
abounding, confidence and victory all are associated with God’s enrichment of
our lives. He fills us with His Spirit and works on our behalf to enrichment us. God intends that we flourish.
For
our part, it is a matter of choice. We
must choose to feed on the Word. It
yields strength. We must choose to grow
in Christ by obedience to the Word. This
yields the fruit of the Spirit and greater spiritual understanding bringing
abundance and confidence. We must choose
to live in Christ and to suffer with Christ.
This yields victory and promise.
Choosing to place Christ above self, above all, to a place of
pre-eminence places us in a position to receive all that we need and make us
truly rich and enriched by Him in everything.
Spiritual
enrichment - security, strength, abundance, freedom and assured victory - is
greater than any earthly riches. This
enrichment is based upon our activity in our relationship with Christ and God. It
does not come to fullness without effort.
Psalm One describes the beauty and depth of the tree planted by the
river. Drawing from its source enriches
the tree. Drawing from our source,
Christ, also enriches us.
“Lord,
let us seek Your face alone and be enriched by Your presence in our lives. Let us learn the deep, deep love of Christ
that gives life meaning and true spiritual wealth.”
How
spiritually rich are you? What would
make you enriched? Are you drawing from
the Source? What holds you back?
ENRICHED
“That
in everything ye are enriched by him; in all utterance, and in all
knowledge…” I Cor 1:5
This word “utterance” means to preach or to
tell. It is the giving of the Word. If we look at Ephesians 3:8 Paul says, “Unto me, who am less than the least of
all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ…”
Matthew Henry explains, “There is a mighty
treasury of mercy, grace, and love, laid up in Christ Jesus, and that both for
Jews and Gentiles. And they are
unsearchable riches, which we cannot find the bottom of. It was the apostle’s business and employment
to preach these unsearchable riches of Christ among the Gentiles….And it is an
unspeakable favour to the Gentile world that to them the unsearchable riches of
Christ are preached. Though many remain
poor, and are not enriched with these riches, yet if we are not enriched with
them, it is our own fault.”
I put to you that all of us who have found
salvation in Jesus Christ and have become as ambassadors have the obligation
and privilege of sharing the unsearchable richness of our faith with those
around us. But it begs the question, “Do
we know the richness of our Saviour and our faith?”
Even as I consider such things I feel too
small to paint an adequate verbal picture of the riches in Christ. I am reminded of Ephesians 3:18 “…may
be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and
depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Even the Psalmist wrote, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain
unto it.” These unsearchable riches
are given for us to proclaim abroad. How
deep the Father’s love for us! How vast
beyond all measure, and yet we are to be uttering it to others. In this we are rich beyond compare!
Are you uttering? Are you telling others of His greatness and
enriching their lives by the message of the Gospel?
ENRICHED
“O the
depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways
past finding out!”
Romans 11:33
Enriched
by him. Enrichment is not a product we
produce alone. We are enriched because
of Christ and what He has done making us spiritually and morally rich. Let’s look at some other Scriptures that can give
us a better definition.
Romans
2:4 warns man not to despise the riches of “his goodness and forbearance and
longsuffering”. There is a wealth to be
found in understanding and recognizing God immense patience with us. The goodness of God is to lead us to repentance. When we see how long God has waited for us to
come to understand his love, we see the richness and depth of His love.
Romans
9:23 says, “…that he might make known the
riches of his glory on vessels of mercy…”
As recipients, vessels, of His mercy we are honoured. And unto us he wants to show the riches of
his glory. Ephesians 3:16 holds the same phrase, “the riches of his
glory”. This is the showing of grace
toward believers, but it is more.
We
are so small that we seem to only be able to measure wealth by what it can bring
to our own personal lives. What about
looking at wealth as a deep beauty in someone else - even if it isn’t measured
out to us? God’s glory is there. It is there even if we have not received
it. It is there and full of wealth though
we only see the surface. The observance
of God’s grace in the lives of others affords us spiritual blessings and
intangible riches. We are encouraged to
believe His promises, to tell of His mercy in the lives of others, and to learn
by experience His great grace and mercy.
Goodness,
forbearance, longsuffering, mercy and then, knowledge and wisdom. Romans 11:33
“O the depth of the riches both of
the wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out!”
What
a mighty God we serve. His wisdom so
surpasses anything we can try to conjure up.
We are but ants. And yet, He
wants to pour His riches into us. Are
you ready? Will you stretch your faith
and mind to grasp more truth? Do you
praise him enough for his mercy toward your soul? And, for what you see Him
doing in the lives of others?
ENRICHED
“Being
enriched in every thing….” II Cor 9:11
“That he would grant you,
according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his
Spirit in the inner man…”
Ephesians 3:16
We return to the “riches of his glory”. This time let’s look at what His riches
afford us. Ephesians 3:16 tells us that
we will receive strength and might in our inner man.
When I was in High School I remember watching
the rich kids. They seemed to have a
confidence and sometimes an inner strength.
They didn’t seem to doubt themselves like I did. They were confident in their appearance and
in their tone of voice. I know now that
this might have just been a cover-up. Yet if I look at the way they carried
themselves and apply that to this verse, I can see that as a wealthy Child of
God, I, too, should walk with confidence and inner strength. I should not be doubtful about my position in
Christ. My countenance should reveal my
Saviour’s glory to those around me. They
should see Christ in me by the way I live my life and conduct myself.
Does this richness of life come by my decision
alone? Can I “turn over a new leaf” and
begin to live as the rich child that I am? The answer is “no”. I am not to be a
pretender. This strength of character comes as a gift granted to me by Him and
is produced by the working of His Spirit within my life as I come to
understand, accept and walk in the truth of my position in Christ. It is a part of the process of sanctification
– a spiritual work in my life that brings me to more Christ-likeness.
The truth is - I have a Wealthy Benefactor who
is always working on my behalf to increase my strength and inner man. Now there is true wealth; to always have a
resource. To always be assured of the
presence of an Almighty Helper. That
makes me independently, or rather, dependently wealthy!
What about your walk? Do you carry yourself like a Child of the
King?
ENRICHED
“Being enriched in every thing to
all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.” II Cor 9:11
In
II Corinthians 9 Paul is addressing the issue of giving with the
Corinthians. He has just written the
words we usually hear – “God loveth a cheerful giver”. Most teaching on giving stops there, but the
teaching about giving goes further than just the initial act of giving because
we are instructed to do so. There is a blessing attached.
II
Corinthians 9:8 promises that God will see to our every need as we give. Then comes a quote from Psalm 112:9 that the good
man will “disperse abroad”. This means
he has spread his wealth around; he has not forgotten to give to the poor. He
is no hoarder and he does not squander his wealth solely upon himself.
II
Corinthians 9:10 speaks of one that “ministereth seed to the sower”. Who is that?
That is none else but God Himself.
He is the one that gives seed to the sower. He is the source of a man’s wealth. Paul is teaching that God provides food for
us and multiplies our crops in the field not only to sustain us, but so that we
might also sustain others.
And
then he comes to verse 11. God enriches
us in everything so that we might be bountiful.
So let’s define bountiful or bountifulness. Vine says, “It is the quality of generosity
showing liberality; the moral quality of honesty expressing singleness of
purpose or motivation.” Strong says, “A
healthy singleness – to be generous and liberal in giving.”
Hum? Generosity is to be a part of our spiritual
walk and character. God is generous
toward us so that we will be generous toward others. And then comes the fruit – our liberal,
generous giving brings the receivers to thank God. It brings Him glory.
Amazing. I get to be a tool in His hand through
giving. So whom can I give to
today? Where can I be bountiful and
generous? Where can I be used of God to
enrich others with the riches wherein He has enriched me?
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